Tulips are perennial where I'm at, but anything in containers that doesn't do well or isn't getting saved at the end of the season goes into the compost pile. I'm bad about turning mine, too... but I'm lucky in that I have plenty of space to just let it sit and do its thing for however long it takes!

If you don't have a lot of bulbs to discard, you could cut them up before composting... that would speed up the process. Or, you could refrigerate them for their dormancy, and reuse them, possibly.

If you want them to break down fast, just cut them up into smaller pieces before you put them into the compost pile. That will speed things up considerably. And yes, I do compost my tulip bulbs. They will come up every year for years and make foliage, but no blooms. (My best friend was so disappointed to hear this. She'd been hoping for "this year" for a very long time! :)

thank you both,
I've got 2000 (yes, it was glorious and excessive). Recent rains have made them very easy to remove. I might just toss them in the pile and forget about them....again.

I did have several greigii return from the pile one spring.

thanks again
c

2000? Holy smokes!!! Would it be possible for you to send them to someone that could plant them instead of composting them? That is soooo many to just toss! I know I would be more than willing to pay you for postage to try to save them!

If we have a cold enough winter here, they will re-bloom.

-Frank

HI Frank
I've already pulled loads of them and they are lying on the grass. They haven't browned, and could probably be replanted if I got them in the mail right away.

email me. I would be willing to pile them into a big box and send them. But do know that they have, without exception, spilt into 3-5 tiny bulbs each. They won't bloom again for a few years. Each time I pull one, I look at it to see if it might be just one or 2 and thus far they've all be more.

c
c

Awesome Cynthia!

You have email.

-Frank