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free tulip bulbs
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Posted by danaoh SWOhio zone 6 (My Page) on Fri, May 9, 08 at 14:14
| at a city park across the street, they are tearing out the tulips. Some guy donates new ones every year, so these were going to be tossed. They still have green stems and leaves. Can I put them in the ground now, or should I save them for fall, and if so, how>
got as many as I could put in the two bags I could find in a hurry. Of course I don't know the color or anything, but who cares. Some of them are shorter with light green leaves with white on the edges. Any idea what those are? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: free tulip bulbs
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| While your storing the bulbs remember to store them in an old onion sack or some other "breathable" material. The bulbs will rot in a plastic bag rather quickly. |
RE: free tulip bulbs
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| The foliage needs to "ripen" so the bulbs have nutrients to bloom next year. Otherwise, probably no blooms. If it were me I would plant them in pots and water them lightly until the foliage yellows and dies. Then I would just stick the pots somewhere cool and dry until fall. |
RE: free tulip bulbs
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| Great find. By all means keep the green leaves growing as long as possible. You could pot them or set them into the ground. No need to space them out any special way for now, just keep them growing so the leaves can make enough food to build up a strong bulb for next year. After the foliage dies back you can dig them up and wait for fall to plant them into the desired location. In the meantime, store the bulbs in a dry place, preferably one that does not overheat. Some tulip varieties will do great from year to year. Others are not so good at repeat blooms. If your are not too great next year, give them some fertilizer early in the year and let the foliage mature again. That may give them the vigor they need to bloom again. BTW around here the rabbits love to eat young tulip leaves. This seriously reduces the amount of leaf available to "recharge" the bulb. As long as I keep my tulips protected from the bunnies, I get good repeat blooms. If I mess up a year and the bunnies get fed, I can figure on poor flowering the next year. Good luck with yours. I hope they do great for you. Naturegirl...who Dutch danced in wooden shoes while growing up in Holland, MI home of the Tulip Time Festival...and who now grows tulips in a new town. |
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