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OK- on a whim (I know- but it was a great offer ), I bought some dahlia, gladioli and oriental lily bulbs in an end of season sale.  Should I put them in now, or store for next year?  I'm gardening in the Pennines in Derbyshire.

Plant them in pots and nurture them.   They may just produce foliage this late but that will feed the bulbs and tubers for next year.  Keep them protected from frosts over winter and start them into growth again next spring with watering and a light feed.   Keep them sheltered, fed and watered till the last frosts.

Potting up and overwintering 150 bulbs/tubers will be pretty impractical- is it worth just keeping them in a cool dark place until next season? Thanks.

Dehydration would be the death of these living stores of plant energy.Excess moisture will encourage and support fungal decay. Temperature will be a factor in them 'reawakening'. They need to be 'aware' of the season. Place of storage will be key in delivering the ambient conditions for their survival, imho. What have you to lose, at this time?

In this case you do not have to pot them up individually but pot them up you must!

With the Dahlias I would plant them up something like this with  some compost over them until the frosts when any growth they make will be blackened;



When the growth has blackened follow winter treatment as I do here:

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/D/Dahlia/Dahlias.htm

With Gladioli & Lilies I would pot them in layers in large pots for the time being where they may or may not develop new growth. The number you get in a pot is dependant on the size of the pot. Again just stick them out doors until the frosts come then revert back to normal end of season routine!

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/G/Gladioli/Gladioli.htm





Lilies can be treated in a similar manner!

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/L/Lillium/Lillium.htm

The only thing I am concerned with these is prior to being lifted at the nursery did the bulbs form an embryo?.

If not you might have blind plants next year, but at least planting them up now may encourage them to form an embryo!

Thanks Tee Gee- that's more practical for my current situation...