Are all bulbs perrenial?

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by paterson00, Aug 4, 2009.

  1. redstar

    redstar Total Gardener

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    My Tulips-----flower year after year after year after year.
     
  2. lollipop

    lollipop Gardener

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    What about the reduced light in a shed? Turkey is pretty sunny-wouldn't that have an effect?


    As do mine, in fact I have a hard time keeping some of them down-some left by a previous owner that I don;'t like (the tulips-I never met the previous owner lol)
     
  3. PeterS

    PeterS Total Gardener

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    Lollipop - not sure where the "reduced light in a shed" comes in. Tulips need to be in the open when they are in the growing phase, ie when they have leaves. The leaves will photosynthesise and use the sun's rays to manufacture food. However when the leaves have died back, they can no longer photosynthesise. At this time it doesn't matter where they are stored as they cannot utilise light. So Tulip bulbs can be stored in a dark shed during the summer, where they are less likely to rot than if they are left in wet ground. If you need to lift them before the leaves have totally died, you can do so but need to lay them out in a sunny position, where the leaves will continue to photosynthesise until they die.

    Tulips are essentially perennial - ie capable of living for two or more years. The species (ie those that occur naturally) will be truly perennial as they thrive in the wild. Nearly all Tulips you buy are cultivars (ie bred by man), but those closest to the species, things like kaufmanii hybrids, will have the greatest survival rate. However the most showy Tulips are often the furthest away from the species, and won't always come back. They have been bred for show, not survival.

    Christopher Lloyd used to write about this in his books. He used to lift his Tulips in the summer and just replant the larger ones.
     
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