Congratulations Natalie =) Tulips are so pretty -- I just noticed some new ones I planted last year popping up too but they haven't bloomed yet.

Squirrellypete

I have plenty of tulips coming up that were planted the year before last--this is an anomaly that so many are coming back but I'm sure glad. Can't wait.

Be ready with insecticidal soap or something because judging from last year the aphids LOVE LOVE tulips and were marring the beautiful display.

:)
Rose

Hi.

I planted 25 Tulips on OCT 2nd of 2008, and 24 of them came out and most of them have bloomed already and rest of them are about to. Now, I brought these bulbs from Amsterdam, they are very pretty, but now I don't know what comes next in term of how long will they last or any else, this is the very first time ever I do something like this.

Any suggestions?

thanks

Tulips are some of my favorite flowers! In our zone (Ga), they last for several seasons: first year they are big and gorgeous; second year they are smaller; third year - mostly foliage.
See, they need much colder winters for them to perform best. Down south in our state they are considered to be annuals, even if a label states "perennials".
After they bloom, let the foliage to die naturally. When it is yellow/brown - you can cut it down. They need sun energy to be absorbed by the foliage into the bulb for a better performance next year.
Enjoy them while they last!

Tulips are very touchy, I have found out.

Most flowering bulbs need a dormency period of at least three months in order to bloom next year.

When and where the winters are mild and short, it seems that they don't get enough sleep. That is why their blooms get smaller and may not even blood.

You can trick them, by digging the bulbs up (sometime after their top has vanished about 3 months after blooming) and keeping them in refigerator for three months or longer and then plant them in the spring. Alternatively, you can plant them in pots indoors, say for xmas/new year. That is how all the bulbs sold in winter and spring have been treated.

I have heard one more thing about tulips; that is, every year their new bulbs go deeper and deeper. You have to dig them out in the fall and replant them at the right depth. This way they get winter chill beter and in the spring they can come up with ease.
Feeding them also another factor.

I think were going to try digging our tulips this year. The plan was to wait until the fall though, when we dig the caladiums and elephant ears.
Is that too late?

I think I'm a fluke, then.
Five years ago, I plants about 200 bulbs in a front corner flowerbed. They cover an area about 18 inches by 30 feet.

They have already bloomed and gone this year but this is the 5th year that they have bloomed and I haven't done a darn thing to them except feed them a bit of bone meal each year. I cut off the yellowed foliage after it has soaked up the things it needs but that's it.

The visual this year was simply stunning! Sadly, it only lasted a week becasue we had raging storms for about 4 days in a row and the wind/rain took off nearly every petal.

They were beautiful while they lasted though.

Dora

to nwgatreasures

As I gather from your username(Northwest ga), Your climate is cold.
Besides, you menstione FEEDING your tulups.
Those are two factors for your tulips to bloom.
If you were , lets say, in zone 9 or 10 you could never have had the same results. Tulips need about 3 months of chilling to bloom.
If you don't dig them out and replant, they might bloom but not as good.
It is a known fact that certain plant need a cold wintert to thrive and tulips are one of them.

I guess "cold" must be a relative term then because I don't consider our winters necessarily cold here....now when compared to Savannah and their winters (which is where I am originally from) then I can see where it would be colder.

One or two nights of freezing temps and the rest of the time in the 30's isn't cold when compared to people who are in the teens for weeks at a time.

Does that make sense?
Dora

Oh, and I have neighbors who have tried to grow similar tulips in their yard and they aren't blooming either. Are you saying that it's the feeding?

Dora