The Truth About Tulips

How to get a repeat performance out of tulips is always a hot topic in the spring. The truth is, most hybrid tulips just don’t come back year after year the way we’d like them to. That’s why some gardeners treat tulips as annuals, planting them in the fall and digging them up and tossing them into the compost pile once the blooms fade.

If you find that method of tulip maintenance too time-consuming and/or costly, you can increase the chances of repeat bloom by allowing tulip foliage to wither and become yellowish brown before removing it. (That’s not an easy thing to do, I know, because it looks so ugly.) If the yellowing foliage lying on the ground really bothers you, braid it until it turns yellow and then cut it off. A lot of gardeners like this solution because it makes things look somewhat tidier.

Another option is to replant tulips every year rather than leaving them in the ground. This helps ensure repeat bloom because one big reason tulips don’t come back is rot. Tulip bulbs like to be dry and it’s hard to keep them from being too moist when they’re planted in the garden. For this method, dig up the bulbs after they bloom and lay them out in a spot where they won’t be disturbed. Cover the bulbs with a couple of inches of soil, but leave the stems and foliage exposed until they die. Cut off the tops and air dry the bulbs before storing them in a dry, cool, dark place until you can replant them in the fall.