Tulip Question

[SweetErika]

I bought a bowl of fully grown tulips at Costco yesterday. I had some last year, too, and they do great in a well-lit spot indoors until they're through blooming.

My question is, can I do anything with them once they're done blooming? Like, could/should I cut them back and plant them outside, or are they basically compost material when they're done? If I can plant them, what's the procedure for pruning (like where do I cut) and such?

 

[sunandshadow]

If you plant them outside, and you don't live too far south, and you don't live where there are lots of squirrels, rabbits, or deer, you have about a 50% chance of each bulb making another flower next year. Remove the flower stalk, leave the rest alone, plant them (bulb 4-5 inches deep) and ignore them.

 

[swtrthnhoney]

Most bulb plants will continue to produce for a few years. They will typically reproduce (by creating more bulbs) every year.

When the plant dies back you can trim the stalk off, take the bulbs out of the dirt and place them in sawdust until you plant them again (say next February). If you want to force them to bloom, put them in a refrigerator for a few days prior to planting (unless you live in the colder climates where you can utilize the great outdoors for this). You can replant in a pot and enjoy again in your home. You might want to fertilize them when you plant them using bulb food.

Here in Florida, most of the flowering bulbs will not thrive when planted in the ground. I plant ginger, amaryllis, curcuma, canna, etc. very hardy bulbs in the ground here and they multiply each year and return to flower.

Here is a link with more info
http://www.donnan.com/potted-tulips.htm

 

[sunandshadow]

Most bulb plants will continue to produce for a few years. They will typically reproduce (by creating more bulbs) every year.

When the plant dies back you can trim the stalk off, take the bulbs out of the dirt and place them in sawdust until you plant them again (say next February). If you want to force them to bloom, put them in a refrigerator for a few days prior to planting

This specifically does not work for tulips. They need to be refrigerated for 4 months to have proper growth and flowering. That's why they must be planted in fall in sufficiently cold zones, so that they are refrigerated in the ground over the winter. For warmer zones it is possible to buy pre-refrigerated tulip bulbs, but they are only good for one blooming unless you lift them and refrigerate them. Insufficiently chilled tulips either will leaf but not bloom, or will start to sprout and then die when they are a few inches tall.

 

[biggee163]

Once the flower has finished, remove the seed head immediately at the top of the stalk/stem - if you allow the seed head to develop, the bulb gets tired and deteriates very quickly.

Then, leave the pot or container outside - in full sun, and keep them moist. the bulb needs a good 6 weeks for nature to recharge the bulbs.

Then when the foliage has gone brown and wilted, cut it off about 2" from the top of the soil level.

Leave the soil to dry out and then plant in you garden in the fall.

They may not last forever, but you should goet at least 2 more years from them....

Happy Gardening

 

[Hhot]

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/craftstechniques101/a/How-to-Press-and-Dry-Flowers.htm

http://www*****studiesonline.com/pressflowers.htm

http://homeschooling.about.com/od/homeeccrafts/ss/dryingflowers.htm