Q&A for How to Store Tulip Bulbs

Keep them! You can either plant them along with the larger bulbs or you can separate them and they will eventually grow to become their own larger bulbs that will flower.

No. They aren't. There is a difference between Tunicate bulbs (like tulips) and Imbricate bulbs (like lilies), Imbricate bulbs need to stay moist before planting.

Cut the stem when the flower dies. Cut the leaves when they die. While they are still green, they are nourishing the bulb.

Yes.

The best time to get tulip bulbs into the ground is when the night time temperatures drop. Under 50 degrees F is the best choice. ---Philadelphia TO Houston

The flowers of the tulip can be cut off. But remember, the tulip flower will send out seeds which, after some years, will be volunteer tulips in your garden or lawn. Don't cut off the leaves until they brown because they are providing nourishment to the bulb.

Yes. The tulips will die through winter, but if you leave it in the ground, it will grow back from the same bulb in spring. However, underground animals do like to eat them, so you may want to protect them in some way!

Tulips need cold weather to activate them, so if you plant in Spring you run the risk of the bulbs not flowering.

Keep them in a cool, dark place. Check them daily to make sure they are not dying.

Absolutely. The bulbs need to lose their green leaves and then be stored using the above steps.

In the winter. They will eventually grow when spring comes around. This will make it so the animals won't eat them.

I think that I've read that the entire storage process should typically take at least 12 weeks. Planting is generally done in the fall, 6 to 8 weeks before a hard frost is expected and when soils are below 60 degrees. In an indoor pot, it may not matter quite as much; however, they do best when they have a chilling period (10-16 weeks) before their sprouting period (1-3 weeks).

I believe so. You should use about one part fertilizer to ten parts water (1:10) for soil application, or you should dilute the fertilizer twice as much (1:20) for direct application on the leaves. It should be applied once every three weeks in the growing season of the roses. Roses should do well with the fertilizer because they do better with higher nutrient levels, unlike some crops, such as beans or onions.

I had some bulbs damaged by slugs. They eat holes inside the bulbs. My mum said that as long as the holes do not go through the center of the bulb core, the bulbs will still grow. I had about 25% turn out OK, but 75% dead. Assume that bulbs cut through the center core are dead.

If you're cutting green leaves, you're lowering the chance of repeat flowering. Same goes for removing them from soil while the leaves are still green.

Yes. I have done this with Dahlia, Canna and Calla and it has worked well. Store the pot in the same temperature as would be appropriate if the bulb was pulled. The only issue I have faced with this method is that the plant sometimes starts growing way too early: mine are winter stored in a basement.

Unfortunately, tulips can be very temperamental, some varieties grow back without any issues, however, most do not like to be kept in the ground. You will find that the parent bulb will die off as it will likely rot due to excess moisture or poor drainage. This is the reason why you do not see any flowers as the smaller off-spring bulbs will sprout the next year. Typically, these are not large enough to flower. I lift all tulip bulbs around the first week in summer, then clean them as suggested in the above procedure. I suggest you use blood and bone after you planted the bulbs, do not dig it in, let the fertiliser syphon though the soil.

It all relates to weather/temperatures. Outside planted bulbs need to be planted in fall and will bloom early spring.

Yes. That plastic disc will allow you to replant the bulbs back into the same vase.