What advice would Hans have for someone like himself who lives in a WARMER SOUTHERN CLIMATE where tulips tend to be more of an annual. We don't get a good repeat bloom, would that be a situation where we need to dig the bulb up and refrigerate it over the winter months? Yes, you can put them in a refrigerator for four to five weeks at five or six degrees celsius above zero. That is because they need winter cold otherwise they will be too short and make a little flower. But when the bulbs have winter cold they then have a push. Plant them in November or December because they have to make new roots. At that point they've been exposed to cold temperatures, will start to grow and then will have a new larger flower. When you leave them in the ground the flower is too small, it doesn't work. What they say in Holland is put new bulbs into the ground and let them go, enjoy them, dig them up, thrown them away and buy new ones so we have more beautiful tulips.
By Barbara Schneider, Gibbs Gardens
Photos courtesy of Gibbs Gardens
Gibbs Gardens' Inspiration Garden was designed especially for home Gardners. And, it provides great plant ideas throughout. click here. to read the article.
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