Tulips are a spectacular flowering bulb and many varieties and species available for sale online including Fringed, Triumph, Early Tulips, Double Tulips, Darwin Tulips, Parrot Tulips and Species. Notes on Growing and Planting Tulips and photographs. Tulip season
Plant Profile and Growing Hints
Tulips are originally from Turkey, the Dutch hybridized them. These bulbs are generally speaking fairly tough, well drained soil lots of sun, plant about 15 – 20 cm deep, depending on bulb size. If you dig the bulbs in late summer, and store them in a cool dry place after the foliage has died down they will last longer.
A feature of the Australian Gardening calendar is Tesselaars Tulip Festival, well worth a visit.
Growing tulips.
In the past it was thought that growing tulips in Australia was confined to the cooler areas, Tasmania and the Highlands and Foothills of Victoria, Southern New South Wales and South Australia. However many varieties will grow in much warmer climates, and some do not require the winter chill factor of others. Single Late Tulips and the Species are worth growing in warmer areas.
Tulips make excellent cut flowers ( a little sugar in the water will make blooms last longer). Chilling the bulbs for approx 7 weeks will ensure long flower stems, so buy them in March, place them in the refrigerator, not the freezer, and plant in May. A soil rich in humus is best for growing these bulbs, so dig in well rotted manure.
Tulip season
Tulips will bloom at different times of the season depending on what type of tulip you are growing. Generally speaking the species bloom first, then Parrot Tulips, Fringed, Darwin Hybrids and Doubles. Late in the season are the Single Late Tulips
Planting Tulip Bulbs
Tulip Bulbs are planted at the end of summer, the actual month depends on your climate, it is determined by when the soil begins to cool down. But don’t plant then to late as you will get smaller flowers.
Buy bulbs in autumn, they are usually planted in early Autumn, after the last hot days of summer.
- Species Tulips 8cm deep Species Tulip Bulbs
- Monet types at around 30cm deep
- Most other Varieties 20cm deep
A well dug soil is best, tulips do well if refrigerated for 4-6 weeks before planting. This imitates a cold winter that they are used to in the natural environment.
What to do with Tulip Bulbs after flowering
- You can leave the bulbs in the ground as long as the ground gets some shade over summer.
- After they flower, deadhead them, this prevents the tulip from trying to set seed and lets it put its energy back into the bulb. Tulip bulbs will naturally multiply in the ground.
- Leave the foliage until it starts to die back. Again this puts energy backinto the bulb for next seasons flowers.
- Asarum Bulbs
- Allium Bulbs
- Arisaema Bulbs
- Asiatic Lilly Bulbs
- Babinia Bulbs
- Brunsvigia Bulbs
- Calochortus Bulbs
- Chiondoxa Bulbs
- Clivia Bulbs
- Crocus Bulbs
- Cyclamen Bulbs
- Daffodil Bulbs
- Miniature Daffodil Bulbs
- Daylily Bulbs
- Dutch Iris Bulbs
- Dodecatheon Bulbs
- Erythronium Bulbs
- Freesia Bulbs
- Fritillaria Bulbs
- Galanthus (snowdrop) Bulbs
- Galtonia
- Gladiolus Bulbs
- Haemanthus Bulbs
- Hippeastum Bulbs
- Leucojum Bulbs
- Lilly Bulbs
- Ixia Bulbs
- Lachenalia Bulbs
- Morea Bulbs
- Muscari Bulbs
- Nectaroscordum Bulbs
- Nerine Bulbs
- Oriental Lily Bulbs
- Ornithigalum Bulbs
- Pushkinia Bulbs
- Ranunculus Bulbs
- Sternbergia Bulbs
- Sparaxis Bulbs
- Trillium Bulbs
- Tulip Bulbs
- Species Tulip Bulbs
- Velthemia Bulba
- Anomatheca Bulbs
- Ferraria Bulbs
- Hermodactylus Bulbs
- Onixotus Bulbs
- Narcissus Bulbs
- Colchicum Bulbs
Tulip Bulbs in the USA
Tulip Bulbs in the UK
Wikipedia on Tulips
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Bloomin’ Tulips Festival T
Tulip Bulbs are available for sale form the following online suppliers
365 Lighthouse Rd Wynyard. TAS 7325
PH 03 6442 2012
email to: sales@vdqbulbs.com.au
www.vdqbulbs.com.au
357 Monbulk Road SILVAN VIC 3795
Guaranteed "garden worthy" bulbs, plants and perennials. Visit the website to browse our large range of daffodils or request the latest free catalogue.
www.tesselaar.net.au
2 Jacksons Hill Rd, Menzies Creek VIC 3159
Hundreds of different varieties of daffodils as well as other beautiful spring & autumn flowering bulbs for home gardeners. Free colour catalogues available. Tulips, Daffodils,Alliums, Freesias, Iris and many other bulbs.
www.daffodilbulbs.com.au
470 Monbulk-Silvan Road Monbulk VIC 3793
"Guaranteed mail order flowering bulbs, perennials, roses, trees, landscaping plants, garden accessories and community fundraising Austra lia-wide."
www.gardenexpress.com.au
'Sylvan Vale' 375 Olinda Creek Rd, Kalorama, VIC.3766
Including a large range of Rare and unusual bulbs, corms and perennials
www.tonkinsbulbs.com.au