Please help -- when do I plant them?

[amny65]

I purchased some bulbs earlier this year -- peonies and dahlias. I forgot to plant them. The instruction says they should be planted March-April. What should I do now? Should I plant them now? Or should I wait and plant them next March? Would the bulbs even last until next March? I am in Washington DC.

Please help!

[tomc]

Plant them! Fall is coming.

[applestar]

I guess whether they are still viable or not depends on how they were stored. I'm wondering if they might not be shriveled by now? Peony would be roots/tubers right? Dahlia also tuber or corm, I thought?

Definitely don't think they'll survive unplanted/stored until next spring.

Dahlia actually needs to be lifted in fall here but maybe it's OK in DC area. I would still mulch heavily before hard freeze since even if they do start to grow roots this fall, they would not be established.

I'm thinking soaking them in a bucket of rainwater or de-chlorinated water with a shovelful of compost for a period of time prior to planting to plump them up and revitalize them a bit might help. I'm not sure how long though -- an hour? A couple of hours? ...no more than four hrs, maybe?

[amny65]

Thank you both. I planted them today. The peonies are dried. I don't expect them to survive. The Dahlias look fine, even have new spouts on them, so I expect them to do better. Under any circumstance, I have nothing to lose.

Thank you for your help!