When the temperatures took a giant and unexpected nosedive in November, I potted up the rest of my tulip bulbs so they could start their chilling period a month early.
First I nestled them in a Rubbermaid storage container surrounded by some of that air-filled shipping material. For ventilation, I poked a few holes in the sides of the container with a screwdriver. Then I popped the the lid back on and set them in my cold garage. I threw a towel over the bin for added insulation, and I pinned a note on it reminding me there were bulbs in there so the bin wouldn’t get tossed around or tipped over.
They’ve been chilling for almost four weeks now, so yesterday I peeked inside to see how they were doing:
There was a little mold forming on the skins of some of the bulbs, but the bulbs are still solid. Some of them are already sending up shoots:
They need to chill for 12 to 16 weeks, so I really shouldn’t bring them in the house until late January at the earliest, but because some of them are already showing signs of life, I may be too excited to wait that long.
I’m so thrilled that this little experiment is working. It’s a cheap and easy way to enjoy some beautiful blooms in winter without sacrificing my refrigerator crisper drawer.