transplanting and moving tulips

by Peggy
(Muskegon, MI USA)

When can I transplant tulip bulbs, I have some that I want to move now?

Doug says that you *can* move a tulip right after it finished blooming but you will lose some of them in the move (the odds are you'll lose some anyway - particularly if you're not careful with the roots). When you dig them, disturb the roots as little as possible (good luck with that by the way) :-)

BUT - it is far better to let the bulb leaves turn yellow and then dig up the bulb and move it then.

If I wanted to move bulbs, I'd dig when the leaves turned yellow, let dry and sit on a shelf till fall. (cool and dry) Then I'd plant them outdoors in the new spot in the fall.