Tulipa 2013

[ashley]

Tulipa amana edulis      always early, always reclining so elegantly

[Maggi Young]

In January!!! 

They do tend to loll about rather - we always blame the low light levels in our glass house - but I'm sure Ashley's glass is cleaner than ours!  Has anyone got any  theories on why it always  flops- or how to remedy it?

Does it tend to grow through something in the wild to support it a bit?

[ashley]

Not sure about the glass Maggi.  Yes maybe it grows through other plants, or perhaps we all grow the same indolent clone

I'd love to find a source of seed, preferably wild-collected, but have never seen it listed anywhere.

[Oakwood]

it's Tulipa edulis (Miq.) Baker rather.....

[LucS]

In January!!! 

They do tend to loll about rather - we always blame the low light levels in our glass house - but I'm sure Ashley's glass is cleaner than ours!  Has anyone got any  theories on why it always  flops- or how to remedy it?

It's caused by the short daylight I guess. My plants are just visible at the moment because I keep them unheated. I'll posts some photos in the future if I remember...

[Maggi Young]

Ours do not come up and flower for quite a while yet, so the daylight is longer then......

[ashley]

it's Tulipa edulis (Miq.) Baker rather.....

Thanks Dima; senior moment
Corrected above now.

[LucS]

Ours do not come up and flower for quite a while yet, so the daylight is longer then......

Amount of light in combination with temperature ?

[Maggi Young]

Amount of light in combination with temperature ?

I'd agree with that, except Ashley should be doing better on both counts and he still has the problem.....
 Maybe it is just lying low  to hide, so we won't eat it? 

[ashley]

I'm sure you're right Luc. 

The combination of mild temperatures and low light (not just latitude but cloudy skies too) is probably the critical combination that attenuates most winter bulbs here. 
(Mild temp x good light) or (low temp x low light) might keep them more in character.
Next year I'll postpone first watering to late December in the hope of delaying them until spring and thereby getting tighter growth.

Of course wet leaves and algae on the greenhouse roof don't help much either

[FrazerHenderson]

Ashley, you are right. Wilford cites that Amana edulis "needs a little warmth and some sunshine to open fully, and in the short, dull days of winter the stems rapidly elongate, causing blooms to flop over". 

[LucS]

Amana edulis in the open greenhouse.

[Oron Peri]

Tulipa agenensis in the Northern Mediterranean coast in Israel is at its best today.
Due to very good rain this winter we see some extraordinary sites this early spring.
Photos were taken this afternoon.

[Oron Peri]

As I'm always searching something different, found these forms.

[ian mcenery]

Tulipa agenensis in the Northern Mediterranean coast in Israel is at its best today.
Due to very good rain this winter we see some extraordinary sites this early spring.
Photos were taken this afternoon.

You are lucky Oron lovely to see these in nature