Expert: Long Island Gardener - 3/9/2007

Question
What do you do with them after they flower? Do you cut the stems off and keep them watered if you leave them inside or do you take them out of the soil and put them away??? I have never had tulips before and have no idea of how to keep them....

Answer
First, the good news: There is a chance you can re-bloom your Tulips.

Bad news:  Most Tulips, unfortunately, won't ever bloom again as beautifully as they did the first time you saw them.  There are exceptions.  Give it a shot.

When your potted Tulips are finished blooming, put them outside in the garden, in full sun, and wait for the foliage to die down.  Keep them watered while they're out there.  Don't forget to check.  Pots can dry out quickly.

Make sure you have cut off all the finished flowers. Leaving them on weakens the plant.  It takes a lot of energy to make seeds after a Tulip finishes blooming.  You don't want that to happen.

What you do want is to build up flower power.

Two or three months from now, after the foliage is totally dead, remove the bulbs, dust the soil off them and store them in the refrigerator or another very cool, dark place.

Don't put them in a plastic bag -- too airtight.  Use a paper bag instead.

In late fall, as the weather is getting cold, plant them in the ground in holes about 8 inches deep.  Make sure the soil is light and will drain easily.  A handful of bone meal in each hole with the bulbs is great.  You can buy a bag of bone meal in Home Depot in the summer or at most garden centers.  It's great for roots.  Add water, and wait.

If it works as planned, new Tulips will begin sprouting one March day next year and a few weeks later they'll bloom.  

Remember, those leaves need LOTS of bright sun.  They love cool weather so don't worry about how cold it is unless it's bitter, frigid 10 degrees -- which may harm the roots.

Let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks for writing!