How to Tell if Your Bulbs are Fresh: 10 Pro Tips
It’s planting time and you’re excited to start some new bulbs in your garden. Do you know how to determine if those bulbs are fresh, healthy, and ready to grow? Gardening expert Liessa Bowen shares 10 simple tips to help you examine your bulbs like a pro!
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Fall and spring are both ideal times to plant bulbous roots. Perhaps you just bought some from the store or would like to buy some new species to try, or maybe you’ve had them in storage for a while, and you’re wondering if they’re still viable. Additionally, when digging bulbs from your garden, you may hope to store them for the winter or transplant them to new locations.
Don’t automatically assume that every bulb you buy at your local garden center is healthy. Likewise, don’t assume that every bulb you dig up or store will make it through the winter in perfect condition. You buy, save, and recycle your bulbs from year to year. Of course, you want them to be fresh and healthy so you can enjoy their beautiful flowers in your garden next spring.
Many different plants grow from bulbs and each species will look slightly different from the others. Despite the differences, here are some universal observations you can make to tell if bulbs are fresh.
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Check Firmness
Fresh, healthy bulbs should be firm. A healthy bulb feels plump in your hand. When you give it a gentle squeeze, it will feel solid and won’t give. If they feel fresh and firm, they’ve passed the squeeze test.
Desiccated ones will feel papery and completely dry. When you press on them, they will shrivel or feel somewhat crispy and crackly in your hand.
Rotten specimens, on the other hand, will have soft spots or feel entirely mushy. If you push on them, your finger sinks down into the flesh. Those starting to rot will feel like they have soft spots. Fully rotten ones will have a mushy consistency.
Check Weight
A fresh, healthy bulb will feel firm and have some heft to it. When you hold it in your hand, it will feel substantial and solid. If the bulb feels thinner and lighter than it looks, it may just be a dried-out husk and it’s no longer good. When you have several of the same kind, most will probably feel hefty and if one or two feel light and insubstantial, go ahead and dispose of them.
Look for Signs of Rot
Take a closer look. Pick them up and observe the color and texture of the outer layer that you can see. Do you see any signs of rot or mold? Does your bulb feel slimy? Moldy ones generally have black, gray, or white fuzz growing on them. Rotting ones look visually sick and unhealthy. They may have dark, sunken spots on their sides or they actually look wet and slimy.
Dispose of any rotten specimens that you find in your stash. Get rid of moldy planting materials as soon as you notice them so the mold and fungus don’t spread to the rest of your storage roots. Also, don’t waste your time trying to plant moldy ones. They won’t grow, and you risk introducing diseases to your flower beds.
The most common cause of rotting is excess moisture or humidity during storage. It’s much easier to prevent rot than to fix it after the fact. To prevent rotting, make sure they are clean and dry before you put them in storage.
Store them in a box, bin, or mesh bag that allows airflow. Store them in a cool, dry location where they will stay in a dormant state without absorbing excess moisture from their surroundings.
Smell Them
If you can smell your bulbs and they stink, this isn’t a good sign. Onion roots will smell like onions, and garlic planting material will smell like garlic, but other bulbs will have a neutral plant-like smell.
Stinky, rotten-smelling bulbs are decomposing and they won’t grow. If they smell bad, they will also probably feel mushy. Throw away any that smell stinky and rotten.
Look for Bugs
Do you see any bugs on them or burrowing inside? Aphids, bulb mites, thrips, and bulb fly larvae are all pesky bugs that will try to eat these root structures. Just because you see signs of bugs, however, doesn’t mean they’ve gone bad.
If you have freshly dug bulbs and they still have dirt clinging onto them, you may see earthworms and other soil-dwelling creatures, too. Carefully scrape off the mud and dirt and any critters that come with it. Now that your bulb is free of dirt and debris, have a closer look.
Look especially for evidence of bulb fly larvae. These are the maggots of bulb flies, and they will burrow and destroy the insides. If you see tunnels and holes going into your bulb, you probably have bulb fly larvae. Infested specimens should be removed and destroyed to prevent these pests from spreading.
Aphids will sometimes attack bulbs in storage or in the ground. You’ll see these small, soft-bodied insects on the outside and at the top, exposed ends of planted roots. Fortunately, these pests are fairly simple to control.
If you see them gathering, spray them with a jet of water for a few days to discourage them from returning. For loose ones, dunk them in insecticidal soap to kill the aphids. You won’t usually need to use toxic insecticides to kill these pests.
If you find yourself with gladiolus thrips feasting on your stored gladiolus planting material, kill the thrips before planting. Shortly before replanting, create a mixture of 4 teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water.
Soak them in a bucket of this solution for three hours. This should effectively kill thrips. When digging gladiolus in the fall for winter storage, cut off the green tops before storage, as this is where the pests are most likely to be hanging out.
Look for Rodent Damage
Have you stored your planting material in a garage, or did you notice signs that animals have been digging them out of your garden? The outer surface of your bulb may not look smooth and perfect but it definitely shouldn’t look like a chewed-up snack. Rodents won’t generally touch some species, such as daffodils and onions, while others seem to be a favorite tasty treat, especially tulips.
Prevent rodent damage by storing in a rodent-proof location. Freshly planted bulbs and freshly turned soil attract a lot of attention from animals.
Cover your bulb area with a section of wire fencing to discourage digging, or cover individual plants with squirrel-proof critter cages so they won’t get immediately dug up as soon as you plant them.
Try the Float-Sink Test
If you’ve made the previous observations, you probably won’t need to perform this test, but you can if you’re still unsure. Fill a small bucket with water. Place several bulbs in the water. Healthy ones will sink to the bottom, and rotten ones will float on the top. This is a quick and easy way to tell if bulbs are fresh.
Don’t leave them to soak in the water; it’s really just a quick dunk. They will float or sink right away. Do not dunk them in water before storage. Only use this test right before planting. If you store damp or wet bulbs, they’re sure to develop mold and rot.
Look for Signs of New Growth
Fresh bulbs will last through the winter in a dormant state. When they sense a warming in the air, they will start to sprout, even if they haven’t yet been planted. Look for fresh, firm sprouts of stems, leaves, or roots.
This is an easy way to tell that your bulb is fresh, vigorous, and ready to grow. If you don’t see any signs of new growth, that’s fine. It doesn’t mean your bulb is dead; it just means it hasn’t yet broken dormancy.
Are They Too Old?
Did you store bulbs a couple of years ago and then forget about them? Bulbs don’t last forever. Most species fare best when replanted each year. But, in case yours have been in storage for more than a few months, the best test will be to give them a thorough inspection. Even if they’re old, as long as they’re still somewhat firm and not buggy or moldy, they will probably still grow.
Plant Them
Planting is, of course, the ultimate test of viability. If your bulb looks fresh, feels firm, has good weight, and doesn’t show any signs of insect or fungal infections, it’s probably ready to grow. So go ahead the plant the bulbs that pass your inspection and enjoy your garden!
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store bulbs over the winter to keep them fresh?
Proper winter storage will help keep your bulbs healthy from year to year. When you dig them in the fall, carefully wipe off dirt, debris, and moisture before putting them in storage. Storing clean and dry ones will help prevent a lot of problems. Leave your clean ones outside in the sun for a week before storage. This will help dry them out thoroughly.
Place your clean and dry bulbs in a box full of neutral, dry material. You can pack them away in dry peat or sphagnum moss, sawdust, or even packing peanuts. Leave some space between each bulb and place them in a roots-down position. Store them in a clean, dry, dark location away from rodents, bugs, and water. Make sure your storage location doesn’t freeze over the winter.
When should I check my bulbs?
At the very least, check your bulbs before you put them in storage. Only store healthy ones and don’t waste your time and space with unhealthy or rotting specimens.
If you are storing through the winter in your garage, basement, root cellar, or shed, go ahead and check on them a few times to make sure rodents haven’t gotten into them and that they still look firm and fresh. If you notice any issues, try to correct them sooner rather than later when it’s too late to help.
What should I do if I think my bulbs aren’t fresh?
If your bulbs fail several of the above tests, there’s a good chance they won’t grow, especially if they are paper-light, rotten, or mushy. If you’re pretty sure they’ve gone bad, throw them out. Don’t put moldy, infested, or diseased bulbs or other infested or rotten garden plant materials in your compost. You can easily spread pathogens, molds, spores, diseases, and insect eggs from moldy bulbs to healthy bulbs the next time you spread compost in your flower garden.
