Bulbs: Squirrel Mischief?, 3 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
It's not really a secret!

I like to have really terrific displays of tulips. But buying new ones every year is very expensive. So after they bloom and the foliage has had a chance to ripen, I go into the garden, dig them up (no need to remove all the soil) put them in pots or pot lids (don't crowd them too much) are dying down, and let them dry. Once the soil has dried (and you can do this over weeks) I get a big lawn bag to handle the detritus and cut off the foliage, brush off the soil, and put them in cheap brown paper lunch bags from the supermarket, also in the back of my garage. I don't bring them into the house because I might bring in the occasional worm. I dig them up and put them in my garage. I label the bags, but I might also put in a stick with the name on it so that I don't get confused in the fall.

In the fall, Take them out and plant them again. You can put them in as groups or do fun mixes. The tulips in the first picture are all at least five years old: Angelique, White Trumphinator, Mayfair, Mount Tacoma.

In the second photo are multiflowering Triumph tulips Weisse Berliner and Happy Family. They tend to break into single after a few years, but some stay double. These are about three years old.

Pinnochio is at least 8 years old.

Over the years, I have saved hundreds of dollars on tulips by doing this. The very best tulips for this are single lates, lily flowering, and species. These are most likely to actually multiply!

This message was edited Apr 11, 2012 6:19 AM