How to Grow Tulips, King of the Flowering Bulbs
No doubt about it. Everybody loves 'em. That's why most homeowners grow at
least a few of these attractive, easy to grow bulbs that herald the arrival
of spring.
Everyone knows that tulips bloom in abundance in the spring. Every gardener,
except perhaps the novice gardener, knows that spring blooming tulips must
be planted in the Fall.
Did you know? There are early, mid, and late blooming varieties of
tulips. Make sure you consider this when planting your bulbs. You do want
a continuous bloom in the spring, don't you!?
Tulips come in a huge variety of bright colors, including white, yellow,
pink, red, black, purple , orange, bicolors, and more. There are a profusion
of mixed colors to select from, too. The true tulip grower creates a work
of art in planting the tulip bed. Some tulip beds are truely a masterpiece,
only limited by your imagination.
Size does matter! And in the world of tulips, it's all measured in
the circumference of the bulb. This is where the energy is stored for next
year's bloom. The bigger the bulb (in circumference), the bigger the bloom.
So, when you buy tulip bulbs at discount stores, chances are your are getting
what you pay for. If you want the biggest, best blooms, look for quality,
name brand bulbs.
Tip: After blooming, let the plant continue to grow until it dies
off. During the post bloom period, the plant is sending energy to the bulb
to store for use next spring.
The Origin of Tulips Everybody knows that tulips come from Holland,
right!? ....wrong. Actually, Tulips are native to Central Asia and Turkey.
In the 16th Century they were brought to Holland from Turkey, and quickly
became widely popular. They became so wildly popular, that "Tulipmania" occurred
in Holland in the 17th century. People traded tulip bulbs for literally a
fortune.
More
on Tulipmania.
Tulips are cultivated in Holland in great numbers ,and in huge fields. Today
Dutch bulbs, including tulips and daffodils, are exported around the world.
Like other bulbs, Tulips should be stored in a cool, well ventilated area.
The garage in summer is definitely not the place to keep tulip bulbs. Many
an inexperienced gardener has pulled up bulbs, and kept them in the garage
until fall planting, only to find, dried up bulbs a few months later.
Forcing Tulips
Tulips can be forced to bloom indoors winter months. When you buy bulbs in
the fall, save a few to try this fun and easy indoor garden activity. A few
bulbs are planted in a flower pot. The pot is then "chilled" or set in the
cold for a few weeks. After a few weeks, the pot is brought indoors, and
Voila, the tulips will grow and bloom indoors.
For complete instructions for forcing tulips and other bulbs to bloom indoors,
see Forcing Bulbs
More Information:
Flower Gallery See more pictures
of Tulips and other flowers.
The
History of Tulips straight form Holland.
New York
Botanical Garden - Tulips
Flower
Bulbs - Buy all of your favorite spring and fall bulbs
now.
Buy Flower, Vegetable and Herb Seeds Finest quality
Ferry Morse Seed, America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee
to grow".
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