Re: Tulips

Barb wrote:
>> I have someone @ work who is wondering what to do w/ tulip bulbs 
right
>> now?  I said I thought they needed to be planted in the fall, but 
that
>> they could probably be forced indoors & transplanted outside

Barb:

I'm not sure I understand.  Are these (1) bulbs that were not planted 
out last fall, (2) bulbs that were forced for winter or spring, or (3) 
bulbs that someone dug up?  (daughters are not notorious for getting all 
the details, are they?)   Here's what I think:

(1) they will have to have a chilling period in order to be forced into 
bloom.  I'm not sure what the appropriate length of time is, probably 2 
or 3 months.
(2)  If they were forced and have finished blooming, I'd throw them out. 
(easier said than done, I know--I still have some paperwhite bulbs that 
haven't bloomed for quite some time)  Florist-type tulips are not good 
rebloomers.
(3)  If these are species tulips that someone is sharing (about the only 
type I've gotten more than a year or two of bloom out of), I would go 
ahead and plant them.  Just be careful not to destroy the foliage.  The 
bulb needs it to grow and provide nutrients for next year's flowers.

I know in our region of the country, tulips basically have to be 
replanted annually.  I have a few that have come up for several years, 
but it's really unpredictable, and they tend to dwindle eventually, no 
matter what type.

Nancy Lowe
Arkansas, zone 7




______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index