Spot the mistake!

Discussion in 'NEW Gardeners !' started by SandyNI, Apr 3, 2021.

  1. SandyNI

    SandyNI Gardener

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2020
    Messages:
    119
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    County Antrim
    Ratings:
    +253
    tulips.jpg T
    The Chionodoxa are just going over and the tulips aren't close to blooming! The tulips are Foxtrot... pink and white.... would have looked stunning with the stunning white stars of the Chionodoxa.

    I've never grown bulbs in pots before. So when they're over, do I take the bulbs out and store them till Autumn? I need the pots (all 12 of them) for my summer plants.
     
    • Like Like x 10
    • SandyNI

      SandyNI Gardener

      Joined:
      Jun 14, 2020
      Messages:
      119
      Gender:
      Female
      Location:
      County Antrim
      Ratings:
      +253
      Sorry.... over use of the word stunning!
       
      • Funny Funny x 7
      • Like Like x 1
      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

        Joined:
        Jan 9, 2005
        Messages:
        47,718
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired
        Location:
        Mid Kent
        Ratings:
        +84,360
        Well it looks half stunning and when the tulips come out the other half will be stunning.

        Which when added together will make the whole thing completely stunning.:biggrin:
         
        • Funny Funny x 9
        • Like Like x 1
        • flounder

          flounder Super Gardener

          Joined:
          Apr 26, 2020
          Messages:
          753
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          RETIRED!!
          Location:
          Brighton
          Ratings:
          +1,542
          I'd leave the bulbs in and plant your summer bedding over the top. A bit of fresh compost on top, it'll look st.....good!
           
          • Funny Funny x 6
          • Like Like x 3
          • Informative Informative x 1
          • HarryS

            HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

            Joined:
            Aug 28, 2010
            Messages:
            8,906
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired
            Location:
            Wigan
            Ratings:
            +16,246
            As flounder said. When the tulips have finished flowering and are past looking their best, remove the flower heads. This means the plant will not produce seeds, but will store all it's energy back into the bulbs for the next season. You will need to let the tulip plants die back over several weeks again to improve the bulb for next season, so it will be late May/June when you can remove the dead tulip leaves. Then top up with some fresh compost and replant for a stunning summer spectacle :dbgrtmb:
             
            • Like Like x 5
            • pete

              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

              Joined:
              Jan 9, 2005
              Messages:
              47,718
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Retired
              Location:
              Mid Kent
              Ratings:
              +84,360
              Just my thinking, but I usually either plant container grown bulbs in the ground for further years, or some times even throw them away.

              The rarely do as well the second time round.
               
              • Like Like x 5
              • SandyNI

                SandyNI Gardener

                Joined:
                Jun 14, 2020
                Messages:
                119
                Gender:
                Female
                Location:
                County Antrim
                Ratings:
                +253
                Thanks for the advise guys. I grew them in pots because the garden soil is very heavy and boggy. I made sure the pots had good drainage because we have endless rain out here in NI.... it never stops. As I often say to people .... it rains twice a year out here in the Glens of Antrim.... from January to July and August to December!
                 
                • Funny Funny x 5
                • Like Like x 2
                • Selleri

                  Selleri Koala

                  Joined:
                  Mar 1, 2009
                  Messages:
                  2,404
                  Location:
                  North Tyneside
                  Ratings:
                  +7,559
                  Bulbs in containers generally do two things. 1- they flower at wrong time (try growing very early and very late tulips that don't match together. They are guaranteed to flower at the same time. ) 2- lose their flower power in a year.

                  Daffs, Crocuses and small tubers can flower well year after year but tulips in general do not. Unless of course you forget some bulbs in the pot that you have re-planted with something else and discover one mismatching tulip faithfully coming up year after year. :doh:

                  Proper gardeners who follow the advise of their books dig container grown tulips up after they have gathered new strength and looked tatty for about 6 weeks, dry them and re-plant next year. Some other just wait for Wilko's sale in November and grab whatever is less than 50p. :redface:

                  Your tulips will be ... very nice even without the perfect support of Chionodoxas. Call it "extending the flowering period" and enjoy :)

                  On another note, how does one pronounce Chionodoxa?
                   
                  • Like Like x 5
                  • Funny Funny x 1
                  • SandyNI

                    SandyNI Gardener

                    Joined:
                    Jun 14, 2020
                    Messages:
                    119
                    Gender:
                    Female
                    Location:
                    County Antrim
                    Ratings:
                    +253
                    I have that problem all the time. I once went into a garden centre and asked for an 'orb-ree-ett-a' Aurbrieta. They hadn't a clue what I was talking about, until I spotted a whole display of them and she told me the correct pronunciation. :)
                     
                    • Like Like x 3
                    • Sheal

                      Sheal Total Gardener

                      Joined:
                      Feb 2, 2011
                      Messages:
                      35,546
                      Gender:
                      Female
                      Location:
                      Beauly, Inverness-shire. Zone 9a
                      Ratings:
                      +52,311
                      Chee-own-o-doxer. I've just checked it on Youtube @Selleri as I have some too. :)
                       
                      • Informative Informative x 4
                      • Like Like x 3
                      • HarryS

                        HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

                        Joined:
                        Aug 28, 2010
                        Messages:
                        8,906
                        Gender:
                        Male
                        Occupation:
                        Retired
                        Location:
                        Wigan
                        Ratings:
                        +16,246
                        It's simpler to plant Crocus next year :)
                         
                        • Funny Funny x 9
                        • Selleri

                          Selleri Koala

                          Joined:
                          Mar 1, 2009
                          Messages:
                          2,404
                          Location:
                          North Tyneside
                          Ratings:
                          +7,559
                          There's a novel idea- only growing plants that you can pronounce :heehee: I'm not on the right track here with front garden full of inherited Hydrangeas (took me several evenings with Google translate audio to practise "hi-stranger" "hi-stranger" "hi-stranger") and I still heartily disagree with "Dandy-lion". It's dan-de-lyoon. Fortunately I speak Italian so when stuck, revert to Latin names with Finnish-accented Italian pronunciation. Sometimes I get away with a straight face :heehee:
                           
                          • Funny Funny x 7
                          • Like Like x 2
                          • SandyNI

                            SandyNI Gardener

                            Joined:
                            Jun 14, 2020
                            Messages:
                            119
                            Gender:
                            Female
                            Location:
                            County Antrim
                            Ratings:
                            +253
                            Totally agree @Selleri ..... made a mistake this year with growing Physostegia . Going to have to pull out all the Clematis because I just can't work out whether it's Clem-Ay-tis or Clema-tis!
                             
                            • Funny Funny x 5
                            • pete

                              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                              Joined:
                              Jan 9, 2005
                              Messages:
                              47,718
                              Gender:
                              Male
                              Occupation:
                              Retired
                              Location:
                              Mid Kent
                              Ratings:
                              +84,360
                              I always like the old Metasequoia glyptostroboides.
                              The way it just trips off the tongue.:biggrin:
                              Or, Iphiopogon planicarpus nigresecens.
                               
                              • Funny Funny x 6
                              • Like Like x 1
                              • Nikolaos

                                Nikolaos Total Gardener

                                Joined:
                                Jun 26, 2019
                                Messages:
                                1,714
                                Gender:
                                Male
                                Location:
                                Midlands, UK
                                Ratings:
                                +4,288
                                Too long a name for bloody boring black grass, if you ask me! :biggrin:

                                Nick
                                 
                                • Funny Funny x 8
                                • Agree Agree x 1
                                Loading...

                                Share This Page

                                1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                                  By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                                  Dismiss Notice