My tulips need help!!! :'(

Discussion in 'Flower Gardening' started by hsmusicalgal, Feb 22, 2007.

  1. hsmusicalgal

    hsmusicalgal New Seed

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    Hey. I got some tulips for my mom for Valentine's Day and they looked amazing! But now, they aren't cup-shaped. The flower petals are beginning to lay out flat, instead of up. Is that what tulips are supposed to do? I've never grown tulips before so I am a little worried. How are you really supposed to care for tulips?
    Thanks :'(
     
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  3. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Hi musicalgal, welcome to the Stew from north Texas.
    Please post an intro of yourself in the Welcome to GardenStew forum so we can get to know you.

    About Tulips. Are they potted or cut and in water?
    The life of a tulip in a pot or the ground is pretty short, only about a month. Cut tulips will fade just like other cut flowers but keeping them in fresh water and maybe putting them in the refrigerator at night or when you are not going to want them out to enjoy them could help them last longer. When they are out, don't put them in sunlight, keep them somewhere cool.
     
  4. hsmusicalgal

    hsmusicalgal New Seed

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    Thanks for the quick response! :)
    The tulips are potted and there are six in the pot.
    So the tulips need a lot of water? or just enough to keep the soil damp?
    We were keeping them inside, but after a few days, we removed them to our back porch. It's quite chilly this time of year, although the weather is warming up rapidly now. There isn't any direct sunlight on the flowers, but there is a lot of light reflected off all the surroundings. We put the flowers on the porch a few days ago, but they have only gotten worse!
     
  5. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    They might have been middle aged when you bought them and not have much life left.

    For uncut tulips either in a pot or the ground, they do need sun and the chilly wheather won't hurt them. They don't need any more water than a normal houseplant, stick your finger in the dirt, if it is dry more than an inch below the surface then water.

    Keeping them in fresh water was if they had been cut from the bulb and were in a vase of water.
     



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  6. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Hi there,

    The bulbs you bought were probably 'forced' to flower for Valantine's day and are now simply dying back. Don't worry too much about them as all bulbs do this after a few weeks of flowering. :-D
     
  7. bsewnsew

    bsewnsew Hardy Maple

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    tulips........

    All tulips will only bloom a little while ..Unlike the summer annuals which bloom long and sometimes till frost. :oops:
    Bring on the ever bloomers..
    Ps .......I am addicted to tulips an anything tha grows..ha ha :p :D :eek:

    barb
     
  8. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    I'm not sure about your zone because I think tulips need a cold period, but if it was me I would save the bulbs and plant them out in the garden. Then they would bloom again every spring.
     
  9. bsewnsew

    bsewnsew Hardy Maple

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    tulips it is

    Netty

    Your correct....They should do it again next year.

    Better yet just save the bulb till fall and Plant it then.....

    Good luck.

    barb
     
  10. MarySchaffer

    MarySchaffer New Seed

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    Hi everyone, Yes i agree with netty, need to get rid of the bulbs and plant them out. Good luck.
     
  11. bsewnsew

    bsewnsew Hardy Maple

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    Mary............Hi...........

    Mary..........getting rid of the bulbs???????/
    And planting out ????????

    I know I am Polish, but getting rid of bulbs is different than planting them>.
    Or did I have too much supper?

    b :oops: :oops: :oops:
     
  12. Petronius

    Petronius Young Pine

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    When tulips grow outdoors, there are some tulips that do have the capability of the petals opening wide.
     

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