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My tulips don’t produce flowers any more. Why?

Tulips in our climate need all the help they can get. The trick to perpetual success with bulbs is knowing how to “recharge the battery” after they flower in spring. The “growth energy” stored in the bulb is quickly depleted during the all-out effort to reproduce (flower) in spring. After the flowers go by, cut them off including the stem but make sure to leave the leaves. This prevents the bulb from wasting “growth energy” producing seeds. That “growth energy” is instead directed to the bulb where it is stored until next spring’s flowering cycle. Feed your bulbs during their growth cycle starting when the first shoots appear in spring. Bulb food (my favorite is Espoma Bulb-Tone) will provide the balance of nutrients your bulbs will need in addition to the phosphorus from the bone meal.

Think of the bulbs’ leaves as solar collectors that change sunlight into “growth energy” that is sent to the bulb below for storage. Don’t cut off these solar collectors when you remove the spent blossoms. Let them remain until they finish charging up your “bulb batteries”. The leaves will eventually turn yellow, letting you know when it’s time to cut them off.

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