Did your tulips struggle to bloom this year? Say goodbye to lackluster tulips! Learn the secrets to healthy, happy blooms all season long with these simple tips.
If bulbs were planted in fall and there are no blooms or foliage in spring, a critter, like voles or squirrels, may have eaten the bulbs. When you replant add chicken wire around the bulbs to help protect them.
Bigger bulbs produce better blooms. When purchasing bulbs, seek the largest bulbs possible.
Bulbs should be fed with a 5-10-10 fertilizer granules when planting in fall and when leaves emerge.
Bulbs may be overfed with nitrogen which encourages leaf production instead of flowers. So check the first number on the fertilizer bag. And be certain lawn fertilizer is not seeping in where bulbs are planted.
Lack of sun – bulbs need full sun to grow (roughly 6-8 hours per day.) You may need to relocate them if they are not getting enough sunlight.
If planted in a garden, bulbs might be competing for nutrients with other plants. Neighboring plants that overcrowd or shade spring bulbs prevent nutrients from reaching plants. Consider relocating plants.
Foliage that is cut back too early the prior spring affects the following year’s blooms. Bulbs store energy and need that foliage to prepare for the following year. Do not cut the foliage back until it is yellow.
Follow along to learn more about how to keep spring flowering bulbs blooming.