Bulbs want to grow even when they aren't in the ground. Case in point this Narcissus February Gold. Today I planted various bulbs that I had not got round to planting in early autumn. Mid-November is a bit late but it hasn't been too cold and no frosts as yet. 

 An emerging stem is sometimes evident in bulbs that have been sitting around for a while. A bulb is bulbous by virtue of being a storage organ for nutrients and moisture during a period of dormancy. There is enough pent-up energy in the bulb to initiate growth even when out of the earth. Soon however the roots at the base soon need to draw sustenance from the soil or the bulb will shrivel.