Later Spring Tulip Trimming And Care
By Allyn Paul, filed under Landscape Tips.
Now that some of our tulips are spent for the season, we want to make sure to help them recharge their bulbs to the max! What that means is you cut the stems where flowers once were. Watch the vid below:
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April 27th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Quick question about bulbs: Do you need to take them up in the fall/winter? In DC, it gets pretty cold: if so, what do you recommend? I have heard of wrapping them in blankets and keeping them in the basement. Also, how do the bulbs multiply? I have a mound of strange looking bulbs that are shooting flat green leaves all over my front flower bed (they were there when we bought the house), but what do I do with them?
April 27th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
@Ben
I live in Chicago and I leave my bulbs underground all year. Never had a problem.
The strange leaves you see are bearded iris, I am almost sure.
They will shoot up big beautiful flowers in late spring.
Bulbs multiply by what is known as “naturalizing” …the big bulbs grow smaller ones around them called “daughter bulbs” and over time, these need to be dug up and split off.
May 8th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
thanks al for the tip! I did not know that. i love all of the tulips on the side of your house it looks great!
May 8th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Hey Big Al, glad to help my brother!
May 9th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Hello Al,
I have some tulips that have not grown a stem the last three springs. The leaves will come up but no flower/stem. Is there any way to revive these?
May 9th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
@Rod
Hey man. It sounds to me like they got some frost damage in the spring. In other words, they are coming up early and frost is stunting the flower growth. I would recommend you cover them with plastic or a bucket in early spring next year and see if they flower.