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Bulbs/Yet Another Question About Tulip/Hyacinth Bulbs

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Expert: Long Island Gardener - 5/11/2008


Question
I understand that you shouldn't dig up tulip/hyacinth bulbs until the flowers have dropped off and the leaves have turned yellow/brown.  But what if you have to dig them up early due to a change in landscaping etc?  What do I do with them then?  Do I cut the leaves and stem off or leave them on?  Do I replant them right away or clean them off and store them away until the fall?  Help!

Thank you!

Answer
Put these back in the ground asap and let the foliage die back naturally, a change that should take months.

Given a choice, if you don't have time/energy/space for everything, give Hyacinths the priority.  Note as well that the Tulips will not do well no matter what you do.  Thanks for your question.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER

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Expertise

Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.

Experience

Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.

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