Flowers & Garden

11/08/2005

Tips On Taking Care of Your Tulips

When people think of tulips, it is not uncommon for them to think of Holland. But the name actually originates in Turkey and a literal translation of the term in Turkish means turban. No matter who named the tulip, the flowers are some of the most recognizable in the world and remain a favorite of people today.

Although tulips are technically considered to be perennials by the experts, it is perhaps best to think of them as annuals given the year around nature of their care and blooming cycle. It is in late October or perhaps even early November when green thumbers should plan on planting their bulbs into the soil.

When thinking of what kind of soil to plant tulips in, try to aim towards sandy soil. The reason for this is because tulips require great drainage and sand tends to do best in this regard. This is also why people using planters for their tulips need to make sure that they drain properly as tulip bulbs are prone to rotting in wetter soil.

If you do not have naturally sandy soil in the area where you live, it is fine to just add some sand and a little compost to your soil. Whatever you do, make sure that the soil is fairly dry when digging and planting bulbs.

When you are ready to plant bulbs you might be confused as to how deep you should plant them. Experts don't have a specific depth in mind because tulip bulbs come in many different sizes. Therefore, you can get an estimate of the proper depth by figuring out the length of the bulb. Take this length and multiply it by three. This number is the depth at which you should plant your tulip bulbs. It may not be the best method, but it is much better then using a generic depth for all your tulip bulbs.

Tulips are generally not known as disease prone flowers but they are vulnerable just like any other. "Tulip Fire" is a condition that afflicts tulips more often than anything else. When this occurs, you will notice that the stems and leaves appear stunted and somewhat deformed. As the season progresses, you will notices that brown patches will appear on these same stunted and deformed leaves and stems. The only solution when this occurs is to destroy the tulips completely and start over.

Now you don't want to constantly have to go out and buy new bulbs every year so you want to dig up the bulbs at the end of the season. Then, store them in a cool yet dry place until it is time to replant them in the fall. They are susceptible to rotting even when they are not in the soil so storage is extremely important. The time to dig up tulip bulbs is after the foliage has completely died out.

Of course the reason anyone plants to tulips is to enjoy their spectacular colors and aroma. After cutting tulips for display, try adding a little sugar to the water so that they last longer in the vase. They will look good for about a week that way. But, even if you just enjoy their beauty in their natural setting, tulips are great flowers to brighten up our yards, homes, and lives.


Hugo Bolzonello is the chief writer for, and editor of US Tulips,it's one of the webs most up to date Tulips sites, why not sign up for the free Tulips newsletter.
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