Tulips Question

So today I decided to take advantage of the 58 degree weather, despite the threat of rain, and get out in my yard and do what I have been wanting to do for a while..... dig up the patch of area where the previous owner of our house planted a TON of tulip bulbs by my side porch. Those babies were EVERYWHERE!

I had, ATLEAST 2-3 dozen adult sized bulbs dug up, and dont even ask me to count all the little bulblets I found scattered around!

Let me tell you, tulips have got to be one very tough plant! After my husband moved into this house, prior to us dating, that patch of ground was mostly just used to hid unsightly things it seems, as well as he had one of his grills there lol! While I was out digging, I found a ton of garbage and old, wet cardboard, which was all under a bunch of leaves that have gathered there over the years. That said, I was suprised to see that those tulips were still growing. Though much of them looked to be rather sad looking.

Anyway, I dug up what I could today, and put them in pots just to hold them until I could pot a few of them up till I figured out where I wanted to transplant them. I was able to give 2 6in. pot fulls away to a neighbor who said he would ask a friend of his if she wanted them. I potted up about 3 6in. pot worths of tulip bulbs (that have already sprouted relatively well but some seem to need some TLC, as well as a few bulblets) for the time being till I can figure out where to put them, and I have an overflowing pot left on my side porch, just waiting to find a good home (I wasnt able to pot them up properly though as I ran out of pots!)

Anyway, when my hubby came home, he notified me that he didnt think any of them would bloom anymore because appearently some years back he took the lawnmower to them and cut them all down. Now, whether or not he cut them down after they had already wilted, or when they were still growing nicely, that I do not know.

So, my question is this... will tulips rebloom after cutting them down, or will all I get is just pretty folliage from these bulbs from now on?

They wouldn't bloom only that year that they were cut down, I've had rabbits chew down tulips one year but they come back and bloom the next.

Ok great! Thats just what I wanted to hear :)

Next question... from everything I've read on the internet about tulips, the bulbs need to be a certain size before they will have enough energy to bloom a flower. Prior to reaching this size, they will only grow folliage. Does anyone have any idea about what SIZE the bulbs need to be in order to produce a flower bloom? Reason I ask is because I have LOTS and LOTS of what I believe to be tulip bulblets, and I'm trying to get an idea of how big and how many years it will be before they will be able to bloom (as well as try to gauge some of the bigger ones to see if they will need a couple more years before blooming or if they will bloom next year based on the current size of the bulbs).

Also, for as many bulbs as I do have now, I was thinking about trying to put much of them through an early dormancy period (by putting them in the back of my refridgerator) while I get the rest of my flowerbeds and veggie gardens set up and figure out a good spot for these bulbs to have a home to replant in the fall. If I put them in an early dormancy period, like now, then replant them this fall, will that hurt their chances of living and/or producing flowers next spring?

Below is a picture of just a few of the bulblets I found that I believe are tulip bulblets. The next picture I post will be of what I am calling "mid-sized" bulbs which have started producing folliage prior to my digging them up yesterday.

"mid-sized" bulbs

Do y ou think these are big enough to produce flowers next spring if I plant them in the ground this fall? If not, about how big do they need to get to be able to produce flowers?

Here's some info on the tiny "bulbets"
http://www.gardenguides.com/79143-tulip-bulbs-formed.html

Thanks so much! Thats a great and very helpful article!!

If you try to store the bulbs now once they have started growing you will most likely kill them or severely set them back. If they do not fully grow out their leaves this spring they will not be able to store energy for next spring or grow a bigger bulb. Also, be careful when transplanting tulips that are in active growth, they only take up water through the tips of their roots so if the roots are damaged or or the tips are broken off you may lose your bulbs entirely. Its best to dig and transplant bulbs in the fall.

ack, crap, ive already dug them up while there was folliage on them. Well, guess itll just be a wait and see experiment LOL! Hope I dont/didnt kill them, but if I did, I'm not gonna worry too much about it since I didnt purchase them lol. They were already there when I moved in. I needed to get them outta where they were this spring though because they were growing where I wanted to put my veggie garden (and really the only area I currently have room for a veggie garden lol).

Then don't worry too much about it, there is probably more babies in the ground still :D Its really hard to get them all when your digging them up!