Re: Planting tulips

Tulipa saxatilis has thrived and is on its way to becoming an aggressive weed on my coastal Los Angeles unwatered north-facing slope.  Very pretty lavender pink and gold, reliable bloomer every year, spreads by "droopers".  No other tulip has ever done so well.
Cathy, zone 24, Sunset zone 10
On Oct 6, 2007, at 3:10 PM, Tony and Moira wrote:

 
Tony & Moira Ryan, Wainuiomata, New Zealand
Climate ( US Zone 9). Annual averages:-
Minimum -2°C; Maximum 28°C Rainfall 2000mm
----- Original Message -----
 

This is a great question and I don’t know the definitive answer - but here are my thoughts!

 

Many Tulip species are naturally short lived but in the wild are able to freely set seed. This will not/may not happen in cultivation.

A few nurseries are trying to promote “Perennial Tulips” – and the Darwin Hybrids are often referred to under such a heading (on numerous websites) as being the most long-lived.

The usual recommendation in Britain is to plant (most) bulbs at a depth of twice the length of the bulb.

In the 1960’s to 1990’s (much less now) most Local Councils in Britain used Tulips in Spring Bedding schemes in public parks. These were lifted to make way for summer bedding and ‘chucked’ in a skip.

This was heavily promoted by the Dutch suppliers – of course!

 

As I understand it the clue to keeping many tulips more than a season, or at least to ensure _some_ repeat flowering, is to note the climate of the area from which most species come and their normal habit. As I understand it the climate of Turkey, the centre of diversity of this genus, is cold in winter and hot in summer, but many species of tulip will only both survive and flower regularly if they are kept relatively cool during their summer dormancy. . This can most easily be achieved (as I believe happens in nature) by deep planting. Advice in NZ seems to be that the warmer the summer the deeper you need to plant and 10 inches deep is recommended for our warmest areas. I also found by chance, as I mentioned in an earlier posting, that shallower planting against  a south-facing (cold and sunless) wall  will give the same effect.

Some cultivars seem to be able to overcome the summer heat problem at least to some extent and can cope better. I have in particular had several of the so-called Lily-Flowered varieties continue flowering for several seasons on a dry hot bank where very deep planting was not practical.

Moira



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