No, sorry, but I'm curious as to why you've done so - are you trying to stop them freezing or the opposite, wanting them to have more cold in winter?

I am a little surprised, as well. I don't grow bulbs like tulips and large daffodils because I can't give them the very cold temperatures they need to flower. If you are trying to force them into blooming indoors, then they need about 6 weeks before trying it.

If you had planned to have them in flower indoors then they need to be brought in now given a little water and watched. hyacinths are pre-treated for indoor flowering for Xmas.
if they are in pots for an outside display then just leave them in the garage until you have shoots above the soil and then place them into an area where there is more light.
how cold does it get in Vermont? the pots could be wrapped in bubblewrap and placed in a sheltered place outside unless you get very cold temperatures -20c or more.

Lol Bamboo there is plenty of cold in Vermont in winter :)

That's what I thought Moongrower, but then, I only just discovered that the Peak District doesn't mean Cumbria, so what do I know;-))

Vermont is very cold in winter...between -2˚C and -15˚C

Why you choose to grow Spring bulbs in pots is simply because you want to and that's a perfectly legitimate response. You want to! Good for you! We know Vermont is cold in winter and the responses here aren't very helpful.

Mg, Bamboo - The writer isn't asking you for a weather report and if you can't offer a helpful response, sometimes nothing is the best option.

Wells - The answer really depends on which types of bulbs are in question. In order to break the dormancy period, most Spring bulbs require a minimum of 800 hours of below 40F. Some bulbs require a slightly longer period of cold (the late bloomers). You'll have to calculate from the time you potted them up and placed them in the garage. Bulbs that are forced and don't receive the required amount of cold, will be stunted and look mangy or not bloom at all. I don't think this will be a problem in Vermont. Good luck.

Bathgate I was not giving a weather report to Wells, I was giving info to Bamboo which is relevant to the question as she stated she did not know the temp. in Vermont in winter.

The bulbs don't care what state they are in, the requirements are the same.

I think I was the one who asked how cold Vermont got.
And it was pertinent to my ability to offer a suitable comment re the bulbs/pots and just general care.
I have very poor Geographical knowledge but do know USA is huge and has very varying temps. hence my query.

I disagree Bathgate, bulbs grown in say, Florida, have very different requirements to those growing in Vermont! Certainly as to how they are treated and grown.

Thanks for you input Seaburngirl. I was laughing because nobody offered any sound knowledgeable advice on propagating potted Spring bulbs. It's a booming industry.

Mg - These bulbs are not grown in Florida.

No they aren't but you 'seem' to claim that the advice for growing bulbs is exactly the same no matter where they are growing... frankly if some one in Cornwall asks for advice and some one in Caithness does I give very different answers sorry...

Wells, I think I've established, from Moongrower's input, that you are pretty cold there in winter - when you say 'to a warmer place' what does that mean? Indoors? Greenhouse?

OK google is a much more reliable source. Average temperature in Vermont during winter is 22F. Yeh, that's cold. Tulips still need a minimum of 800 hrs of below 40F - a little more for the late bloomers, 12-14 weeks. Just be careful not to let the bulbs freeze solid. Then you can move them indoors to enjoy. Hope this helps, good luck.

I can promise you Bathgate that many folk in the UK happily grow tulips and the temperature never, or very rarely, drops below 32˚F!

Provided hat the bulbs don't get exposed to extremes of temperature, this has little to do with their development. Much more important is light and moisture of the pots. Whilst the light of a greenhouse is to be prefered, they can stay in a dark garage until they just start to sprout. During this period the compost should be kept 'just moist'. As soon as they do sprout then they need to come out into the light and get more water. If they are bulbs intended for indoor use then they should come into a bright, but cool, room in the house. If they are patio bulbs then they need to stay outdoors but with some protection from extremes of weather.

Thank you Bulbaholic. I planted lots of bulbs in pots but did not have time to plunge them in the garden for overwintering, instead I left them in the greenhouse. I noticed yesterday that they could do with watering but I could not decide on watering from the top or the bottom as we have had snow in the past few days and what did not disappear froze over. I live in central Scotland. ps I noticed a Tecophilaea cyanocrocus in a 2" pot which has been sitting on a bigger pot, near the pergola, had been knocked over. It has strong shoots on it. I have my fingers crossed I will get at least one flower on it.

Well just over a month at 4-5C is typical here in the UK so tulips thrive here; and 32F is approx 0C so we are all pretty much saying the same thing. Winter 2010/11 we had long periods of -10C and the tulips came through fine.
Several of us did suggest 'cultivation advice'.

I was wondering if the pots were ceramic/terracotta or plastic and how the weather would affect the pots. Many people worry about the pots freezing and cracking. That was the reason for me asking about the weather.

Tulip bulbs could be funny sometimes. Really strong, high quality bulbs will be a bit forgiving and is the way to go. Hyacinths don't look as nice the second year as they start to naturalize.

now I prefer hyacinths that have gone back to their more natural look, the scent is heavenly still and they don't need as much staking as the 'first year' of flowering. its personal taste isn't really :o)

All indoor ones go out into the garden eventually and they do a wonderful display.

They do smell nice. I can smell the ones outside from my kitchen.

that led toquite a discussion. I loved all the answers and the questions. Opinions are so helpful. I am going to leave them for at least three months in the garage, unless I see sprouts. And then gradually subject them to more warmth.
Since I do not have a greenhouse, I will have to count on Mother Nature's cooperation. It's only an experiment.... Thanks everyone for so many answers. The hyacinths are
only the small ones.

Hi, as all the information required has already been given, I will give a quote from the rubaiyat of Omar Kayam,
If of thy worldly goods thou art bereft,
and of thy meagre store, two loaves alone to thee are left,
sell one, and with the dole, buy Hyacinths to feed thy soul. Derek.

Hum... I can think of lots of plants I'd buy Derek but none would be hyacinths :)

Thank you Derek. I like that one. It would be fun to look at some of the poetic verses with specific flowers!

Question: it sounds like I should be keeping these moist?

Until they sprout. But I thought they should stay in the pots dry for a longer period?

Yes, the bulbs should be kept moist & cool. The bulbs should already have a well developed root system. The idea is try to mimic nature. Here in New York, the ground is cool & moist most of the time.

yes give them some water. I work on the idea if the soil is dry down the first inch then its time to water them. You should be able to see roots coming out the bottom of the pots by now. If not don't worry give them a drink and wait and see. :o)

Ok everyone. I think all the advice has jelled and I am ready (finally to water them!) Actually should have put them outside. It has been raining all day. Keep you posted on progress. Thanks to everyone, I hope they BLOOM!

I planted all these pots because my dear husband forgot they were in his car to be delivered somewhere else. As the ground outside was frozen, thought why not? Had read, put them on your cellar steps.

Just like to say, the tulips are up about six inches, and look
very healthy. I brought them in from garage, put them in a warm spot, watered, quite a bit of light and here they are coming. will post pics when in Bloom.

On the subject of tulips, I found four random bulbs just strewn across a lawn in a garden last year - no idea what they are, one was huge, the others smaller and different from one another - I brought them home and stuck them in a pot. They're up now, but I'll be intrigued to see what they turn out to be... I just couldn't bring myself to simply bin them!

my tulips in pots are outside and coping with the below zero temps too.
do you want them as indoor plants Wells?