News: How To Care For Your Tulips

How To Care for Your Tulips

Unlike many other bulbs the tulip grows a new flowering bulb every year. When you lift tulips you will find a new bulb has developed flanking the old flower stem. Its flattened side results from growing against the flower stem as it develops. Immature bulbs that fail to flower produce perfectly round bulbs. There will also be smaller offset bulblets that have grown from dormant buds on the basal plate of the mother bulbs. Unless you are going to grow these on for several years they can be discarded.
 
Once lifted the bulbs should be cleaned of any soil and stored in nets until replanting in the autumn, when soil temperatures start to fall. A garden shed or garage will be ideal as the bulbs need a warm ambient temperature during August to ripen the flower embryo. Any old petals or plant foliage should be cleared away and under no circumstances composted.

I hope you find this useful,
Best wishes 
Chris Blom