Expert: Long Island Gardener - 5/4/2007

Question
I live in Washington state (98367).  This is the first year I have grown tulips.  Now that they are done, can I leave the bulbs in the ground instead of digging them up and storing them?

Answer
It is my understanding that the State of Washington has a LOT of rain.

True?

Rain is bad for Tulips.  They need a totally bone dry summer.

And they like it cool.

If you don't keep them dry and/or cool, they form 'bulblets'.  And bulblets don't bloom.  Mother bulb is increasingly divided and stops blooming as well.  Goodbye Tulips.

You should know, however, that no matter what you read or hear about Tulip care and feeding -- except from me of course -- Tulips are RARELY Perennial.  They are just not bred for repeat performance, as a rule, with a few exceptions.  You'll see all kinds of things written about how to take care of them.  The implication is that if you do this, after the Tulip has finished blooming,  it will come back next year and it will look just as beautiful, maybe even better because of the terrific care you gave it.

But it's not true.

Editors and writers rarely know anything about what they're writing about.  They interview people and do background research to get up to speed; the background research is written by another writer/editor, same drill, no fact, all fiction.

Years ago, as a freelance writer, I had an assignment to write about the interior decorating of the future Space Shuttle that had just been funded.  I was in touch with NASA who put me in contact with a team of psychologists who were in charge of the work.

This was a big deal.  They had to make sure that all scientific knowledge of human behavior and performance related to interior design could be utilized for this project.  They looked for example at colors.

Normally, people assume that Blue is a Calming Color.  Red is an Exciting Color.  Yellow means Danger or Be Careful or whatever.  NASA's psychologists looked for the research to back this up.

And they looked.  And they looked.

Until finally, as they zeroed in on references to a 'study' that was said to document a higher pulse, faster breathing, and raised blood pressure among subjects exposed to the color Red, they found a reference to research done in the USSR in the 1930s.

And there was such study with such finding.  None.  Ever.

But this 'research' was printed, over and over, until editors began to believe it.  Made sense.  NASA looked.  Can't use baloney to design the Space Shuttle.

But I read this year in the New York Times that someone is touring the country to advise people on using Red in their home because, as we all know, Red will raise your blood pressure, increase your pulse, keep you awake, make you hungry...  

The 'make you hungry' part might be true.  It was not part of the Russian 'research'.  NASA hadn't gotten up to that yet.

So what I'm saying is, the same thing goes for what you read about Tulips.  Assume that you are never going to see these Tulips again after this year.  Then if you do get new ones next year -- I think a few will return -- you'll be grateful.

Buy them in bulk to cut your losses.  And enjoy them while you have them.  They are worth every penny, and more.

Especially the Red ones.