Spring Flowering Bulbs: Tulips

Spring Flowering Bulbs: Tulips
The Southern Great Lakes Gardener

There is hardly anybody I know who doesn't enjoy the beauty of spring flowering bulbs. Most of us have favorites, whether they are tulips, daffodils, or whatever. Perhaps it is because we are all starved after the drab and cold days of winter for the color and warm days that these cheerful blooms represent. No matter the reason, they score a hit with almost everybody.

Between tulips and daffodils, these are the bulbs that most people think of when one describes spring flowering bulbs. Tulips are relatively easy to find almost anywhere from mail order to retail, and provide great visual impact for relatively little investment.

Who doesn't like a tulip? Tulips come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and colors, from solids to striped and from pastels to bold primary colors. There are the classic chalice-shaped tulips, lily formed tulips, parrot or fringed tulips, peony flowered or double tulips. Lots of heights, varieties, colors and shapes here. Some of the species, or wild/near wild types also sport striped leaves. By choosing colors and varieties wisely, the gardener can extend the tulip season from early to late Spring. Some tulips put on one glorious show, and then diminish in size and height of flower in succeeding years. In many public display gardens, tulips are routinely removed and relegated to the compost pile after flowering. While they are relatively inexpensive, I am sure that many gardeners would like to stretch a few seasons from their tulips before having to replace them. I am also sure that those same gardeners would like to know those tulips that perennialize well. Without naming specific names, I will touch on the more popular classes of tulips, describe their general form, and note their perennializing abilities.

Early Season Tulips

Species Tulips: These include wild and hybridized forms. Most if not all are short in stature, and are among the first to bloom. They have flowers in proportion to plant size, the leaves can be striped or mottled or solid. Leaf form can also be wavy on some of these tulips. Flower colors are pink to red to yellow, some are striped. Their forms are generally what I would call pointed cup-shaped, or vaselike. These all tend to perennialize particularly well.

Greigii Tulips: Also short in stature, again with mottled or striped foliage. Most have outstanding colored blooms, and these also perennialize rather well.

Kaufmanniana Tulips: These tulips are very short in stature, and can also sport striped foliage. Colors range in the lighter colors of yellows to whites to blush. Most are under 8", and all perennialize well.

Fosteriana Tulips: These are about the largest of the tulips, in stature and flower form. Vivid in color, these tulips are not exactly perennializers, but will give up to 3 or 4 good years of blooms before needing to be lifted and divided.

Midseason Tulips

Darwins: Need I say more? This is the one that most people think about when they discuss tulips. Perhaps the most recognizable of all tulips, tall in stature, about 28 to 32 inches tall, with many color combinations, classic cup shape, and perhaps the most popular of all the tulips. An intermediate perennializer, with careful planting, spacing and proper watering and fertilizing, can give 2 to 4 seasons of reliable bloom.

Triumphs: Offers the most variety. Shorter than Darwins, but of reasonable stature, about a foot or so tall. Countless color combinations available. This is a weak perennializer, but can give two or perhaps three seasons with proper care.

Cottage Tulips: Oval shaped flowers on 25 to 30 inch stems. Mainly pastel in color. Season overlaps to late, and colors are mainly pastels. A weak perennializer, expect at maximum two to three seasons tops with proper care.

Parrot Tulips: Again, overlaps seasons. Has fringed, feathered, or curled flowers. Often have a little bit of green on the petals. As with the Triumphs and Cottage tulips, expect no more than two to three seasons of performance with proper care.
Late Season Tulips

Peony Flowered: Looks like a peony. Intermediate in stature, up to 20 inches tall. In various color combinations. As with many hybrids, expect the best show the first season, and perhaps two or three fairly decent shows thereafter.

Rembrandts: Closely resemble those tulips that fortunes were made and lost over. The tulip responsible for "Tulipomania" was similar in appearance to the Rembrandt. Unlike the tulips that were the original broken tulips, plantsmen breed Rembrandts to have splashes and swirls of color. The original tulips with the broken color pattern were affect by a virus. Rembrandts are not. Expect two to three seasons of show.

Single Late: Another tall growing, Darwin-like tulip. Up to 30 to 32 inches in height, these tulips come in a vast array of colors. As with many tulips, the best show is the first year, with a somewhat fair show the next one to two years after.

Planting and Care

From early September on, local garden centers and other retailers will begin to offer tulip bulbs. Depending upon our season, these bulbs most generally do better planted from very late September at the earliest, with October into early November being the ideal time to plant bulbs. Choose the largest, most blemish-free bulbs that you can find, with the brown covering, or tunic, intact as much as possible. Bulbs should be solid and firm, not dried out. Store at 60 degrees until planting time to prevent drying out of the bulbs. A vegetable keeper will work well for this purpose, but keep them away from apples, which emit a gas that might inhibit blooming.

The earlier flowering tulips can be planted under the canopy of high shade. These bulbs will bloom before the tree foliage emerges and begins to grow to the point of casting shade over the planting site. Tulips can also be grown in areas of full sun. The later varieties will do better with morning sun to semi-shade in the afternoon.

Soil should be well-drained. Bulbs will rot if left in areas that tend to stay wet. To improve drainage, incorporate compost, leaf mold, and shredded pine bark deeply to the site, and raise the planting area to provide for good drainage. Incorporate a slow release organic-based fertilizer or bone meal at the recommended rates.

Tulips should be planted at least two to three times the diameter of the bulb deep. If you are in an area that routinely experiences plant damage by squirrels or rodents, add a mesh of chicken wire over the bulbs. The stems will grow through the wire, but this will help to prevent the squirrels or other small mammals from stealing the bulbs. Plant in minimal groupings of five to seven, the more the better. Try to go for a natural look, not a soldierly straight line! Spacing depends on the variety of the bulb. Smaller bulbs with smaller flowers can be spaced more closely than the larger sized bulbs that produce the larger flowers. Follow the recommended spacing requirements.

In the Spring as the foliage emerges, you can top dress the area with a good all-purpose organic fertilizer, particularly if you only used bone meal at the time of planting. You may wish to place mesh barriers around the tulips as they grow to prevent squirrels and rabbits from feasting on what they consider to be early spring "greens".

If you want picture-perfect and consistent performance year in and year out, you might wish to pull up the bulbs as they finish blooming. Post-bloom care of tulips consists of allowing the foliage to die back and dry naturally. Remove spent foliage when it pulls with a gentle tug. If any seed pods start to form, remove them as well to prevent the bulb from expending energy making seed. The unattractive foliage can be hidden by planting other perennials or mid to tall growing annuals near the tulips.

In the fall, scratch in some time released fertilizer over the planting site, and work in well. If you notice that your tulips are starting to decline, most likely with the weak perennializing varieties, gently lift the bulbs taking care not to damage them, and remove any small bulblets or bulbs that have split. Reset the bulbs the same as for a new planting.

Tulips offer so much beauty for relatively little investment and effort. There are varieties enough to satisfy almost anyone's taste and gardening style. We live in one of the best climates for tulips and other spring bulbs. Don't forget to plant a few this fall for gorgeous flowers next spring!

© Copyright 2001-2004, Marilyn K. Burns.