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Top Questions About Tulips

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Questions About Tulips

  • Answered by
    Alisma on
    February 27, 2017
    Certified Expert
    A.

    Tulips that have been forced will often not bloom again, but some may bloom if you plant them outside. They will not bloom again if forced in water, because forcing uses up a lot of their stored energy.

    However, what you can do is chill them in the refrigerator as you've suggested, then plant them outdoors. After a year or two, they may produce flowers, but many of the bulbs will likely just produce foliage.

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/chilling-flowering-bulbs.htm

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  • Answered by
    Alisma on
    March 1, 2017
    Certified Expert
    A.

    If they are not getting light in the garage, you should probably move the tulips outside right away. If this is earlier than tulips usually come up in your region, you might want to protect them with some mulch, as described in this article:

    https://www.longfield-gardens.com/article/What-To-Do-When-Bulbs-Come-Up-Too-Early

    You can also cover them with an upside-down bucket when you know a cold night is coming.

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  • Answered by
    Downtoearthdigs on
    March 26, 2017
    A.

    Is the bulb done flowering and you have dried the bulb?
    You can store the bulb until spring, then plant out.

    Forced bulbs do not always bloom again.

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/tulips/how-to-cure-tulip-bulbs.htm
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/tulips/care-of-tulip-bulbs-in-containers-in-the-winter.htm

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  • Answered by
    Liz Baessler on
    March 30, 2017
    Certified Expert
    A.

    Did they bloom last year? If they did, there's a chance that's all you're going to get. Tulips need hot summers and cold winters, and a lot of garden environments just aren't that suited to them. Gardeners in these places usually have to treat tulips as annuals.
    If they've come back successfully in past years, there's a chance they were cut back too soon last summer. Tulip foliage needs to fade naturally to give the bulbs a chance to store up enough energy for next year's blooming.
    It's also possible, like you said, that the bulbs are overcrowded and need to be divided. This is more likely if they've been growing in the same spot for a few years. Wait until the fall, when the foliage dies back, to dig up and divide the bulbs.
    There are a few more possible problems and solutions in this article, if you're interested: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/tulips/tulips-bloom-every-year.htm

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  • Answered by
    Alisma on
    March 30, 2017
    Certified Expert
    A.

    These are a type of multi-flowering tulip. I am not sure what the exact variety is, but here is more about these plants:
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/tulips/multi-headed-tulip-flowers.htm

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  • Answered by
    Rena Esset on
    April 13, 2017
    A.

    If your bulbs are still firm and not dried out, plant them now. They may actually bloom this year, albeit very later.

    They'll be dried up and gone if you wait until next fall to plant.

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  • Answered by
    Liz Baessler on
    April 25, 2017
    Certified Expert
    A.

    It sounds like your tulip bulbs need to be divided. Twenty years is long time, and all the while the bulbs have been multiplying underground, crowding each other. When the bulbs become too crowded, they usually stop flowering. This usually takes only a couple of years.

    The good news is that you can easily divide them. The better news is that you're probably going to have a bumper crop of bulbs that you can spread around your garden and gift to friends. By next spring they should be flowering well again.

    This article should cover everything you need to know about dividing tulips: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/tulips/dividing-tulip-bulbs.htm

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