What causes daffadils, Hyacynths,and tulips to bloom

Too close to the ground? I have tulips I have had for four years and every year the are pretty consistent at being the same height and having lovely blooms but this year they are blooming down in the foilage.
Is there something I can do to prevent them from doing this next year?Could it have something to do with our drought conditions we had for several monthes last summer?

This message was edited Mar 10, 2006 8:40 AM

HI cc,

I used to ask myself the same question!

It is likely the warmth and the warm winter you (we) had. Planting deeper is better on all of them, but tulips in particular have the longest/deepest cold requirement and therefore are most susceptible to warming trends in weather. Also, sudden warmth onset will make them likely to bloom closer to the ground.

Partial shade in warm climates makes them "stretch" more and they tend to grow taller before the flowers open up. Also, avoid hot western and southern exposures if you can.

Daffodils and hyacinths have more modest cooling requirements, and I learned from Scott Kunst of Old House Gardens that hyacinths root more efficiently at warmer temperatures (around 45 - 50 or so F) than do tulips, which is probably why they perform better for me down here. Also explains why tulips at my mom's house up in Illinois grow tall and strong, effortlessly, every year and I don't have the same results here.

Tulips tend to originate in central Asia in areas with long, cold, winters and dry summers. Many daffodils are from Mediterranean areas, southern Europe, the Caucasus, etc and hyacinths originated in the Middle East and southern Turkey, believe it or not - and this also probably helps to explain why they perform as they do.

A lot of the major gardening outfits and bulbs sellers like to lump them all together, but they're NOT created equal.

This message was edited Mar 10, 2006 5:06 PM

This message was edited Mar 10, 2006 5:07 PM

Steve that helps alot some of my yard has eroded and the bulbs are closer to the surface now. Most of my yard is on an incline so I have to add dirt to my garden in spots every year.Thanks so much your the best!
Celeste

Sounds right. They've heated up too fast being so close to the soils surface.

If bulbs are planted too late and/or heat up too fast, they will bloom short, sometimes way down in the leaves!

This can happen when you force bulbs too and don't give them a good period of cool growth before placing them at room temperature.

Robert.