I have bulbs that should have been planted in the fall

If you miss planting your bulbs at the optimal time, don't wait for spring or next fall.Bulbs aren't like seeds. They won't survive out of the ground indefinitely. Even if you find an unplanted sack of tulips or daffodils in January or February, plant them and take your chances.

You need to store them in a cool dark place, like a basement until fall.

Hello Jo. If you missed planting your bulbs at the optimal time don’t wait until next fall. Bulbs will not survive out of the ground for any length of time like seeds often do. Plant your bulbs now and take your chances. Good luck!

Hi Jo,

I found a website that explains the process when you forget to plant spring bulbs in the fall. I copied the part that pertains specifically to you, but listed the complete article at the bottom of this post. Wishing you the best.

"If it’s spring when you discover that you forgot to plant bulbs, you can plant them straight into the garden.

Do this only if they are firm and in good shape. They could live – you won’t know if you don’t plant them. If they are alive, they will produce only leaves this year, not flowers. The reason: they missed out on the period of cold dormancy that they need for root growth and flowering."

http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/forgot-to-plant-bulbs.html

Go ahead and plant them now. They might flower in the wrong time for this year but they should adjust and flower correctly next year. They will not survive if you do not plant them.

I have done that many times (I stink at gardening), and just planted them. Sometimes they take an extra season, but it works, until the squirrel eat the flowers...

Put them in the ground as soon as the ground is free of frost. They may not bloom this year, but they will grow.

do not plant them now.store in a cool dark location in a paper bag

It’s hard to keep them from going mold in long storage. You would want to store them in dry Pete moss so that none of the bulbs touch and keep them away from moisture.