can I dip up my tulip bulbs?

I would like to know when I can dig up my tulip bulbs, I might be moving and would like to take them with me, Can I dig them up and store them?
What about daffodil bulbs, and frittilaria bulbs, can these be dug up and stored?

I hope someone has some information about these, I would really like to take them with me when I move.

The foliage should be mostly dry before digging. If not, you might be able to save the bulb at the expense of losing that yrs. bloom.
Dry thorughly in sun or shade and then can be placed in a cool dry place.
Hope this answers your questions.
Maxine

wonder if you could just pot them up until the foliage finishes drying? I've done it with daffodils, but not tulips

any bulb after flowering will depend on the leaves for nutrition... the very reason it is highly recommended to feed the leaves until it dries out. bulb leaves do feed the bulbs for next year's bloom. foliar feed the leaves with miracle grow 15-30-15.

Pebble, if i were u, place ur bulb plants in a pot. so it does not abrupt the feeding cyle. if the leaves does not complete its feeding cyle, u will take risk of not having flower next growing season. feeding the leaves, also allow the bulbs to produce bulbils [baby bulbs.] that attached to the mother bulb.

just my 2 cents worth. hope that helps... ma vie

I think I'll let the foliage die down, and dig them up, how long does it take to die back?

till about Nov. for oriental and asiatic lilies. i do not know about other bulbs as i have not grown any of them. sorry about that. i wish i knew :(. maybe someone will have better advice for u.

Mavie, thanks, on second thought, I think I will pot them up, shall I feed them? and with what? I usually just give everything miracle grow...

the miracle grow should be fine. my pleasure to give a helping hand whenever i can. good luck!!!!

all they need is 6 weeks from the flowers fade then you can lift them and dry them.

but they are so cheap why go to the bother? just leave them for the next house owner!

Mark

I'm glad someone answered this question as I was just about to ask it myself, only about iris bulbs (they weren't cheap!).......figure it would be smarter if I put them in a pot to move them. I am hoping we will be moving this summer (although I dread moving during hot weather!)....but I don't want to lose my iris'. Thanks for the info ya'll.

Mom2cats... normally, iris is dug up in the month of Aug. that is when the leaves finished it's job feeding the rhyzome. August is also a good month to divide ur iris.

once the iris finished blooming, feed the leaves with Miraclegrow which in turn feeds the rhyzome for next year's bloom.

Bearded iris can be successfully dug immediately after flowering, any time until fall. Just make sure to cut the fans short enough so they don't tip themselves out of the new place until the roots get established.

Bulb iris (Dutch, Japanese, Siberian) can be potted up any time, they usually don't skip a beat unless flowering is just beginning, in which case you will probably lose that year's bloom.

About tulips: I have the most success with the kinds that usually only flower one year the following method: immediately after flowering, I dig them up and let them lie in the sun until the leaf withers (usually 2-3 weeks). This kind of prevents the bulb from splitting into tiny unblooming size bulblets. Nuisance, but for a few that I love, it is worth it. I have used this method successfully for 3 years. The couple of extra bulbs I get with this method that are worth saving are given to a friend. She leaves them in the ground, and they do not flower again after the first year.

Thanks for the tips guys, I think I will dig some of them up now.