Tulipa 2009

[Maggi Young]

Does annual lifting mean, digging up the tulip bulbs after their leaves are gone, and putting them to earth again in autumn?

  Perhaps some of our experienced tulip growers would be kind enough to give some  advice as to the best conditions for the amateur grower to store tulips after lifting..... how long to let leaves die back before lifting, temperatures best for storing dry bulbs, etc? 

[Boyed]

Luit,
I have few pictures of this tulip, photographed by a visitor, from the last year's Keukenhof bulb display. The name appers as 'Giant Orange Sunset', as I suppose it had been not registered yet at that time. But as to this year - it is likely that the exhibitor is not familliar that is was registered under the other name.

[Boyed]

Arda,

Tulips can be left in ground without lifting for 1 or 2(3) years (modern varieties) and for up to 15(20) years old varieties. But for the best performance it is recommended to lift them annually or at least every other thear as each bulb multiplies and there is fewer energy for a plant to be at its best. Old varieties (introduced mainly before 1950), which were mostly bred for garden decorations(not for commercial growing), can grow without lifting for decades, but in this case they usually develop somewhat smaller sizes, than expected.

Tulips should be harvested when their leaves turn yellow (one should leave at least two leaves when cutting (it is very important for the sizes of new replacement bulb)). During summer the bulbs are better to store at the temperature 25 -30 C (it stimulates propogation rate, doubleness, amount of fringe, etc). In autumn before planting the bulbs already should be be stored under lower temperatures (from 10 to 15). Planting season is mid October to late Novermer.

[Arda Takan]

Thanks for information Sir,
But I didn't understand what you mean in here

one should leave at least two leaves when cutting

you meant size?

[Maggi Young]

one should leave at least two leaves when cutting

I believe this refers to leaving at least two leaves on the bulb in the ground if cutting the flower from the bulb. ( that is, for a cut-flower in a vase) The two leaves are needed for the bulb to be able to build its strength for the next year.

[Arda Takan]

ah thanks! I got it now. I won't cut leaves because I want maximum performance from my bulbs:)

[Lvandelft]

Arda, maybe a few additions to the above.

When digging the bulbs, it is important that the skin of the bulbs starts to get brownish.
The exact time is a question of experience which you achieve by trying.
Bulbs which are not ripened off are more susceptible to illness.

For the most tulips it is better to take the flowers off before the petals fall off.
The pollen may be a cause for so called Tulip Fire.

It is no problem to cut flowers for a vase, but a cutted stem may have no more than one leaf.

[Lvandelft]

Zhirair, the exhibitor is a export nursery in my village, which is 80 km. from the grower.
It takes always some time until a name change comes from the grower to the exporter.
The grower is the nursery which had to change the name.
When they deliver the bulbs this summer to the exporter they will do it (hopefully) with the right name.

[Lvandelft]

Here are two pictures of a Darwin Hybr. tulip I saw last week and already showed
it in another thread yesterday.
The flowers look almost artificial, so maybe this is a good place to show them here too.

Tulipa Darwin Hybr. Group  Lalibela 1
Tulipa Darwin Hybr. Group  Lalibela 2

[Arda Takan]

Thank you Luit van Delft for additional information which will be very helpful

These hybrids are sterile right? They can only be breeded with bulbs? ( I know I am asking to many questions thanks for your patience already )

[Boyed]

Luit,
Thanks a lot for the photos of DHT 'Lalibela'. This new tulip is familiar to me, but I couldn't find a good photo to make a better impression about it. Eh, I wish I could have an opportunity  to walk in the Keukenhof and enjoy and study the new introductions presented there. It looks as a magical place. Please, when you be there again, I'd like you to keep an eye on Japanese DHT tulips as 'Hakuun', 'Hatsuzakura' and Momorotau', which were bred during 70s, but registered in Holland just recently. They all are highly decorative, special and have quite good industrial qualities. It would be interesting to see their display in Keukenhof.

Arda,
You're always welcome to ask questions. Feel free about that.
Relating your last question; tulip hybrids are mainly fertile and actively used in different breeding programs to obtain new varieties. There are some triploid cultivars with number of chromosomes 2n=36, which are sterile and don't set seeds. But specialists apply different artificial methods to make them produce seeds. This tulips are very valuable as they, comparing to regular diploid tulips (2n=24), have much vigour, larger sizes, thicker petals, longer vase life and blooming durability.

And a very important nuance, on which I would like to take your attention.
Most of the Dutch bulbs are applied with growth retardants for commercial purposes (to preserve their commercial appearance for trade in late autumn). These bulbs sprout later and can be kept in shop shells longer (until late December). In spring they also sprout 10-15 later than the regular bulbs.  But this on its turn has a serious side effect. The bulbs are at their best in the first year of blooming, but on further years their display is considerably weaker. After the first year of blooming the bulbs (even when taken of greatest care) usually split into several smaller bulbs and you need 1 or 2 additional years to grow them to a bargain size. After that everything goes O.K. People who don't know about this factor usually think that they did something wrong, when during further years their tulips show less vigour.

[Arda Takan]

So according to what I understand, these artificial hybrids are forced to have bigger and stronger flowers, which causes their bulbs to weaken therefore getting lesser performance than the year before.
Thank you so much Zhirair for this information, but another question remains.
While collecting tulips, are you choosing non-artifical species or collecting all varieties?

[Boyed]

Arda,

No. I say that bulbs of Dutch grown tulips are often applied with growth retardants for commercial purposes. Growth retardants are special liquids, which slow down tulip growth, so the bulbs preserve their commercial appearance for longer period and can be kept in shelves of garden centers until the end of fall. Tulip bulbs are mostly weakened  as a result of application with growth retardants.

Relating your question about my tulip growing;
I prefer hybrids to species as hybrids are very showy comparing to species. Though I like species too, especially tulipa clusiana and its cultivars. But they look too humble for me to get carried away. I am especially excited by large sizes - tall stems and large flowers of classic shape. According to this principle I choose varieties for my collection. I especially prefer growing Darwin Hybrids, Single Lates, Lily-flowered, Viridiflora and tall growing Greigii tulips (only D.W. Lefeber introductions).

[Arda Takan]

ahh ok now I got it. thank you so much for explaining.

[Armin]

my first tulips in flower this year...

 Tulipa biflora
 T. kaufmannia Ancilla
 T. kaufmannia Ancilla -close-
 T. kaufmannia Corona
 T. kaufmannia hybrid
 T. kaufmannia hybrid