Why won't my tulips multiply? Growers do it!
David Shoemaker
I understand that most likely, any tulip bulb I will plant will die
after flowering, and that my tulips will not come back next year. And of
course, the number of bulbs will not increase. But the daffodils come
back and multiply! And tulip growers have also bulbs which multiply! So
what do they do to the bulbs before they sell them to me in order to
have them die or not multiply? Can I do something to have more tulip
bulbs next year??? (I am in zone 5/6).
Puzzled... Lisa
KurtsKayak
tulip bulbs will come back, am in zone 5?6 myself ,problem could be moles,plant
in a homade chicken wire cage that will not allow pest at the bulbs yet stems
will go through the top and allow to flower,bulbs over the years will produce
tiny bulbs on the side of the main ones break them off plant they will mature
and flower
Kay Cangemi
In article <34326774...@ligo.mit.edu>, David Shoemaker
<d...@ligo.mit.edu> wrote:
Plant different kinds of tulips. The Darwin hybrids aren't my first choice
for tulipform life for a couple of reasons. Lack of multiplication skill is
one, the persistance of the foliage is another. At some point, POOH
(previous owners of house) planted a fair number of Greiggi tulips. These
guys multiply like crazy. When I dug up the beds they were in, I had about
twice as many tulips as I could rationally deal with. I ditched the small
ones, and replanted the larger ones. Those are still out there, multiplying
like crazy. Unfortunately POOH had rather difference tastes in color than I
have, and since I'm too cheap to ditch all of them, I'm trying to work
other things in with a crowd of vermillion-pink tulips. So far I have white
daffodils, vermillion and white striped tulips, and red Praestens Fusiliers
that may have to move.
I think multiplication is a talent most of the early speciesque tulips
have. They are not formal, but they bloom at a good time for me, and I can
get rid of the foliage by the first week of June.
--
Kay Cangemi
New York, USDA zone 5
Julia F N Altshuler
Daffodils and tulips grow best in totally different soils. The reason
your daffodils multiply and your tulips don't probably has to do with
your living in the Northeast part of the U.S. (That's a guess; tell me
if I'm right.) For gardens in the western part of the country, it's
usually the other way around. I'm in Massachusetts; I only count on the
tulips lasting a year or two.
--Lia, with way too much zucchini
--
Harvey J. Baxter
David Shoemaker wrote:
>
> I understand that most likely, any tulip bulb I will plant will die
> after flowering, and that my tulips will not come back next year. And of
> course, the number of bulbs will not increase. But the daffodils come
> back and multiply! And tulip growers have also bulbs which multiply! So
> what do they do to the bulbs before they sell them to me in order to
> have them die or not multiply? Can I do something to have more tulip
> bulbs next year??? (I am in zone 5/6).
>
lisa I'm no expert but I've read where the growers in Holland cut the
flowers because it takes so much energy from the bulb.I live in South
ga zone 8 and I have to refrigerate my bulbs for about 6-8 weeks before
planting. I've had about a dozen bulbs to keep repeat bloom for three
years. quite a feat for this area. If you do decide to cut your blooms
leave all your follage to feed the plant. good growing-gb
Rich
> I understand that most likely, any tulip bulb I will plant will die
> after flowering, and that my tulips will not come back next year. And of
> course, the number of bulbs will not increase. But the daffodils come
> back and multiply! And tulip growers have also bulbs which multiply! So
> what do they do to the bulbs before they sell them to me in order to
> have them die or not multiply? Can I do something to have more tulip
> bulbs next year??? (I am in zone 5/6).
>
>
> Puzzled... Lisa
1. Make sure you are planting them correctly, the right time of year,
correct soil conditions, and correct depth.
2. If daffodils survive and thrive, chances are you have burrowing mammals
eating the bulbs (daffodils are toxic but tulips are delicious). The best
way to protect the bulbs is to make a cage of a medium grade mesh, bury it
in the ground so the open end faces up, and plant the tulips inside the
mesh.
Rich
Terrankind
Be sure to buy perenial tulips...there is a difference.
Protect from heat...
Rob Witherspoon
: I understand that most likely, any tulip bulb I will plant will die
: after flowering, and that my tulips will not come back next year. And of
: course, the number of bulbs will not increase. But the daffodils come
: back and multiply! And tulip growers have also bulbs which multiply! So
: what do they do to the bulbs before they sell them to me in order to
: have them die or not multiply? Can I do something to have more tulip
: bulbs next year??? (I am in zone 5/6).
Dutch growers score or cut a little core out of the base of larger bulbs
which encourages them to send out little bulblets. These bulblets are
grown on to increase in size until they reach a marketable size. Of
course, some of the tulips, i.e. - Gregii and the species tulips
naturalize quite easily. The hybrids less so.
--
\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/
Rob Witherspoon
Guelph Turfgrass Institute
http://www.uoguelph.ca/GTI
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario CANADA
USDA Z5a AgCan Z5b
\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/\|/
Liz Albrook
In article <6108g2$j...@ccshst05.cs.uoguelph.ca>, rob...@uoguelph.ca
says...
> : I understand that most likely, any tulip bulb I will plant will die
> : after flowering, and that my tulips will not come back next year. And of
> : course, the number of bulbs will not increase. But the daffodils come
> : back and multiply! And tulip growers have also bulbs which multiply! So
> : what do they do to the bulbs before they sell them to me in order to
> : have them die or not multiply? Can I do something to have more tulip
> : bulbs next year??? (I am in zone 5/6).
>
> Dutch growers score or cut a little core out of the base of larger bulbs
> which encourages them to send out little bulblets. These bulblets are
> grown on to increase in size until they reach a marketable size. Of
> course, some of the tulips, i.e. - Gregii and the species tulips
> naturalize quite easily. The hybrids less so.
Here in dry summers/wet winters north central Idaho tulips multiply
with abandon, including hybrids. They like the climate. Daffodils are
not particularly happy here and die out after a few years. It's
climate that makes a difference.
Liz
fishhead
And here in middle Tn. the tulips rot out after the 1st or 2nd winter and
the daffys multiply to the point of choking themselves out!
--
Carol.... . fish...@hotcc.com
><(((ô> ~~~~ }<(((Ô> ~~~~ ><(((ö>~~~~ }<((Ò>
ICQ # 2982961
~~~~~~~~~~~~~snip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liz Albrook <ealb...@lewiston.com> wrote in article
<MPG.e9d5b457...@news.zippo.com>...
Kate Hunter
Yes, Liz, you are right on here. If you think about where tulips originate
(Turkey & the Mediterranean region), you can see why they might not do well
in the humid mid central and eastern states. Most tulips like to bake
during the summer. This means full sun, little rain, sharp drainage.
In addition, some of the fussier ones like a dry winter. Certainly
the Greigii tulips are a good bet for a continuing show, but most of the
others bloom well the first year and then decrease after that. I am also
having success with tulipa tarda (which will actually do well in shade),
and the batalini series. I would suggest planting most tulips where the
soil will still be exposed to summer baking after the leaves have died back-
in other word not under shrubs or other tall, shading perennials.
But I still cant answer the question about how the Dutch growers propagate
such a massive amout of stock for the market.
|\ _,,,~~~,,_
/, .-'`' -. ;-;;,_
|,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-'
'-~~''(_/--' `-'\_)
Kate Hunter
#hun...@fern.igis.uiuc.edu# (remove # signs for email)
Gardening in East Central Illinois
Zone 5b
In article <MPG.e9d5b457...@news.zippo.com>, ealb...@lewiston.com (Liz Albrook) writes:
> In article <6108g2$j...@ccshst05.cs.uoguelph.ca>, rob...@uoguelph.ca
> says...
> > : I understand that most likely, any tulip bulb I will plant will die
> > : after flowering, and that my tulips will not come back next year. And of
> > : course, the number of bulbs will not increase. But the daffodils come
> > : back and multiply! And tulip growers have also bulbs which multiply! So
> > : what do they do to the bulbs before they sell them to me in order to
> > : have them die or not multiply? Can I do something to have more tulip
> > : bulbs next year??? (I am in zone 5/6).
> >
> > Dutch growers score or cut a little core out of the base of larger bulbs
> > which encourages them to send out little bulblets. These bulblets are
> > grown on to increase in size until they reach a marketable size. Of
> > course, some of the tulips, i.e. - Gregii and the species tulips
> > naturalize quite easily. The hybrids less so.
>