Do Tulips Only bloom For One Year ????????

Do Tulips only bloom for 1 year ? Someone tell me about growing tulips, I absolutely love them, but don't know if it's something I want to do each year over and over. I thought they were like other bulbs, that they would multiply and could be divided. Is that not so ?
I put out about 75 this past fall and they're beautiful now. Is this all there is to them ? No next year ?

Hi Peggie.
I have never heard of tulips that only bloom for one year. Do you know were your friend got that info? There is an essential thing to make tulips bloom, they need cold for tree month or so.
You live in OK, what state does this stands for, just curious.
75 wow that must look stunning.
Monica

Hi Peggie~

Most tulips will come back for a few years, but the bloom will get weaker and weaker. A lot of people treat them as annuals. I know I do.

There are, however, some tulips that give stronger repeat performances than others. I buy a lot of bulbs from ColorBlends, and they have a section for "perennial" tulips.

Their website is here:

http://www.colorblends.com/

If you look a little ways down on the lefthand side, there is a section called "Bulbs by Category". If you click on "Perennial Tulips" they will give you some nice choices.

Hope I've helped!

Laura


This message was edited Apr 11, 2006 12:18 PM

Some tulips often fail to flower repeatedly because they produce small "daughter" bulbs attached to the main bulb - these are too weak to flower and need time to bulk up and grow. However there are some varieties that are very reliable and flower every year such as Purissima or the smaller species types. (It's a good idea to feed the bulbs with a general fertilizer after flowering). It is worth seeking out these varieties if you want to avoid replanting.

Monica, OK stands for Oklahoma, in the US. We are about in the middle of the US, and slightly to the south of the middle. We should get enough cold to satisfy their needs.

I'll also check out the colorblends site. thanks.

I wonder if I dig them up and remove the "daughter" bulbs, if it would help them to have more strength next spring ?

I do love the tulips. They are so pretty.

I have never dug tulip bulbs, and they bloom reliably for me every year. I wonder if their performance depends on the amount of cold treatment they get. Tulips up here do great. There's sometimes tulips still growing where old homestead sites are. Along with the asparagus and rhubarb. :)

I think tulips don't do so well in areas that have inconsistently cold winters with intermittent warm spells, OR areas that have a lack of consistent intense cold. I think Joan is right....my mom's tulips in Illinois seem to come back each year relatively undiminished. I do not have the same luck here and I get a lot of the bulb splitting that Galanthophile described.

This message was edited Apr 11, 2006 9:38 PM

I found this information on the University of Arkansas site http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/landscaping/bulbs.htm
Tulips aren't quite as easy. Tulips are usually one of the last of our spring blooming bulbs to flower. Warm temperatures during bloom can cause the flower display to pass quickly, and often the leaves are quick to follow. This coupled with the fact that many of the new tulips produce many daughter bulbs, making them share the energy, flowers in subsequent years are often smaller. Many gardeners treat tulips as annuals, planting new ones every year. If you don't want annual planting, consider some of the species tulips or earlier bloomers.

I don't know if your zone is similar to Arkansas or not, but it may explain why tulips are treated as annuals in some places.

It doesn't really explain why they do better in colder areas though. I'm still looking for more information on that.

This site is interesting. Evidentally the weather has a lot to do with future blooms. Also, it appears that tulips may decline even in the northern areas.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/AAMG/bulbs/Tulipsdiminishing.html

I read an article last year that stated that the reason tulips don't do well in most American gardens is because of all the watering. Tulips like to stay dry. Some people actually do dig them up each year and replant. This article suggested deeper planting would prolong their blooming life. I plan to do some experimenting this year.

species tulips and Darwin tulips are your best bet for reblooming. Also, one bulb-seller who is a member of DG here told me to fertilize 3 times a year. Once in the spring when they first come up, then again after dead-heading them to get them to grow more leaves and feed the bulb and finally, again in the fall, just like you do when you plant bulbs in the fall.

I have had good luck with growing a lot of tulips for years, and I like all of the little bulblets that grow around the mother tulip. These are all baby tulip seeds, and just need to be planted relatively closer to the surface than the big mamas and sisters. I usually just plant the babies in a separate row when I replant in the fall, or in the same area but closer to the surface. The babies will be fine where they are for a couple years, then you can move them and plant them deeper. Tulips like to be dry after they finish blooming, so if they are in a spot where I am going to do a lot of watering, I usually dig them up when the tops die down and let them dry out on newspapers in the garage till it is time to replant in the fall.. Or I will dig them when they are in a weedy spot. Because of all the moving around they get, I rarely fertilize them.
Sharon

I've noticed that the squirrels find my tulip bulbs very tasty! They leave the daffodils alone, but they like to dig the tulips up and eat them. This could be one reason why they sometimes seem to last only one year!