OKLAHOMA: STILLWATER It might seem a little early to be thinking about spring given the recent arrival of the fall season. But in order for spring-flowering bulbs to be ready to blossom the following spring, gardeners must plant them now.
The optimum time to plant those bulbs is now until the end of October, and maybe early November, according to David Hillock, an Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension consumer horticulture.
“Planting time has come for bulbs like hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips. This time of year, your neighbourhood garden centre should have a wide selection, but Hillock advised shoppers to shop early to secure the biggest and healthiest bulbs. “Larger bulbs typically bloom more abundantly than smaller ones. Smaller bulbs will eventually enlarge into larger ones.
In Oklahoma, when is it too late to plant bulbs?
Many gardeners are dreaming up dazzling images of spring tulips, hyacinths, and narcissus now that the fall mums are a distant memory and the Christmas poinsettias are beginning to wilt.
They can possibly believe that it is already too late. After all, some gardeners plant bulbs in the fall in the hopes of getting an early spring bloom.
However, waiting can have benefits, according to Paul Johnson, a horticulture at Oklahoma State University.
If you plant too early, you can get tender winter branches. The unpredictable winter in Oklahoma makes it difficult to foresee a protracted cold spell, which bulbs require.
Flowers that emerge from the ground during an unwelcome warm spell are susceptible to ice storms.
“To begin the flowering process, bulbs require a specific quantity of chilly weather. Over time, they evolved it as a defence mechanism to prevent them from blooming out of season “Johnson said.
The average soil temperature in Oklahoma City last fell below the 60-degree threshold just one month ago. Following the cue, Johnson went outdoors and sank roughly 500 bulbs in his yard.
According to him, it typically takes bulbs 14 weeks to germinate. They need to encounter temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit during that time in order to later produce flower buds.
In order for bulbs to bloom in late March and early April, they must be planted in late December or early January.
In Oklahoma City, daffodils, crocuses, and grape hyacinths adapt easily. After being planted, tulips thrive for the first season or two before starting to lose their viability. Tulips are typically grown as annual plants by the majority of gardeners.
Tulips don’t grow well in this area, according to Johnson. “Where daffodils and crocus stretch out and grow better, the flowers get a little smaller and the plants get a little shorter every year.”
However, if tulips are treated with a little nitrogen right as the leaves tips emerge from the earth in the spring, they will bloom for as many as five seasons.
It’s not necessarily true that a bulb requires chilly temperatures, according to Johnson. When purchasing bulbs, it is advisable to make sure that they are Zone 7-compatible.
The northern reaches of the metro area are dotted with pockets of Zone 6, a colder region.
The conventional paper white narcissus, a common winter bulb, is not at all suited for Oklahoma. Despite being a stunning plant, Johnson noted that it is a tropical native. Leave it indoors to keep it alive.
One other bit of advice from him: Tulips must be planted with the tip upright, unlike other bulbs.
How well do tulips grow in Oklahoma?
Why not bring a little bit of Holland into your garden, gardeners? Tulips should be planted this month, and a cold winter is prefered for the best flowering. Since our environment frequently dictates whether they will effectively survive a scorching summer left in the ground, it is realistic to say that tulips are frequently utilised as annuals in this region. The closest state to Oklahoma where tulips will blossom successfully is.
By December 15th, try to have all tulips established. Give tulips the best opportunity to thrive. Select a location with excellent drainage and direct sunlight. Plant the bulb at least six to seven inches above the tip. Since shallow planting during the heat of the summer causes bulbs to split into smaller ones, deeper plantings typically ensure that the bulbs will return.
Gardeners who want to keep the bulbs for future blooms typically wait until the foliage goes yellow before lifting and curing the bulbs and storing them in a cold location.
Performance varies from person to person. I’ve gotten some money back throughout the years that have helped me bloom. These are never overplanted with other plants during the summer and are placed in a location with good drainage.
The three seasons of tulips are early, midseason, and late. Tulip flowering seasons can be extended by planting a couple of each. The Greigii hybrids are the earliest. These often only reach a height of six inches or less. These work well when placed in front of birdbaths or low shrubs, or in borders. The reliable early ones include Plaisir and Red Riding Hood. The early bloomers in the Emperor family have enormous blooms on rather short stems. These should be planted in a wind-sheltered area to prevent the enormous flowers from breaking too soon. The Emperor series features red, yellow, and white hues. A boundary planting that is visually appealing will be seven in a cluster.
The mid-season blooming of the lily-flowered tulips. Most people only reach a height of 15 inches. In our region, the shorter stem is advantageous since they are wind-resistant. The flowers have pointed petals and lily-like blossoms.
If planted in an area with good drainage and without being overplanted in the summer, I’ve discovered that this group will naturalise successfully. I’ve raised several of these varieties, and I’ve never had a lily-flowered tulip that didn’t do well. The Queen of Sheba, a coral with a rose tip, and the older yellow West Point are my two favourites. Marilyn, a big bright pink with white edges, is a relatively new member of this group.
The big, floppy parrot tulips remain my favourite. Frequently, blooms are nine inches across. The majority of the frilled, asymmetrical, and streaked-green petals. However big the flowers are, they hold up well. Peach parrot, a more sophisticated tulip, is a relatively new one. This time of year, they bloom.
The Darwin hybrids contain the most impressive. These bloom mid-season and have the traditional tulip shape. The Darwin hybrids come in a wide range of colours, and the most get rather tall, between 18 and 22 inches.
The flowers with late blooming tend to open and break early when we have a few warmer days. Among the late flowering varieties are the beautiful doubles. Take a chance and grow a couple for later colour because they are attractive.
The ones that will naturalise under perfect circumstances will be discovered by trial and error. Keep track of how various types perform. Buy no more than five or seven bulbs of a new variety, and if you like it, remember it for the next year.
Next week, tips on how to use tulips to create the best possible landscape impact will be provided.
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What month should tulip bulbs be planted?
- Use chicken wire to cover planting holes, a fence, repellant spray, or container gardening to keep animals away.
Is there anything happier than a large tulip field blooming in the spring? After a long winter of cold and snow, the masses of colorful blooms are a sight for sore eyes. You may build and enjoy a robust tulip show in your own yard with these tactics and pointers.
How to Choose Tulips
Hybrid tulips make up the majority of the tulips you see in landscape plantings, as well as those offered for sale at garden centres and home improvement shops. For the greatest impact, hybrid tulips normally need to be replaced every year. (We’ll cover how to persuade them to return below.) When given the proper growing circumstances, species tulips will return year after year in zones 4 to 7. These have smaller flowers and pointier petals than hybrid tulips, and they are shorter.
Individual tulips don’t flower for very long, especially the hybrids. However, there are types that bloom in the early, mid, and late seasons at various periods. When buying, choose a couple cultivars from each bloom time category for a long-lasting display.
Where to Plant Tulips
For the best show, tulips need full sun, which entails at least six hours every day of bright, direct sunlight. They are also great additions to rock gardens since they favour quick-draining soil.
When to Plant Tulips
Fall is the best time to plant tulip bulbs. Prior to planting, the soil must have cooled from the summer growing season, which could occur in September in cold regions (zones 3 to 5), October in transitional temperatures (zones 6 to 7), and November or December in warm areas (zones 8 to 9). Use a soil thermometer to measure the soil’s temperature, and plant when it reaches 60 degrees F at a depth of 6 inches.
For tulips to bloom, they need to be chilled. Buy pre-cooled bulbs and plant them in December if you intend to grow tulips where the soil temperature won’t fall below 60 degrees for at least 12 weeks.
How to Prepare the Soil for Planting Tulips
Use Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Flowers to prepare the planting space for tulips by incorporating 3 inches of garden soil into the top 6 to 8 inches of native soil. Tulips will develop a strong root system in the fall thanks to the nutrients provided by the soil, which is necessary for a significant spring bloom. However, to get the best results from your tulips, you must combine the strength of excellent soil with just the appropriate plant food. For details on what and when to feed tulips, see “How to Feed Tulips” below.
How to Plant Tulips
Tulips should be planted in bunches of 10 or more for the best display. The pointed end should be facing up as you plant each bulb 8 inches deep (measure from the bottom of the bulb and add the depth of any mulch on top of the soil in your measurement). It is possible to place bulbs close to one another. Thoroughly water.
How to Grow Tulips in a Pot
In pots, tulips are simple to grow. The bulbs should be buried at least 8 inches deep, much like with in-ground plantings, so measure from the top of the container to a depth of about 9 inches, then fill the pot up to that point with Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Put the pointy end of the bulbs in the pot (you can pack them tightly together). After thoroughly watering, cover with the potting mix. Move the container to a cool, dry spot that stays at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter before the first frost in your area. Bring the container outside to a sunny area when you notice tulips budding. Water the soil there. Once you notice green growth, start watering often.
How to Water Tulips
When you plant tulips, make sure to thoroughly water each planting space. Water once per week week for the first month after planting, then leave the plants alone until springtime. When the leaves come out in the spring, start watering once more.
How to Feed Tulips
Apply Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Rose & Bloom Plant Food in accordance with the instructions on the package once the flowers have faded. In order for the bulb to conserve nutrients for the following growing season, this will aid in promoting leaf growth. Every year in the late fall, feed for the final time (around the same time as you would plant new bulbs).
How to Cut Tulips to Enjoy Indoors
When the buds are still tightly closed, cut tulips. You should be able to identify the hue of the blooms despite the petals’ possible greenish tint. Put inside a spotless vase with room temperature water. Once cut and brought indoors, tulips will continue to “grow” (the stems extend). Simply trim a few inches from the bottom of the stems every few days if they start to get unruly. If you mix Miracle-Gro for Fresh Cut Flowers into the water and replace the water every few days, cut tulips will stay longer (compared to water only).
What to Do After Tulips Bloom
The best tulip flower display will typically occur in gardens in the spring that immediately follows the fall when the bulbs are planted. Once the petals have faded, trim the flower stalk back to the plant’s base to encourage species tulips to return year after year. After the bulbs have gone dormant, cease feeding them as previously mentioned, stop watering them, and trim back the foliage once it has completely turned brown. Simply pluck up the bulbs from hybrid varieties (which are not perennial) and compost them.
How to Protect Tulips from Deer and Other Pests
Preventing deer from eating tulip blooms is the biggest obstacle in tulip gardening, closely followed by preventing chipmunks and squirrels from digging up the bulbs. Planting holes or trenches should have chicken wire surrounding them on all sides to prevent bulbs from being dug up. (If you’re planting large sweeps of bulbs, which is how to get the best show from tulips, this is most useful.)
Deer are another matter. Installing a long (8 feet or more) fence is the greatest approach to keep deer out of the garden, but most people cannot afford to do this. Daffodil and Crown Imperial bulbs are not consumed by deer, so interplanting tulips with these varieties may help deter them. Alternatively, you may try misting a deer repellent on bulb foliage. In light of this, it is preferable to grow tulips in pots on a screened-in porch if deer are a significant issue where you live. This way, the deer can’t access to the flowers.
Ready to start tulip gardening? To learn more about a product, to buy it online, or to locate a retailer near you, click on any of the product links above.
Are tulips replanted in Oklahoma?
I offered you some of Loretta Aaron’s planting advice for tulips and daffodils last month. There are things you’ll need to do when they bloom in order to ensure a lovely display (and for daffodils, to ensure a great display for years to come). These are Loretta’s suggestions:
taking care of daffodils after bloom.
Remove faded bloom the following spring or early summer when all bloom has gone; do not allow seed pods to grow as this will deprive the bulb of nutrition. Never remove foliage; it must stay until it naturally dies down. The bulb will be strengthened in preparation for blooming the next season. Keep fertiliser away from the growing foliage and work a normal bulb food around it instead. After the first freeze in the fall, you should fertilise once more. Most daffodils would benefit from being raised, divided, and reset after five to eight years, depending on the variety, because they become too crowded. Lifting and preserving the plants until it’s time to replant in the fall can be done either after the bloom has finished or by waiting until the foliage naturally dies down.
Tulip after-bloom care.
In Oklahoma City, certain types (though not many) will naturalise and return the following year in areas with good drainage and minimal overplanting of other plants. If the region is not overplanted and does not receive much precipitation, it appears that the lily-flowered plants and some of the Darwin hybrids will reappear. Follow the same after-bloom care instructions for daffodils above if your variety is expected to naturalise successfully. If you wish to utilise the bulbs again, you should lift and preserve non-naturalizing tulips over the summer and transplant them in the fall. After they bloom, you should remove the bulbs and trash them if you don’t want to use them again, or else you’ll have a few “strays” blossoming again the following spring.
Bulb lifting, division, and storage.
After the foliage has fully grown, remove the bulbs. Shake off any remaining soil, then spread them out on newspapers in a cool, well-ventilated room to dry for about ten days. After that, carefully remove any dried foliage. Place in paper bags—never plastic—and sprinkle with Sevin dust before storing in a cool location until November, when it’s ready to replant. Since the temperature under the kitchen sink is steady, I prefer to use it. In the fall, the bulbs will once again be prepared for planting.