How Long Can Tulip Flower Bulbs Be Refrigerated?

Function

• Tulip bulbs go dormant in the winter and conserve their energy for vigorous growth in the spring. You may leave them in the ground or if you prefer, dig them up and store them in the refrigerator to protect your bulbs from foraging animals in the winter. Squirrels will dig tulip bulbs up and eat them.

  In the fall, dig the bulbs from the ground and place them on top of a bed of potting soil in a box for a few days. Place this box in a cool dark place such as a cellar.

  Additionally, any potted tulips need to be planted back in the ground in the fall or refrigerated.

Packing Bulbs

• After several days of letting the bulbs acclimate to the indoors, place three or four bulbs in small paper bags. Do not pack them tightly. Make sure there is adequate space for air to move around the bulbs.

Refrigerator Compartment

• Place the bags of bulbs in the refrigerator in a separate vegetable compartment. Keep anything besides tulip bulbs out of the storage compartment. Fruits and vegetables emit an ethylene gas, which promotes decay, so keeping them separate from the bulbs is essential.

Time Frame

• Tulip bulbs require 16 weeks of refrigeration in the winter, either in the cold ground or in storage. However, tulips are a cold weather plant as well. Tulips will begin to sprout in January so plant the bulbs in early December so they'll be in the ground at the correct time to bloom.

Climate Considerations

• Tulip bulbs need to be planted in late September or October, depending on the climate. Gardeners in northern climates need to follow this date range. Gardeners in southern climates can plant bulbs in December as long as they do so before the first hard frost of the season.

Forcing Bulbs for Indoor Flowering

• Use a different method for forcing bulbs to flower for indoor winter decoration. Pot the bulbs before putting them in the refrigerator. The idea is to simulate winter by forcing them to go dormant.
  Leave the bulbs in the refrigerator--keeping the soil moist--until you notice roots sprouting from the bottom of the container.

  At this point, remove the bulbs from the refrigerator and place them in a cool, dark room for approximately one month.

  Then, move the pots to a partially sunny location with temperatures around 60 degrees for about two weeks. After two weeks, move the bulbs to a sunny location and allow the bulbs to bloom.