I'm not sure this is the right place to put this, but the whole thing is so confusing to me that I figured I'd start here and see what happens. A client gave me this .... plant? flower? .... that's part of the problem, I don't know exactly how to categorize it! If it were an actual plant, I'd just plant it outside or maybe repot it as a houseplant inside. If they were cut flowers, I'd keep them fresh for as long as possible, then throw them away when they were dead. But this? No clue! Hydroponic tulips! Who knew? OK, so I've followed the instructions which basically says to keep them watered to the level of the roots. It's been a week now, and they're starting to put out little buds. This is all lovely and everything, but what do I do with this after it's flowered? First off, I'm not a bulb person. Never planted any, never tended any, don't have a clue. I have some vague idea that you're supposed to dig them up and store them when it gets cold? But no clue how, or when, to plant them. And if these tulips have already flowered by the time you'd normally plant the bulbs, then what? Help!
This is a group of tulips. They will flower about now, indoors using the food built up in the bulbs last year. After that, you may either plant the whole thing out in the garden and hope they will grow for future years, or compost the lot. Treat them like a bunch of flowers!
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Plant them? But it's so cold outside still. I mean, it will likely be a bit warmer by the time they 're done flowering, but none of the nurseries around here have even begun showing any signs of putting out any spring plants, which is when I know it's OK to start planting stuff. I'm not challenging you, believe me I'm grateful for the direction, because I have no clue!!! Just wondering about the time frame.
If it was me, I would let them bloom and then let them die back, planting them in the garden when the ground is thawed. I'm not sure what the temperatures are in Nashville, but I don't imagine the ground is frozen solid as it is here. You could probably plant them as soon as they are done blooming.
As I said, I doubt very much that there is any point planting them out when they have finished flowering, the bulbs will be exhausted and there is no food in the water for them. Treat them like a bunch of flowers and compost when finished. Strangely enough our neighbour has just brought us something similar, as an apology for the noise they made at a party on Saturday /Sunday. They will go in the compost bin when flowering is over. (The flowers, not the neighbours, pity though).
Let them bloom, cut off spent flower stems and plant them outside with a little bulb food in the hole and in a sunny spot so the leaves can absorb some energy from the sun light. They are cold weather bulbs so planting them on a late winter day will not harm them. Tulips generally need to be planted in the fall so they can have the cold weather to trigger growth in the Spring. Your ground does not freeze in winter so you won't have to worry about digging them up for winter storage and they are hardy up to zone 3 with good covering of mulch so your winter will be a vacation for them. When they come back up next year, it won't be quite so early as this year since this year they were forced into growing early by the seller so they will revert back to their natural growth and bloom time in the ground.
Ok thanks y'all! They have so many buds!! Way more have appeared since that first picture, and some of them are just beginning to open! I'll post another image when more of them are blooming....it looks like it's going to be a gorgeous display!
Ronni- Whatever you end up doing with these Tulips, you will be able to enjoy some pretty blooms soon. !
They are gonna really be beautiful. enjoy them like any bunch of flowers keep em watered and fed if you can. after they finish cut the heads off and plant them in a bed. We live in the deep south so we can leave them in a bed all winter. they will come up for ya in the spring and if they don't...... nothing ventured nothing lost
I agree, enjoy them while they are blooming, then plant them in the ground when they are finished just to see if they'll adjust and bloom for you next year.
Wow. It's been just a week....actually slightly less than that, as I took this picture yesterday morning. Such lovely blooms! And amazing how quickly the plant went from just a bunch of green stalks to a mass of color!! [/url
Also, have to add that I find it fascinating that in the beginning pictures, where you can just start to see the flower buds forming, they're a creamy color with the barest HINT of pink at the very edges. No indication in those buds that they're going to turn into the mass of deep purple that they ultimately become. Now those purple flowers show NONE of that cream color anywhere!
They are so pretty! And what a thoughtful client to give them to you. Well worth planting and hopefully seeing them next year too!
Those are gorgeous. I really hope they bloom for you again next year, they are a great addition to your garden.
