O.k. so this probably a really stupid question. I watched on YouTube how to plant some bulbs like Tulips and Irisis. So I got some Daffodills and plan on planting them the way I said done on youtube for a Autumn planting. So,if you plant them now they should come up in the Spring, correct? I get that. But do I water them all fall and all winter right up til they come out in the Spring? Or are they suppose to be in the dirt lying doormant or something. And what about frost. It freezes here in the winter. They won't freeze?

Yes, they freeze. There are a couple of things at work here. First, is that daffodils (and many other bulbs) are extremely tough. Being a block of ice underground won't hurt them a bit.

The other thing is that in the fall and spring the ground freezes and thaws in stages. Here in Reno, we have a lot of fall until the ground actually freezes for the season in December. In 8b, the ground won't freeze to the same extent. But while the bulbs are underground they begin to send out roots and grow, even if you can't see it happening.

Water them when they get dry in the fall. If you have to water the rest of your garden in the winter, water them too. In spring they'll come up like they are supposed to.

First, don't plant them now -- at least not without checking online gardening sites. Local shops often sell bulbs way too early in the season, and that always annoys me no end.

The **responsible** online sellers won't be sending me my bulbs until the middle or end of October -- and even that's earlier than ideal here in zone 7a. I'm not familiar with California, but I would bet this is much too early for you as well.

Google some gardening sites for California and see what they say before you plant. Here are three sites to start with, but check several different sites to see what the consensus is:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.c...
http://sacmg.ucanr.edu/Sacrame...
https://www.ocregister.com/200...

I'm from California Zone 8. Its September, fall starts in just a couple days. Plant the bulbs.

Iris are best planted in July so if you haven't planted them, do it now. Tulips and daffodils anytime mid-Sepember on and lilies in the spring. Zone 8 gardening is the best!

Thanks everyone. Im kind of confused though about my zone 8. That's what is says for my zip code but the websites are talking about the winters not being cold enough sometimes. Which could have fooled e. I know it freezes every morning in December and Janurary. Probably a bit in November. Freezing is pretty cold so I don't know why it says that it isn't cold enough. But it was a 2012 zone indicator that I used. MAYBE ITS DIFFERENT NOW AGAIN. BECAUSE THERE WAS A CHANGE FROM ZONE 8A TO ZONE 8B I NOTICED at some point in the past. I THINK I REMEMBERED THAT RIGHT. Whoops, didn't mean to put the cap lock on.

Thanks everyone. Im kind of confused though about my zone 8B. That's what is says for my zip code but the websites are talking about the winters not being cold enough here sometimes. Which could have fooled me. I know it freezes every morning in December and Janurary. Probably a bit in November. Freezing is pretty cold so I don't know why it says that it isn't cold enough. But it was a 2012 zone indicator that I used. MAYBE ITS DIFFERENT NOW AGAIN. BECAUSE THERE WAS A CHANGE FROM ZONE 8A TO ZONE 8B I NOTICED at some point in the past. I THINK I REMEMBERED THAT RIGHT. Whoops, didn't mean to put the cap lock on.

According to plantmaps.com, your climate zone is 8b and 9a -- so you're on a border, more or less.

Daffodils are generally recommended for zones 4-8, so you are outside their ideal zone.

You can probably still get away with growing some, for at least one year, by chilling them in a refrigerator for several weeks before planting them -- but they may not come back again next year, or may not bloom well. But there are some daffodil varieties, and some other types of bulbs, that are more likely to do well there.

Here's a few websites about growing daffodils and other bulbs in warm climates --

https://www.longfield-gardens....
https://www.gardeningknowhow.c...
https://www.gardensmart.tv/?p=...
https://oldhousegardens.com/He...

Ty everyone and ty for the websites. I just took a look at the websites and now I am a little confused again about my original question of whether or not I water them during fall and winter. On the website if says not to because it can get soggy and they die. This actually happened to me with some Iris's I planted in the ground one year. They all turned to mush because of the water in the flowerbed. But here on the post I was advised to go ahead and water them when I am watering everything else? Which one is it? Should I water and just be careful or stay away from the water altogether? This time they will be potted so I would have more control over the water.

Winter watering depends on your individual weather and soil. I would never dream of watering during the winter here -- but in Tennessee it rains all winter!

I guess I'd say that if you're watering your other plants during the winter, then water the bulbs too. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. But it wouldn't hurt anything to ask people who actually live in your area!

If you go the Wikipedia page for California City, there is a temp and precipitation chart under "Climate." It looks quite temperate and dry with no winter freeze. Does that look like what you experience? When I plant bulbs in the ground, I water them in well and leave them, counting on winter precipitation to supplement that. If there isn't any, I might give them a drink no more than once a month, but I do have to water other things in the garden.

The bulbs have everything they need to grow roots and shoots and require very little additional water after the first drink. In pots, you want to be very careful, because before they develop roots, they aren't pulling water from the soil and that's when the bulb can rot. Once you see a little green emerge, then it's okay to start watering, but sparingly until they are mature.

Keep in mind that a ground frost isn't the same as a freeze, which penetrates the soil. Also, you might be in a micro-climate that differs from surrounding averages. Chilling in the refrigerator might be a good idea if you're borderline. Depends on the bulbs, too.