Expert: Long Island Gardener - 3/7/2007

Question
How do I (in Houston, Tx) preserve my tulip bulbs (from an arrangement) in order to plant them next year?  

Answer
Most Tulips, unfortunately, won't ever bloom again as beautifully as they did the first time you saw them.  There are exceptions.  You can give this a shot if you want to try it.

When your Tulips are finished blooming, put them outside in the garden, in full sun, and wait for the foliage to die down.

Make sure you cut off the finished flowers.  Leaving them on the plant weakens it.  Lots of energy is used to make seeds after a Tulip finishes blooming.  You have to stop it from making those seeds and do everything you can to get it to build up flower power.

In a month or two, when the foliage is finally dead, take the bulbs out of the ground or pot, break off the soil, 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.  Just add water, and wait.  Cross your fingers just to be safe.

If all works as planned (hopefully), your Tulips will being to sprout one March day and in a few weeks will be blooming.  The flower will probably be a little smaller at best, but you may get lucky and find you have a truly Perennial Tulip in your garden.

Difficult?  Yes.  But nothing is impossible.  See what happens; keep me posted, and thanks for writing.  Any more questions, I'll be here.