I was wondering if any of DG's tulip aficionados could make a list for me of the best perennial tulips. Species or hybrids. Which ones come back up year after year? Do any of them need special treatment. I am making my fall list now. Any help appreciated.
Photo: Tulipa eichleri, planted last fall. Pic taken 4-11-10.
If planted deeply (8"+), most of the Darwin tulips are pretty reliable returners. The Banja Luka's pictured herewith are several years old.
Gudoshnik - another Darwin
The species tend to return reliably here.
Thanks. I plan to try some Darwin's and eventually I hope to collect most of the species. Any more suggestions out there?
I've had pretty good return from late singles too, especially older varieties. A lot of folks have good luck with Fosteriana types returning well. I haven't had such good luck with those, but they may have been poorly situated.
Forgot to mention that summer dryness seems to be a key factor in getting hybrids to return. If they're in an area that gets watered frequently during summer, they don't rebloom well. Some lift the bulbs each spring after blooming, when the foliage starts to yellow, and store them dry till fall when they're replanted. I've know of people to get many years of bloom from their bulbs with this treatment. I never seem to have the time or inclination to go to the trouble, but if its an area where annuals are planted for a summer display and you're digging anyway, it may be worth it.
Thanks, gemini. That's good to know. Don't know if I'll ever that either. But who knows?
I am going to try the deep planting method myself on mostly Darwins this fall. But I got some others also so will try my luck with them also. It rained lots last summer. Never needed to water. Nothing one can do about that.
"Some lift the bulbs each spring after blooming, when the foliage starts to yellow"
What about pulling them out and waiting for the foliage to yellow? Does it matter if they're in the ground?
Then when it's time, cut all of it off and store in dry place?
I'm just tired of looking at sad looking Tulips.
Hmmm...I know the foliage needs some time to replenish the bulbs, but I'm not sure how long. Tulips don't take nearly as long as Daffodils, seems the foliage starts yellowing pretty soon after flowering. I'd think your safest bet would be to wait till you at least see the first signs of yellowing, if the blooms have been finished for a while that won't be long.
I thought all tulips were perennials. Never heard of annual tulips.
I think most people treat them as annuals. I don't think the really fancy overbred ones are reliably perennial. Someone may correct me. I wasn't using the word 'perennial' in the strict sense.
North Carolina State University has a list for my state as to what is perennial tulips. Unfortunatly, I found this list after several large orders of tulips. Most of which are unlikely to come back next year. I believe that most tulips behave as annuals especially down south. I have heard that Darwin-Hybrids do well in the perennial sense. Maybe a large state college/univ. has a list for you to see?
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/quickref/flowers/tulip.html
Flower, great list. Thanks.
What about Tulips here in Florida?? I really don't see any out in gardens anywhere (at least in my area). I would like to leave them in the ground mixed with Lilys year around...possible?? and which ones are the best rebloomers??
In zone 9, I believe your only option would be growing them as annuals, and I think that would require planting pre-cooled bulbs. Lack of winter chill and abundance of summer moisture would both be working against them in Florida.
thanks
It's not always the bulb. Sometimes it is other conditions. Bulbs that I planted in separate locations had different production. I agree about planting deeper than the moles and voles go.
I had very good luck with large container planting, and I'm waiting to see if they do well next year.
I am going to try planting deeper to defeat the vole/moles.
This spring I lost two large hostas, Frances Williams and Sieboldiana Elegans, to voles. They just ate all the roots and I kept wondering why they weren't leafing out at the usual time. I kept waiting a good while and then finally checked around the crown only to find there was no crown. There was nothing.
Needless to say it just about broke my heart. Now I am putting little bait stations here and there where I have had the worst damage. I made them out of those little cheap food containers from Walmart. The flatter ones. I cut a small hole in the side and put the bait in, the lid on and then a not too heavy paver on top to keep it in place and to keep the dogs out of it.
Fingers crossed.
