Tulips

Question

I just purchased several pots of tulips that are still blooming; do I plant them in the ground now? I live in east Texa

Answer 1

If your plants are still blooming, keep them in their pots to enjoy. The shock of transplantation outdoors will cause the petals to drop. Florists’ tulips are sometimes varieties that do not reliably re-bloom. You can plant them out or leave them in their container until the leaves die down and yellow naturally. If in a container, use a liquid fertilizer to help them re-build the bulb for the next bloom cycle. Tulips and other spring-blooming bulbs require a chilling period of 12-16 weeks at 40F or lower. If the weather in East Texas doesn’t provide this chill, bulbs can be dug up in the fall and stored in the refrigerator but not with fruit. True perennial tulips are a concession to northern gardeners who sorely need to see something in bloom after a long winter.