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Tulips

 Tulips rank as the most popular bulb in the world if you go by the number grown and sold every year. (billions actually) And they do put on quite a show! It seems that while these sweethearts are in bloom, everybody wants to have them.


This is a good thing because they are super easy to grow, almost pest-free, disease-free for the most part, last for years with a little care, can be grown in the house as well as the garden and with a little planning can be in bloom for a very long time. (you pick early, mid and late blooming varieties)


Video of Different Kinds of Tulip Flowers


Here's a video of the different kinds of tulip flowers.  I made this  2-minute video to show you the gorgeous options you have when you plant this wonderful bulb.

Tulips as Cut Flowers or Grown in Pots


And if you want to use them for cut flowers, they make excellent long-lasting bouquets (note that florists now have blooms available year-round).

If you want to keep fresh tulips for a long time, here's the most important tip.

If you purchase a pot of flowering tulips, you may find some help with container growing or potted tulips right here.
Here's a summary of tulip care techniques

Tulip Growing Tips



variegated tulipsPlanting spring flower bulbs can be done at two times of year and here's the secrets to know about how to get your bulb to bloom.  

Tulip planting instructions can be found here

Tulip Bulb Storage is necessary in some forms of gardening. Here are a few thoughts.
If you leave your flower stocks unpruned, the tulip flowers will often produce seed pods. Here's how to sow and grow tulip seed


Storing tulip bulbs is one simply skill to have if you decide to dig up your tulips after they have finished blooming.

So what’s your choice? 

Hard decision to make because there are over 3000 registered varieties on the market and because you’re going to have to plant them two to three inches apart and you want more than one of each variety, you’re going to need a big yard to grow them in. :-)


Flowers by the Color


Some gardeners like to chose their bulbs based on color so here's a list of white flower tulips.

And another of yellow tulips list

Here's the list of good orange tulips for your fashionable garden.

The most popular color is of course red tulips and here's a good list of available red flowering bulbs

Pink tulips are soft and relaxing in the spring. There's a good assortment to pick from as well.

And for something a little bolder, try purple tulips

And finally, here's a list of two color or bicolor tulips that are some of the showiest bulbs around.

Other Thoughts on Flower Bulbs


But let me tell you my bias :-) I like fragrant tulips and here's a list of the most fragrant varieties for your flower bulb garden.

This bulb is also the most hybridized and sometimes the parentage is tricky to determine (we’ve been breeding this bulb for over 400 years now and here's the Dutch flower bulbs history is world famous. You can still find some species tulips for sale (wonderful small bloomers mostly) and I’d recommend them highly.

If you're looking for stories about tulip history stories then here are a few. 

Tulip Flower Forms



However those big bloomers are now divided into how they bloomred tulip (roughly) rather than who their parents were. Here’s the breakdown.

Double early

Single early
Triumph
Single late
Darwin hybrid
Lily-flowering
Parrot Tulips with their wild coloring are extremely popular but need a bit of protection.
Double late
Rembrandt
Fringed
Viridiflora
Kaufmanniana
Fosteriana
Greigii
Some species you'll enjoy




Questions and Answers



Q&A  My tulips were hit by frost and now they're ugly tulips Is there anything I can do?

Q&A I forgot to plant my tulips Can I plant my tulip bulbs late?

Q&A  Can I get my tulips to rebloom heavily next year if I don't dig them up?

Need to Ask a Question About Tulips

If you have a question about growing tulips that's not covered in the website, this is the place to ask it.

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Understand that I'm one writer trying to help folks out (not some big company) and I simply can't answer every question I get. Please check out the regional forums where there are a lot of other gardeners willing to help you out. (see navigation bar)

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What Other Visitors Have Asked About Tulips

Click below to see what other gardeners have asked about tulips

I acquired bulbs out of season  It is almost the middle of June in Nebraska (we have gotten 12+" of rain since June 1st) & I just acquired some tulip bulbs. I understand that they should ...

Dug Up Tulip Bulbs - Boost Them?  I live in Ohio and dug up my tulip bulbs. Now what? Do I try to boost them or let them go dormant and dry out?

Doug says he doesn't understand. "boost ...

how to save my tulip bulbs  my tulip bulbs have some mold on them why is that and are they still good and how shoul d i save them from rotting?


Doug says - it's May. Why are ...

holes in tulip leaves?  Do tulip leaves get pest holes in them like rose leaves and other leaves?

Doug says - yes they do. Lots of things will enjoy a small nip of tulip. Heck,...

splitting apart tulip bulbs  If a bulb now has 3-4 smaller bulbs hanging from the stalk of the plant, should they be split apart when planting in the fall or when drying during the ...

Indoor Tulip Care  I was given a gorgeous pink potted tulip that I would like to keep indoors. I plan to double pot it. I have a ducted heating system in the house and ...

Some tulips flowered others didn't  I have some Tulips that flowered and others that didn't in close proximity of each other. I bought this house 3 years ago and they were already there....

Tulips have lots of green leaves but no flowers  I have bunches of Tulip Greens but no flowers. Used to have flowers prior 2 years. What is wrong? Bulbs only 3-4 yrs old.

Doug says that you're probably ...

transplanting and moving tulips  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 ...

tulips for wedding  Hello, I am getting married next year mid May and would like to use Tulips from my own garden for my bouquet and decorations. Are there any type of tulips ...

something that's eating my tulip petals  Every night something has been munching on my tulip petals & hyacinthus. I have no idea what it is! But there are few remaining tulips & I have to save ...

fertilizer for tulips?  I have tulip leaves that come up without flowers. Do I need to fertilize them? If so, with what?

Doug says - see the articles about bulbs not blooming ...

pink turns red  every time i plant pink tulips they come up red

Doug says you should get a better supplier. :-)

tulip leaves curling small flowers  I have the same variety tulips bought at the same time. One cluster is doing beautifully. 15 feet away I have another cluster that the leaves are small ...

Tulips disfigured  tulips coming up look like leaves have been cut across with scissors

Doug says, welcome to the world of deer, rabbits, groundhogs or other critter that ...



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