1. Why can’t I plant tulips in the Spring? Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips and daffodils must be planted in the fall
to bloom in spring because they require a long period of cool temperatures to
spark the biochemical process that causes them to flower. In fall, it
’s optimal to get them into the ground six weeks before hard freezes. They need
time to develop strong roots.
2. It’s March and I just found a bag of bulbs that I forgot to plant. Do I save them till next year? No! You cannot save them until next year—you must either plant them now or throw them out. Here’s how to decide: Plant them now if they are still firm and plump; toss them if
they are soft, mushy or dried out.
Bulbs are living plants, not seeds, and must be planted the same season. Either
somehow get them into the ground outside or if the varieties are suited to
forcing, chill them indoors in a refrigerator or unheated spot (38
° F to 50° F) for 10 weeks or more, or as long as you have until spring arrives. See
www.bulb.com (Spring Bulbs) for easy instructions.
Bottomline: Bulbs are tough nuts, so to speak, and contain a full storehouse of
food. They will try their best to bloom no matter how late it is in the season.
This is a case of
“nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Chances are often good that you will get some results, even if you plant them
late.
3. Spring weather can be erratic. What do I do when we get warm weather and the bulbs come up, but then we get a
cold snap or winter returns? This answer surprises many people: Do nothing!
Tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs are tough. They can usually take what
Mother Nature dishes out. When the weather turns, don
’t dash outside to cover early-sprouting bulbs with extra “weather protection.” A short freeze won’t do lasting damage to young bulb shoots and buds, though it may “burn” already open blossoms. Many, such as snowdrops, crocuses and early rock garden
narcissi are supposed to come up in very early spring, even peeking through the
snow. Mother Nature has provided them with the means to survive. An
unseasonably warm spell may cause some bulbs to bloom earlier than anticipated,
but in most cases won
’t result in damage. When the weather cools again, the growth process also slows. It’s all a marvel of nature.
4. Should I fertilize bulbs in spring? In the first season of bloom, flower bulbs don’t need fertilizer. A bulb is a natural food storehouse. For naturalized bulbs,
you can fertilize in spring or in fall. In fall, use a controlled-release bulb
food or top dress with compost or well-rotted cow manure. If you did not
fertilize in fall, then fertilize with a nitrogen-rich quick release fertilizer
in early spring, when the shoots of the bulbs first appear.
Do not fertilize later in spring or after bloom.
5. My bulb plants came up but didn’t bloom. Does this mean I can’t grow bulbs here? If bulb leaves appear healthy, but no flowers appear, one of
several things probably happened: the bulbs were exposed to high heat or
ripening fruit (which gives off ethylene gas) prior to planting, both of which
damage the embryo flowers inside fully-formed bulbs; or the planting was dosed
with a high nitrogen fertilizer (such as lawn fertilizer) which encourages the
growth of leaves but not blooms. If your bulbs were ones that readily
naturalize and spread over time, then all is not lost: These bulbs should bloom
in future spring seasons.
On the other hand, if your bulbs were types grown primarily as annuals in your
area (like tulips), then their gig is up and they are unlikely to rally for
another year
’s bloom.
6. My bulbs just didn’t come up at all? What gives? This kind of disappointment is generally caused by animals eating the bulbs or
young plants (see www.bulb.com
—Spring Bulbs, Pest Prevention Tips),or by bulb rot caused by planting in wet
soggy soil. The Dutch have a saying:
“Bulbs don’t like wet feet.” They will not thrive in soil where water collects or puddles (for example at
the base of a hill or slope, under drain pipes, or where heavy clay is
abundant). In the future, you
’ll want to either plant bulbs elsewhere or amend the soggy area with compost,
peat, sand or well-rotted manure to improve its drainage.
7. Can I tidy up bulb leaves after the flowers bloom? No, don’t mess with the leaves. The show may be over, but the stage crew is still hard
at work. During the six or so weeks following bloom, bulb leaves are busy doing
photosynthesis to recharge themselves with energy (stored food) for
next year’s growth and bloom. That is why the foliage of all spring bulbs must be left in
place to die back for a minimum of six weeks after bloom. Tulip leaves
generally peter out quickly, turning yellow and withered, while daffodil and
crocus leaves may last longer, while staying more vibrant and green. Either
way, let them be. After this period, bulb leaves can be cut back, or even
mowed, as by now the mowing season will have arrived.
8. Why do tulips need deadheading but daffodils don’t? Dead heading refers to the act of removing withered flower heads after bloom to
discourage the flowers from going to seed. The act of setting seed can use up
as much as 30 percent of the energy of tulips in spring. Bees love tulip
flowers, thus seeds result, but they rarely visit daffodil blooms. That
’s why it’s smart to deadhead tulips, encouraging subsequent bloom while providing a
tidier look, but daffodils do not require this kind of care. In fact, unlike
tulips, after bloom daffodils don
’t really look all that unruly anyway.
9. My tulips don’t do well at all the second season of bloom. I’ve been told that lifting the bulbs, storing them for the summer and replanting
them in the fall will improve their performance. Is this true? This
old-fashioned method is difficult, yields mediocre results and is generally a
lot of bother for little result. It is better to look for those tulips with a
natural propensity for repeat performance. Botanical or species varieties and
their hybridized strains are generally excellent garden performers and
sometimes will even naturalize.
Among hybrids, try: the red ‘Charles,’ the pink-red ‘Christmas Marvel,’ and the red ‘Couleur Cardinal.’ Triumph tulips such as the pink ‘Don Quichotte,’ and lily-flowered ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Ballade’ should be good for more than one season. Others offering potential for a second
season of color include tall Darwin hybrids such as yellow
‘Golden Parade,’ red ‘Oxford,’ and orange-red ‘Holland’s Glorie.’
When “perennializing” or naturalizing tulips, plant them about 8 inches deep (20 cm) and choose a
well-drained spot in the yard. For lists of top bulbs for perennializing and
naturalizing, visit www.bulb.com (see In the Landscape).
10. What if I forgot to plant bulbs last fall? Spring just doesn’t feel right without blooming
daffodils and tulips. You’re in luck—times have changed.“Potted tulips, daffodils and crocus are now widely available in spring for
planting outdoors like bedding plants or using indoors as houseplants,
” says Sally Ferguson, director of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center
(NFBIC) in Danby, Vt.
“Used to be, if you forgot to plant in fall, you were up a creek,” she adds. “Not any more. Instant gratification has come to the spring garden.”
Today, many garden retailers and supermarkets offer beautiful forced potted
bulbs in spring. These can be used for instant springtime color, indoors or
out. For best results and longest bloom when planting outdoors, choose pots
with young green sprouts just beginning to show buds. These can be planted out
in spring without suffering frost damage, as young bulb plants are designed by
nature to handle tough early spring conditions.
Once planted, sudden snows shouldn’t bother them.
The time to start planting potted bulbs outdoors as bedding plants is once
winter starts to wane and spring is nigh. Take the plastic pot of bulbs, tap
out the growing plants soil and all, and plant
“as is” into a larger container outdoors or right into the garden. Safeguard containers
from extreme wind and from cold exposure. You don
’t want bulbs to freeze; containers don’t have the thermal insulation of a garden bed. Further tips are available at the
NFBIC
’s Web site, www.bulb.com (see Bulbs in Pot and Vase).
“Remember half the fun is watching the flowers grow, mature and get colorful,” says Ferguson. “One pot of bulblettes, for example, could grow up and bloom outdoors over a
period of weeks, often a month, given springtime
’s generally cool days and cooler nights.
Top candidates for planting out include: potted tulips, daffodils, tiny Iris
reticulata, bright crocuses and hyacinths.
All are readily available in spring. If weather in your area is still dipping
close to freezing, acclimate the potted plants to outdoor weather in a
protected but unheated spot for a day or two before planting. As with other
spring-flowering bulbs (which are generally planted directly into the soil in
the fall and over-winter there till the spring), they
’ll just deal with weather as it comes.
