Tulip Bulbs - Garden Plants and Gardening Forum

gardeningsister · 05-30-2008, 08:30 AM

Just wondering what to do with the tulip bulbs that have finished flowering in my tubs. Is it worth keeping them? i have been told that they don't flower as good in the second year so not sure what to do as I need the the space that some are occupying and not sure when i should lift them. Thanks

lspichkin · 05-30-2008, 10:45 AM

I think they would come back the next season but possibly not looking quite as well as the first time. It can take a number of seasons before the bulbs return to their glory. While I don't grow tulips because they don't do well in my region, I hear that people like to mix in new bulbs with the old ones to compensate for this phenomena.

If you decide to hold on to them, wait until the foliage browns and then you can cut it back and remove the bulbs. Put them in a paper bag into a dry, dark spot. Ideally, they would get 6-8 weeks of refrigeration and then go back into the ground around November.

Constance · 06-07-2008, 08:17 AM

I suggest you plant them in the ground. I have tulips that have lasted for years. This past spring, some of them reverted, but were even prettier than before, changing from a pink tipped yellow tulip to a red and yellow Rembrandt style.

Trackerway · 07-12-2008, 03:17 PM

Yes, definitely save these bulbs. I love tulips, they are one of my favorite flowers. You can plant them in the ground if you prefer. They'll come back year after year. Transplant them sometime this fall....they need to spend the winter in the cold ground in order to grow well next year.

05-30-2008, 08:30 AM	#1
gardeningsister Green Gardener Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 5	Tulip Bulbs Just wondering what to do with the tulip bulbs that have finished flowering in my tubs. Is it worth keeping them? i have been told that they don't flower as good in the second year so not sure what to do as I need the the space that some are occupying and not sure when i should lift them. Thanks

07-12-2008, 03:17 PM	#4
Trackerway Green Gardener Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 5	Yes, definitely save these bulbs. I love tulips, they are one of my favorite flowers. You can plant them in the ground if you prefer. They'll come back year after year. Transplant them sometime this fall....they need to spend the winter in the cold ground in order to grow well next year. __________________ Landscaping Material Land For Sale Redding Landscaping

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05-30-2008, 10:45 AM	#2
lspichkin Administrator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: West Hollywood, CA Posts: 221 Images: 88	I think they would come back the next season but possibly not looking quite as well as the first time. It can take a number of seasons before the bulbs return to their glory. While I don't grow tulips because they don't do well in my region, I hear that people like to mix in new bulbs with the old ones to compensate for this phenomena. If you decide to hold on to them, wait until the foliage browns and then you can cut it back and remove the bulbs. Put them in a paper bag into a dry, dark spot. Ideally, they would get 6-8 weeks of refrigeration and then go back into the ground around November.

06-07-2008, 08:17 AM	#3
Constance Green Gardener Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: southern Illinois Posts: 26	I suggest you plant them in the ground. I have tulips that have lasted for years. This past spring, some of them reverted, but were even prettier than before, changing from a pink tipped yellow tulip to a red and yellow Rembrandt style.