Lifting up spring flowering bulbs

[blackfingers]

I decided to lift up my tulips and the other spring flowering bulbs as I need to level up the place that they used to grow.When I dug them out it turned out that they "multiplied" themselves.It looks like mother bulb(the biggest) and a couple of smaller ones(about half a size of their mum) at the side.They are in well ventilated and reasonable dry area just now.I'd like to plant them again in the autumn but I don't know if to plant them as they are(multiple bulb)or separate them and give the little ones chance to grow on their own.Any ideas?

[digger]

hi Blackfingers the baby bulbs you describe are called bulbils and you are correct they are the offspring of the larger parent bulb, you are right to separate them from each other and allow lots of air movement around them plant them separately in Autumn as usual but the bulbils may not flower in their first year give the bulbs a damn good feed just as they are beginning to die back in late spring because this is when the bulb is absorbing nutrients from the green leaves as they wither the nutrients go back to the bulb eventually you will have so many bulbs that you will not know what to do with them all.

[Runner Bean]

Thanks Digger. I too have always wondered what to do with "bulbils" I also find myself digging them up--not always intentionally, so I plant a few in a deep pot so that I can move them more safely. if I do the same with the " bulbils" I'll be able to put them out of sight 'till they're ready to flower. How many years before they're ready to flower.

[sue1002]

I moved some tulips last year that had multiplied, separated them all and replanted them straight away into their new positions and they all flowered this year.

[Runner Bean]

Thanks Sue1002, I'll follow suit. They're usually planted in autumn but I assume that they must be busy getting bigger between now and then. I suppose lifting them each year is better all round. I still have a problem with the dying leaves, could I not plant the original bulb 'till Autumn when the foliage will have gone?

[sue1002]

Hi Runner Bean, some people lift their tulips every year after the leaves have died down, keep them dry and replant in the autumn, others (like me) leave them in the ground. Our first lot of tulips were planted around the apple tree about six years ago and last year was the first time I have ever lifted any. The reason I lifted them was because they had multiplied and were too close to the tree trunk so I moved them to the outer edge of the bed and put some around the cherry tree too. We started off with a pack of red ones and yellow ones, and every year since they have come up in different colours, we have had shades of orange, pink, red and yellow on the same flowers and this year one lot finally reverted back to pure red.

When we were at Chelsea, I ordered some more tulip bulbs and because of their colourings I did ask the person manning the stand if they would flower in their correct colours each year. I was asked if they were lifted each year and when my answer was "no", I was told that that was the reason they flowered in different colours. It would be interesting to find out if other people have had the same as I can't see how this would make a difference as the bulb is then at it's resting stage, I thought that perhaps the colour change was down to the bees and insects cross pollinating them. Anyone got any views on that?

[digger]

I can't see that the colour would change just by leaving the bulbs in situ? i lifted mine because i needed the room for other plants, and i wouldn't have thought the colour would change from year to year due to pollination varients:confused: because surely the seeds generated from the pollination would be the ones that were mixed pollens:confused: the bulbs in situ should in theory stay the same colour unless an environmental factor had some influence over the colour:confused:i think

[sue1002]

I'm as confused as you digger, but what amazes me is the fact that the ones in the back garden keep changing colour, yet the ones in the front garden come up the same colour every year, the only difference being that the front is much drier than the back, and also the front has not been fed whereas the ones at the back around the trees get an annual mulch and feed. Perhaps it will remain a mystery.

[digger]

Probably it will mate

[Runner Bean]

Hello Sue, I wonder if it could be that the bulbs in your front garden don't get so much sun, thus less bees, or could it be that you've plants in flower at the same time as the bulbs in the back and not the front garden. This is all getting very technical, but interesting though. As all my bulbs were red when I planted them last year, I think I'll watch carefully next spring, especially the bulbils.

[sue1002]

This certainly is interesting Runner Bean, the front garden is in full sun from about 11am until sunset. It amazes me it's only the tulips in the back that are affected - the daffs, crocuses, hyacinths and snowdrops always flower the colours they should every year and they are not lifted either and are treated in no different way to the tulips. The back garden gets the morning sun and is usually completely shaded over by around 6pm.

[Runner Bean]

How about carefully lifting up a spadefull from front to back, soil ' all, and vise-versa!!

[sue1002]

Nah, too much like hard work:rolleyes:

I think I've come to the conclusion it must have something to do with buying real cheapo ones in the first place and planting both colours together, I don't mind them coming up different colours each year, I just wait with anticipation to see what colour variation comes next.

[blackfingers]

Dug out another bulbs today-apricot tulips and double daffs-I planted 30 tulips last year and I ended up with over 100 bulbs and bulbils altogether.Now I don't know what to do with bulbils-replant them somewhere(problem is where) and let them strenghten a bit or plant them in autumn at usual time.Double daffs have multiplied not so rapidly-only 1 new per 1 old bulb.
Not to mention that I managed to make hole in brand new heavy duty gloves and have black fingers again:)

[sue1002]

The original bulbs should be ok out of the soil until you replant them in the autumn but the bulbils would probably be better off being put into a tray of compost to encourage them to grow bigger before being planted out.