Tulip planting and this (relatively) warm weather
I am champing at the bit to plant my tulips, but it's just so darned warm. The lowest we have had so far is about 4 degrees (in the night). Do I need to wait for a frost/o degrees? I am worried that my tulips will go mouldy/start to rot as they did the year before last. They are in bidodegradable bags with holes or paper bags in a paper box. if I had known I'd be waiting this long I might have rigged something up to store them better (wihtout mixing htem all up.)
They are mainly going to be going into pots.
Nothing lower than 4 degrees forecast by the met office in the next week. Most days the minimum temp is higher than that.
Am I being over-cautious?
They are mainly going to be going into pots.
Nothing lower than 4 degrees forecast by the met office in the next week. Most days the minimum temp is higher than that.
Am I being over-cautious?
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Yes
If they're in pots, you don't have to worry. The virus won't be in commercial compost.
Tulips need drier, free draining soil, so if they've been rotting, it's because they don't have that. I generally treat them as annuals, although I mainly keep them potted too which means I can shelter them from the weather when needed. The species ones are easier, but they have a purpose built raised bed with lighter soil, which helps.
I meant, they rotted in the bags they came in!
I pot all my bulbs up in a mixture of compost and grit. Last year's potted ones were depotted and will go in the garden as B list tulips (as I can't be as sure they will come up/be lovely... although some are sprouting! They've been in string vest bags hanging up year.)
I thought you meant they'd rotted in the pots etc.
I don't lift mine - I just keep them in the pots they're in and keep them as dry as possible, which isn't very easy here. They have to be under something or against a house wall. I just feed them after they're finished flowering and tuck them away.
I do the same as you though - I often just plant them out and if I get a couple of flowers in future, that's a bonus