Should I treat Tulips as annuals
Tulips for an exposed site
I do usually treat tulips as annuals. However, for next season I have gone through a procedure which will hopefully produce strong flowers in the Spring. This method was explained to me a number of years ago by a gardening friend in Aberdeen. I am doing this with only two of the Tulip forms which were in the garden last Spring
Orange Princess
Blooming in April/May, this late flowering double tulip is well worth trying to keep and not simply treat as an annual.
It grows to a height of only 35/40cm making it sturdy in more challenging areas. Very worthy of the RHS award of garden merit which it received.
Let’s talk about keeping our Tulips and having a good show in the following Spring. As you can see ours were grown in pots along with the late flowering Daffodil Pipit.
Preparing tulip bulbs for next season
1 – After your flowers have gone over, cut off the deadheads, leave the stems and foliage.
2 – Carefully remove tulips from the tub and replant them in any old plastic plant pot which you may have lying around in the shed. Using fresh compost is an expensive waste, I just use the compost from the tubs I have been emptying.
3 – Leave the pot outdoors and allow the foliage to die back completely. Give a liquid feed once only as all the bulbs requirements come from the natural process of dying back. Do not over water, in fact, keep on the dry side.
4 – Once the leaves have completely died back, cut the stem leaving about an inch, (it’s fine if the stem has come adrift). Place the bulbs in a seed tray and leave in a cool dry area, I put mine in the garage. When the bulbs are completely dry, give them a clean up with a soft brush, removing the remainder of any dead stem. Wrap your bulbs up in newspaper and leave them in the garage until its time to plant out in late September or October, either in the border or in a tub.
Finola
Finola is another grand looking double tulip. Short and sturdy and once again withstanding the gales we can get in this elevated position which our Fife garden provides.
Anyway, I have just planted the bulbs of Finola, they were looking every bit as strong as the new Tulip bulbs which I have just purchased and also planted up. I look forward to showing you them all next Spring.
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I suppose that would be annoying Pam. After all my drama my site has been restored.
Tulips are not so expensive here Debs and I would only store reasonably small amounts
Wonderful advice, Alistair. I don’t grow tulips because they are a favorite deer food here. Maybe, I should try some in a tub near the house — deer are not usually bold enough to venture onto the porches. I especially love your Finola. P. x
I like your new container! It is beautiful, and your climbing hydrangea should be happy. Regarding the tulips: We have to treat them as expensive annuals here, unless one is willing to do as you suggest. Yours are beautiful, and I think it would be worth the work – in small quantities!
I think it’s great that you have lifted the bulbs. I can never be bothered as I have too much other stuff to do! I do find that Darwin tulips and species tulips come back again for a few years so they are the tulips for me!