Tulips, lift and store or leave

Bonsai-Marc

ordering some hot pant tulips

different opinions im finding on end of season

 

shall i lift and store once leaves have started to die off or just leave them for the year?

 

ty

Fairygirl

Hi Marc - the problem with tulips is that they need very sharp drainage or they rot. Even with that drainage, they tend to get poorer each year. For that reason, many people treat them as annuals. Planted very deeply, they will often do better but again, your own soil conditions will be a factor. I only put them in pots where I can control the conditions, but if I get a couple of years out of them, that's about the maximum. 

You could try experimenting with yours to see what works best for you. 

Bonsai-Marc

hhmm was hoping to get a few years out of them as suggested from research

 

so maybe better to lift and store for the year then plant deep again

Fairygirl

Not sure about lifting them Marc. I've never done that although I'm sure others will find that useful. There's divided opinion on it! My potted ones have diminished over a couple of years, even though they're in gritty compost/soil and are fed etc. We get a lot of rain so they're sheltered after they finish flowering as well. It's just the way they are I think. The small species ones that flower earlier are completely different and come back year after year no problem. Different animal altogether.

Unfortunately, it's those fancy, high falutin' ones that we all love so much that are fussy, precious and high maintenance  

Bonsai-Marc

i may just not bother and cancel my ebay sale, seems like alot of issues and unlikely to last

 

thanks

Fairygirl

They're best treated as annuals for most people Marc and  I'm inclined to do the same. It's a pity because they're beautiful and I would love to fill my garden with them. If you have the right conditions for them you'd have better results but, even then,  they need replacing every so often.