My tulips must have rotted

Usually I have a great burst of tulips coming up at this time of year, but this year's record snow and cold temps must have rotted my tulips which were planted in containers. Did anybody else have this problem?

Judith

This message was edited Mar 25, 2007 11:41 PM

Hi, rev--

I planted many tulips in containers this year and I fear, too, that many of the bulbs rotted because of wet and a late season frigid blast.

What tulip growth I have is very uneven in my pots and generally pretty disappointing.

Next year I may try more barky mulch in the potting mix to help drainage. And find a place to over winter them that has more what? Air circulation? protection from weather? sunlight? I am not sure what....

These pots were cram packed with tulip bulbs (I planted 300) and overplanted with lots of crocus, muscari and other little bulbs. Not much to show for it...

Oh, well, maybe something will pop up yet!

Good luck! t.

Give them some time. Check a couple of pots and feel your bulbs to se e if they rotten. becuase of the super cold. The outside air may feel a bit warm but the pots cold and the bulbs too and it take s them awhiel to get their inner clocks back waemed and with the extra cold it gonan take them and extra bit of energy to get started. Mine came up lots later than normal.

I lost several 2nd and 3rd year (perennial) tulips. All the ones I planted last fall are doing beautifully. Based on this I would suspect they rotted during our very wet summer last year. I sunk pots in the ground during the winter and lifted them recently. Those are doing very well. Many of my hyacinths are doing poorly -- they seem to be on the verge of rotting as they attempt to grow and bloom. Then again, same story as with the tulips -- the ones I planted during the fall are doing great.

Now that my tulips have done their thing and leaves are beginning to die back, do I now leave them in the pots with no water till I lift them in early fall and cool them?