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Planting Potted Tulips in Louisiana

I received potted tulips and am wondering when I should put them out in the yard here in central Louisiana (temps range from 25 in January to 100 in July). Do I have to dig them up in the fall? Thank you. Della

Doug says that he really hates to be the one to tell you but you really can't grow tulips properly in the South. They require 14-16 weeks of really cold weather to form a flower bud. You don't get enough cold weather (even though Southerners think that 50F is cold) you're going to require 14-16 weeks of 35F to get those buds/flowers to form.

Enjoy them. Compost them.

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Planting Potted Tulips in Louisiana

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Greenhouses not refrigeraed - tulips are
by: Doug

The greenhouses are not refrigerated - the tulips are - in refrigerated and humid conditions in coolers

But by all means, go ahead and plant if you live in the South. Just don't expect flowers if you don't get 14 weeks (give or take) of 40F soil temperatures.
Response to Doug
by: Anonymous

If that is the case, how come the Wal Marts here sell coutless thousands of them in full bloom bought from a nursery 20 miles down the road that I know for a fact doesn't refrigegrate their greenhouses in that way to get them to bloom.

Leave the bulbs in the posts you bought them in, let them dry out over the summer, then plant the whole mess next fall around Halloween, they'll be fine, mine are. I live in BEaumont Texas so it's virtually the same conditions.

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