| Author | Content |
monty69
vancouver
Canada
August 05, 2009
10:43 PM Post #6912685
| I planted a bed of tulip bulbs last Nov, which came up beautifully this spring. I thought they were like daffodils and they would bloom every year without touching them. Have since read that they will not bloom the 2nd year. Is this correct and if so can I/should I dig up the bulbs and then plant them next spring? I am really a newbie at this, and loving it!
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ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
August 05, 2009
11:08 PM Post #6912782
| They need a certain amount of winter chill in order to bloom, so it depends on how cold your winters are--I think Vancouver is zone 8 and I'm pretty sure in zone 8 you'll have the best results if you dig them up and chill them, but hopefully someone who lives near you can confirm that. But...do you know if the tulip bulbs you bought and planted last year had been pre-chilled? If they weren't pre-chilled, then apparently your winter cold was enough for them so unless last winter was an unusually cold one then you should be fine leaving them in the ground. |
flowerjen
central, NJ
(Zone 6b)
August 05, 2009
11:11 PM Post #6912802
| I've never found that to be the case, my tulips have always come up the 2nd year.
Of course, while I was typing ecrane always gives the best advice.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pajonica
Tone-machi
Japan
(Zone 9a)
August 05, 2009
11:34 PM Post #6912901
| Here in zone 9a they come every year, I never do anything to them as they are naturalized in my garden.
Plenty of moisture during the summer is important.
pajonica
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ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
August 06, 2009
12:00 AM Post #6913000
| That's interesting--over here in zone 9 if you don't dig them up and chill them (or buy pre-chilled bulbs) you generally won't get too many blooms. |
pajonica
Tone-machi
Japan
(Zone 9a)
August 06, 2009
12:19 AM Post #6913054
| ecrane3, Zoning is by no means an accurate science and is only average minimum temps, ours is -2c or 29f if you prefer. chill enough for me, Lol.
pajonica |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
August 06, 2009
12:52 AM Post #6913113
| Oh, believe me, I know that about the zones! LOL Our California version of zone 9a is very different than the Florida/Gulf Coast version of 9a, there are tons of things they can grow that we can't because although our minimum temp that we get every winter is the same as theirs, they'll hit that temp once or twice and we will get there much more often so all the things that can't take repeated cold nights will die. |
monty69
vancouver
Canada
August 06, 2009
10:44 PM Post #6916969
| Thanks for the replies. Bulbs I bought were not pre chilled, and yes we did have a cold winter this past year (at or about freezing most of the winter). Will try leaving them in ground this year and see what happens. |
ridgebax1
Pittsburgh, PA
(Zone 6a)
August 10, 2009
06:51 PM Post #6931835
| I have also planted tulips only to have them die out after a few years. I live in Pittsburgh, PA (zone 6) so the winters here are cold. Is there a step that I am missing or does it depend on the tulip? I have heard that species are longer lasting than the hybrids. Also I have daylilies and irises in a front and side garden. Would tulips be OK planted with in this garden since they are planted at a different depth and bloom at a different time than the other flowers? |
flowerjen
central, NJ
(Zone 6b)
August 10, 2009
06:58 PM Post #6931863
| I have my daylilies underplanted by tulips...these work out perfect as the foliage of the tulips is dying back the dl's are starting 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
August 10, 2009
08:21 PM Post #6932155
| ridgebax--your climate should be fine for tulips. If they're coming back with leaves but not blooming, they may need to be divided. And if they're not coming back at all, have you checked to see if there are critters munching the bulbs? |
dschepps
Redlands, CA
August 24, 2009
04:13 PM Post #6983813
| So how would you pre chill the bulbs and when. I dug up last years bulbs. I wasn't sure how to store them. David |
flowers_delight
Leicester, NC
(Zone 8a)
August 24, 2009
09:50 PM Post #6984958
| never heard of prechilled bulbs. Here in NC the winters are pretty cold and the instructions are to dig up the bulbs every three years and replant in the fall after putting them in a cool enviroment such as fridge for a couple of months. Mine have been in the ground for three years and still blooming. |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
August 24, 2009
10:24 PM Post #6985085
| I think most people just stick them in the fridge for 6-8 wks to chill them. Just make sure you don't have any fruits like apples around that release ethylene gas. |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 01, 2009
12:30 AM Post #7011484
| ecrane, I'm so glad you are on this thread. Ok, I am in zone 8b or 9a, they don't seem to be able to make up their minds on that. I realllyyy want tulips this year. Had my list all ready to order from Bleek, then I did alot of reasearch. It really just depends on which site you go to as to whether they say zone 8 or 9 for the tulips. My question is this. If I receive tulip bulbs at the end of October and chill them for 8 week until the end of December, then will I be able to plant them outside? Some years we wear shorts for Christmas, so December doesn't always mean cool or cold weather. Once they are chilled, if I plant them in 70 degree soil, will they bloom? I realize they have to be chilled before planting, but how does the warmth of the south effect them once they are planted? And does it matter which type I plant? I'm so confused, but I really want tulips. LOL
Debbie |
QuoiMerrie
Bay Village, OH
September 01, 2009
08:39 AM Post #7012213
| My mother retired to SC and was dismayed by the second year no bloom on her tulips...then made the classic "fruit" with bulbs mistake the next year.
I believe her solution was to repurpose my nephew's old college dorm fridge in a completely different room (like the garage)...for her bulbs.
To answer the will it bloom the first year...she always got blooms the first year but had to rework her strategy to produce perennial blooms ...but perhaps since she's coastal the weathers more temperate? cooler?... |
trinawitch
Canton,IL &Dent Coun, MO
(Zone 5b)
September 01, 2009
09:03 AM Post #7012282
| So glad I don't have to dig mine up every year!!! but to get bigger, more profuse blooms I feed mine a little blood meal and bone meal in spring and fall...hope that helps |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
September 01, 2009
10:14 AM Post #7012549
| Debbie--you'll be fine with your plan, all that matters is that they get that cold period in your fridge, if they go in warm soil after that it's fine. You might check whether Bleek's bulbs come pre-chilled or not, some bulb suppliers will do that and if they already chilled them then you wouldn't need to.
QuoiMerrie--if your mom had bulbs that bloomed the first year but not after that, I suspect she probably bought bulbs that had been pre-chilled (or raised in a colder climate and had already gotten the chill they needed for that first year before they were shipped to her) but then her climate didn't provide enough chill to get them to bloom in subsequent years unless she chills them. |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 01, 2009
10:31 AM Post #7012603
| Thanks so much ecrane |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 03, 2009
12:45 AM Post #7019891
| Here in our zone 8b/9a it is recommended that you lift and chill your tulips each year as we do not have 6 to 8 weeks of steady below 40 degree weather. Also recommended that you use bone meal for sure and blood meal if you desire each time you replant them. |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 04, 2009
09:15 AM Post #7024714
| Thank you tmh. We are closer than you think. I'm 3 miles from Port Vincent.
Debbie |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 04, 2009
09:56 AM Post #7024879
| Hi Debbie. I am in Galvez area of Prairieville, about 5 miles from Port Vincent. as Minnie Pearl would say "Howdee" |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 04, 2009
01:58 PM Post #7025662
| Yep, we are indeed neighbors. :) I'm 3 miles north of Port Vincent. Have you grown any tulips or hyacinth's? I don't even mind treating them as annuals, but I've purchased so many things that just don't work here. And again, I can grow beauties here that won't grow elsewhere.
Debbie |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 04, 2009
03:31 PM Post #7025862
| I had grape hyacinths for a few years until the DH accidently sprayed them thinking they were wild onion...or that's his story and he is sticking to it...grin. I tried tulips a couple times, but discovered the moles just loved them from underground up...lol. Now I will occassionally pick up a handful at wal-mart when they get them in and chill them down and stick them in a pot. Sometimes I get a second or even third year from them...sometimes not, but always try to remember to dig them out in November to chill. I agree, we have a really long growing season and can often do two crops on some things. |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 04, 2009
04:44 PM Post #7026056
| Thanks tmh, that's what I thought. I think I will just stick to my new amaryllis that are coming for fall and I ordered a few daffodils. I saw this photo with a collection of the fall planted bulbs from Old House Gardens and I wanted to duplicate it so bad, but without tulips and hyacinths, the effect won't be the same. http://www.oldhousegardens.com/desktop.asp |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 04, 2009
05:13 PM Post #7026160
| Debbie, hyacinths and tulips will grow here, you just have to lift them after the foliage dies and store them for the next year. They just don't repeat bloom very well if left in the ground...remember the first rule of gardening...where there is a will to grow it, there will be a way...grin Go for it, if you don't mind the little extra work.
Ps I use old mesh onion bags to store mine in. |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 05, 2009
01:28 AM Post #7027739
| I use to grow about a 1000 tulips a year up hear in Northeast Louisiana. I had to dig them up and dry them, clean them and then refrigerate about 6 weeks before planting. They are still my favorite flower but it just got to be to much work and to time consuming. |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 05, 2009
01:35 AM Post #7027742
| Thank you both for the info. Your right, I won't know if I don't try LOL.
JIm a thousand? Geez, I'd love to see a that many tulips in bloom all at once. I bet that is just awesome. |
lainymay
BEDFORDSHIRE
United Kingdom
September 05, 2009
07:08 AM Post #7027890
| living in england, we don't have the beat of weather so we always lift the tulip bulbs and re-plant them next spring.
we did leave then one year but thet didn't flower the next year.
hope this helps. |
rubia16
Saint Cloud, MN
September 05, 2009
10:30 AM Post #7028250
| What about the people in more Nothern Climes? I am on the 3b/4a break and we get about a week of -40F.
I love tulips and I buy 100s of bulbs every year. Finally I started ordering the more perennial types (like the ones in the photo), including the small species varieties for this year. But sometimes the bulbs do not come up at all (too cold?) and sometimes they come back unexpectedly a second year. Sometimes they come back in a weakened state (smaller, paler).
People around here mostly treat them as annuals. Why is this? If they can survive one of our winters, why not more?
And is there a type that will come back reliably around here?
Thanks
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 05, 2009
11:00 AM Post #7028341
| Good Morning all. Here is a link from a company that sells bulbs by zone...this may help in choosing what will work for you and how to care for them.Just click around for links to various bulbs.
http://www.vanengelen.com/tips_map.html |
sharonf1
Lake in the Hills, IL
(Zone 5a)
September 05, 2009
11:38 AM Post #7028421
| I've always left my tulips in the ground. In our area they come back the next year. Wildlife eat a few and the squirrels move a few (wish they would plant them in a garden instead of in the lawn) so I do have to replenish every couple of years.
~Sharon |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 05, 2009
12:31 PM Post #7028582
| I always thought in colder areas you could leave them in the ground. Just need to feed them good after they bloom and leave the foliage until it dies down. |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
September 05, 2009
12:48 PM Post #7028650
| Yes, in colder areas you can leave them in the ground--although if you're in too cold of a climate then maybe some types wouldn't be hardy. Critters munching bulbs can be a problem in some areas too, so in areas where they should be hardy if they're not coming back then that's a possibility. Either that or drainage is poor where they're planted and they're rotting over the winter. |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 05, 2009
01:06 PM Post #7028701
| My grandmother, who lived in So Illinois, planted her tulips and other bulbs in the ground, but lined the area where she planted with poultry wire to help deter underground bulb munchers. She then took a length of window-pane fencing and placed it over the area under the mulch. The bulbs came up quite nicely through the openings in the fencing and it was invisible in the bed. She said it also kept her from planting on top of dormant bulbs as she had so many she would forget where they were...must run in the family that forgetfulness thing. grin |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 05, 2009
08:14 PM Post #7030069
| The prettiest tulips I ever had, my daughter went to the tulip festival in Amsterdam. I told her all I wanted for Christmas was 300 pink tulip bulbs. I through away all my old bulbs and massed the pinks. It was something. |
rubia16
Saint Cloud, MN
September 05, 2009
08:39 PM Post #7030161
| I have three great gardening passions.
Tulips, because they are the first bright flowers here after our long winters-- they appear with infinite forms and colors. I would gladly plant them fresh every year if I had to. I love tulips best of all.
Irises, because they are complex and move me with their convolutions.
And asiatic lilies, because they in their simplicity they make you stop and ponder the nautre of things.
Here is a picture of part of this spring's crop.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 05, 2009
08:53 PM Post #7030219
| Jim I bet that was an awesome sight. I love pink.
Thank you so much for the photo rubia. Yep, I think you are right, even if they don't come back, they are so beautiful , a must have.
And you so rightly put my thoughts in your selections above. The first time I saw an iris was from a gift Riverland had sent me of the ugliest root I had ever seen. LOL I was so new to gardening and just stuck it in my planter. When it bloomed, it took my breath away with it's beauty. And the first time I smelled heaven was when I first saw and smelled the Casablanca lily , yet another gift of bulbs from Heavenscape . |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 05, 2009
08:57 PM Post #7030246
| I wish I knew what happened to the photo of the first tulips I raised. Had alternating red and yellow all the way across the yard. Tulips were in full bloom, got 6 inchs of snow, nothing but the blooms showing. They just sat there and smiled. Cold didn't bother them a bit. |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 05, 2009
09:26 PM Post #7030404
| Oh my Jim, I bet that was pretty. If you find the photo , post it please. Just a silly question. How long do tulips bloom? Just in general. I know each of them have a different time to bloom, but I don't know how long the blooms stay. Any ideas? And Jim, where is Delhi? |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 05, 2009
09:36 PM Post #7030442
| Delhi is in Northeast Louisiana about half way between Monroe and Vicksburg on I-20.
Tulips bloom at different times. The earliest ones bloom in March. Blooms will last a couple of weeks from start to finish. Even though I don't raise them anymore they are still one of my favorite flower. Some guy south of us about thirty miles at a little town of Wisner, had over 10,000 tulips this year. He opens his place up to the public. No admission. Never could get a chance to get there. |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 05, 2009
09:47 PM Post #7030482
| Debbie, you can stagger your planting and extend the bloomtime of your tulips. If you have 20 bulbs of the same color and you are not doing a special display, and have a total of 100 tulips bulbs(5 colors total) You could plant 5 of each color on week one, then the next group of all 5 colors, about 10 to 12 days later, then the next set 10 days after that and then finally the last set of 25 bulbs, you will have nearly constant blooms for 6 to 8 weeks rather than a single flush of color for 2 weeks. |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 05, 2009
09:49 PM Post #7030489
| My sweet Moon with good words of advice. Hey sugar how are you. Still ticked off like I am? |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 05, 2009
10:27 PM Post #7030669
| Definitely feel like I have had my nose swatted, Jim. Grin...But, been chewing on this bone long enough to realize a couple important lessons...when you rent, you don't remodel: and the secret to life? Never forget to breathe.
Did some full moon howling last night...the upshot of it is: it is now just a matter of simple choices, and all of them are mine. GRIN |
rubia16
Saint Cloud, MN
September 05, 2009
10:44 PM Post #7030734
| JIm-- I have been to Delhi! I moved from GA to TX and stayed there one night. I also went to Poverty Point, which was fascinating. But I do remember the humidity. You had to swim through the air. |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
September 05, 2009
11:13 PM Post #7030820
| Oh dear now you both have my curiosity up? LOL
But anyway, thanks Moon so very much for the staggered planting suggestion. I will certainly do that.
Jim do you remember the guys name with the 10,000 tulips? Maybe I could google it. Thanks again.
Debbie |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 06, 2009
12:05 AM Post #7031007
| Gee, I'm sorry. It was just in our local paper. The Franklin Sun (Winnsboro, La.) You might be able to pull that up. Probably be in the March issues.
Poverty Point is an interesting site. It is amazing how the Mound Indians built those things. There is not explanation of them and they can be found all over the U.S. There are several scattered mounds in our area, but just one to the place. There is one a few miles from me that has about an acre on top. The guy that owned the land used to raise a garden up there. Everytime he plowed, he plowed up arrow heads and pottery shards. My son and I went over there a good many years ago and it was so grown up we couldn't get around. I understand his grandson, who had bought the property, sold the mound a couple of years ago for a pretty good sum. There hasn't been any kind of development or hunts so I don't know if it is true or not.
You are right about the humitity. It is constantly around 85%. Can't breathe in the summer and freezes you in the winter. The humitity has been so high the last month, I work in the yard and then have to sit to get my breath.
Come back and visit us again sometime. |
rubia16
Saint Cloud, MN
September 06, 2009
03:20 AM Post #7031262
| The humidity is bad, but the plants sure love it! It was all a brilliant green.
We are at the other end of the Mississippi and we have the mounds too-- some are also shaped like animals. I will never forget that site. They made it some kind of park with a visitor's center now.
|
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 06, 2009
04:10 PM Post #7033153
| It was a long time ago when you were here then. They have a nice visitors center, show a film with explanation and a tram for the tour.
I thought the MN stood for Minnisoto. Didn't realize you were in Mississippi. |
rubia16
Saint Cloud, MN
September 06, 2009
05:24 PM Post #7033423
| You are right! The MN is for Minnesota! But the Mississippi River starts a few miles from here-- we are the first big city on it. Here it is not so wide, but the water is already brown.
There is a city in Minnesota called Mound, featuring one of those big mounds-- we are not as creative as y'all are with naming things! Those mounds lines the river valley throughout the state.
I would have been down there in the 1990s-- no tram for sure. I was also through there in the late 1980s, but headed down to New Orleans instead of west. You have a marvelous state-- a little hot and sticky, but marvelous.
|
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 06, 2009
11:36 PM Post #7034769
| Never been any further north than Ohio. Got a daughter living there. Would love to see Mn. In the summer, though, can't take cold. I thrive on the heat. Just the humitity get to me. Ever back this way give a hollar. |
trinawitch
Canton,IL &Dent Coun, MO
(Zone 5b)
September 07, 2009
12:07 AM Post #7034858
| JIM I see you! I thought I scared everybody away with my broom! |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 07, 2009
12:10 AM Post #7034872
| I'm still around. Had to leave church and go to the hospital. Kid hurt in a 4 wheeler accident. Just got home about 10:30. Had a message that one of my cousins was in the ICU in Monroe, La. 4 wheeler accident. They'll never learn that those things can kill you. |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 07, 2009
12:13 AM Post #7034883
| So sorry to hear that Jim. Hope all is okay with your cousin...good thoughts and best wises for speedy recovery...keep us posted.
Moon |
trinawitch
Canton,IL &Dent Coun, MO
(Zone 5b)
September 07, 2009
12:13 AM Post #7034885
| I am very truly sorry to hear that Jim, I will keep your family in my thoughts! |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
September 07, 2009
12:16 AM Post #7034900
| Where is Kassy and Dave and the rest of bunch Moon? |
trinawitch
Canton,IL &Dent Coun, MO
(Zone 5b)
September 07, 2009
12:21 AM Post #7034914
| Kassy went bye bye and Dave's been floating around |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA
(Zone 9a)
September 07, 2009
12:21 AM Post #7034917
| Kassy signed off to bed a few minutes ago as did Imazadi, Venice , Smiley and JJs. I just got home. Spent the evening at my son's house...He and his girlfriend Christina had a get together ...DHJim and I are surrogate parents to most of them...all call us mom and Pop...had a nice time. Just wanted to touch base with everyone. Jim hope all goes well for your cousin and the young man who was injured...4 wheelers aren't toys...darn it. |
dschepps
Redlands, CA
September 14, 2009
01:45 PM Post #7063321
| I have stored my tulips in dirt in the garage. Should I have been keeping them moist? I will put them in the fridge before replanting them. |
