 | ‘Tulip mania’ arose in the Netherlands in the 1630s when people became so excited by the beauty of tulips they began paying extravagant prices for a single bulb; they occasionally paid as much as seven times their yearly salaries! When your tulips bloom this spring, you’ll want them to look just as fantastic as those in the 17th century that caused the tulip mania craze – following the tips below will ensure that they will.
As soon as the foliage of your tulips starts to emerge, sprinkle a little granular fertilizer (preferably high in nitrogen) around the soil surface, then work it into the top layer by scratching around lightly. Also be sure to water your tulips as they grow just enough to keep the soil moist, never letting it get soggy or allowing it to dry out. You can also give your blooms a good boost in the spring by giving them a healthy dose of liquid plant food.
If your tulips start producing foliage, but no flowers are in sight, you probably have a snail or a slug problem. Put up a small wall of lava rock around your tulips to keep the pests out. The edges of the rock will slice into the bodies of the slugs, making them dry out and die. This is a better solution than using liquid slug prevention products that are too toxic to the useful organisms in your garden, not to mention harmful to your family and pets. You can also make a beer trap to eliminate slugs: Simply sink a shallow pan halfway into the ground and fill it up with beer. The slugs will be attracted to the scent of the yeast and malt, fall in and drown.
If you decide to cut some of your tulips and put them in a vase, make sure to add a little floral preservative – a combination of bacteria inhibitors and plant food in powder form – that can be found at any floral shop. Floral preservatives will keep your tulips looking fresh longer than common folk remedies such as adding pennies, bleach, sugar, or lemon-lime soda to the water. You can expect your cut tulips to last about seven to ten days.
As soon as the petals are spent and begin to fall, it’s time for ‘deadheading’ – the process of removing all parts of the flower head but leaving the stems and leaves intact. This improves the appearance of the plant while allowing valuable nutrients to return to the bulb for the next year.
If you notice your tulips are overcrowded, wait until the foliage has died down almost all the way, then pull the smaller bulbs off the older ones, and replant them about four to six inches apart.
When the flowering stage ends, you can apply more fertilizer rich in potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous so the bulbs can build up plenty of food for the following season.
If you need to store your bulbs, make sure you put them in a cool, dark, dry place with proper ventilation; and keep the temperature constant. Check them often to make sure they’re not rotting and you can’t see any signs of mildew. The best protection is to put some fungicide into a plastic bag, add the bulbs, and shake them around to get them covered. If any of your bulbs ever get scratched or bruised, immediately throw them away.
When choosing bulbs, always go for the larger and healthier looking ones. The food of the plant is stored in the bulb, so to get a superior plant with a bigger bloom, don’t choose the smaller ones. Your bulbs should be firm and rather heavy; avoid ones that are dry, scarred, or have soft spots. And if you live in a state that has mild winters, such as Texas for example, the bulbs will have to be refrigerated about six weeks before planting.
Bone meal is the best fertilizer to use if you keep your bulbs in the ground all year. The phosphorous in bone meal is excellent for building strong root systems; and because it is slow acting it will last a long time. Use approximately one teaspoonful of bone meal in every hole, or about 5 to 6 pounds for every 100 square feet.
Here is an interesting tulip fact: During the Dutch tulip mania craze, some of the most sought after tulips were called "flamed tulips." These had streaks of color adorning the petals, and the effect was actually caused by a virus carried by aphids. While the virus did provide seemingly sophisticated patterns to the petals, it also caused them to weaken and eventually die.
Another fact: In the year 1850, the French author Alexandre Dumas published a novel titled The Black Tulip about a competition in which a large cash award was offered to anyone who could grow an entirely black tulip. The task is actually biologically impossible. Nevertheless, gardeners still grow tulips they refer to as ‘black’ even though the petals are really various shades of purple. The "Black Parrot" and the "Queen of Night" are probably the most popular varieties, while others are "African Queen," "Black Diamond," "Black Hero," and "Arabian Mystery."
Did you know that the word ‘tulip’ comes from the Turkish word tülbend, which means ‘turban’? And that the people of Turkey were planting tulips as far back as the year 1000 AD, and their laws prohibited tulips from being shipped out of the country?
I’ll close this article by listing a few of my favorite tulips:
The Calla Lily: Black Eyed Beauty Hybrid. It has yellow trumpet-like flowers and off-white splotches adorning its leaves.
The Gladiolus 'White Prosperity.' It has white flowers running the length of its long stalks and is also known as Corn Flag or Sword Lily.
The Ranunculus Asiaticus Red. It's very attractive with large, red buttercup blooms.
The Lilium 'Stargazer.' It has big, pink flowers with white edges and is very fragrant.
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