Tulips

[Willow]

I've never realy liked Tulips but last year I found some pure white and some very deep purple / black.. So I bought and planted them in mixed clumps and they were honestly spectacular and flowered for weeks... I've also got daffodils which I leave in and they multiply each year.. Do Tulips do the same or will I have to replant them??

[Mo]

They don't do so well as daffs if you leave them in, some may come up again. I'm not sure if they don't like the cold, or if they just split into lots of little bulbs so not much flower.
As a child I was always encouraged to buy my Grandad tulip bulbs for his November birthday.

We have some we leave in but they don't do much.

[Willow]

Thanks Mo... I'd better buy some more then..

[melons]

When we went to Amsterdam a couple of years ago, thinking about it, actually it was the January that they changed to the Euro, freezing cold, Brrr
But......we brought some tulips, as you do, they were sold as blue ones & black ones, they all came up a sort of Aubergine colour, very very pretty, but not black or blue they come back every year, i have no idea what you do with them once they've flowered, so we just leave them alone, works for us / them

[PK]

The proper way to deal with tulips is to dig them up when the foliage was nearly died down and dry them out ready for re-planting the next season. BUT I leave mine in situ and then generrly come up again okay. Generally this is alright if you have a free draining soil. Their natural habitat is to get a baking in the summer. The do not bulk up and multiply like daffodils or snow drops though. They also have a tendency to work themselves up to the surface over time so might need re-planting.

If you look out at the range of cultivars available there are some really attrative plants. I don't tend to go for the bright primary colours - there are lots of mor subtle shades. My favourites are White Triumphator and a yellow one called West Point.

[Willow]

Thanks for the info everone... I bought the tulips purely because of the colors - the white and very deep purple- together they looked stunning.. I cant remember what they were called just that I was surprised at how good they looked and for how long..

[TassieDev]

Tulips are really popular here in the southern part of Australia.
I think they always need to be lifted over summer here, as in WA it's way too hot for them over summer, and here in Tassie I think the problem is it's too wet for them over summer (they would rot as they need a dry summer). They are stored in a cool dry place such as in a cupboard inside.
In most of Aus you have to put them in the fridge for a month or two prior to planting out as it's not cold enough here to provide the chill factor outside.
Daffodils on the other hand grow and multiply with no probs in southern Australia when left in the ground!
I guess it does depend on the variety in all cases - they apparently have bred tulips that don't need as much winter cold for example.