Relocating and replanting bulbs

[merlin]

After seeing the results of my various daffodil/tulip/hyacinth plantings this spring, I would like to move some of them around; in some case the foliage is covering up emerging perennials that really could use more sun and breathing space without waiting for the bulbs leaves to wither away, which sometimes seems to take forever, the downside of having lots of bulb flowers. How soon can I do this without killing the bulbs? In other words, I really don't want to wait until fall to dig them up and relocate them, I'd like to do it before I take off the withered leaves, so at least I'm sure where they're at!
Thanks for any advice . . .

[KimmSr]

Wait until the bulbs foliage is yellow and dying before trying to dig them up and transplant them. This will mean disturbing your other plants but it needs to be. Digigng and transplanting bulbs before then disturbe the whole process of making next years flowers and storing the nutrients needed to grow next year, unless you take enough soil with the bulbs so the roots are not distrurbed.

[merlin]

Thanks Kimm, that's actually what I wanted to hear - I just didn't want to have to wait until the fall and poke around blindly in the soil where I vaguely remembered them being! I can handle waiting until the leaves turn yellow and dry up.

[bloombabe]

A trick to mark bulb beds is to plant a low growing annual, like alyssum or ageratum in the middle of the bed before the foliage dies away completely. This way one has a vague idea where the bulbs are and can avoid planting a new perennial over the bulbs this growing season or digging in that spot to plant other bulbs in the fall.

[Garden2Luv]

I've taken out my bulbs in spring to relocate. Right after they finished blooming. You just dig them up and put them right back in at the same dirt level. Never hurt them one bit. Bloomed the next year.