Use bulbs that are clean and dormant, removing any of the papery tunic and trimming any roots with sharp garden snips. Remove the top 1/3-1/2 of the growing tip and discard. Invert so that the basal plate (the spot where the roots grow from) is on top, and with a sharp, sterile knife, cut the bulb in half.
Bulbs will likely require dividing every three to five years. The best time to divide bulbs is after the bloom has ended and the foliage starts to die back. Don't pull them out before the leaves die, or the bulb won't take in enough nutrients to survive until the following spring.
Some of the best spring-flowering bulbs for bouquets and tips on arranging them include: Tulips—Tulip stems continue to grow after they've been cut, giving them a dynamic look in arrangements that continue to evolve in a vase. Err on cutting stems on the shorter side to avoid unwanted flopping in smaller arrangements.
So, dig a small distance away from the plant so you don't damage the bulbs. Divide the bulbs by gently pulling the smaller bulbs from the main plant base. This is also a good time to check the health of the original bulb. Check how firm it is, if it seems healthy then it can be replanted.
Cutting Back Fall-Planted Bulbs
Fall bulbs include flowers such as daffodils, tulips and grape hyacinth. The best time to prune is after they bloom in the spring. Let the flower completely fall and the seed pod go brown. Once the green leaves have started to die back and have turned brown then it's okay to prune.
The flower stems from spring bulbs can be cut back to the ground as soon as they have finished blooming. This allows the bulbs to focus their energy on new growth. Cutting back spent and old flower heads encourages regrowth and can help to improve the flowering of the bulb the following season.
Yes! The seeds of tulips are naturally spread (asexual reproduction) with little human intervention. After spreading, they evolve as bulbs and eventually go on to become a part of the flower.
Most bulbs can be stored for up to a year, but tend to perform best when planted within six months of lifting. For tender bulbs, be sure to plant in the spring following the fall in which they were lifted-they will likely not have enough energy to survive past the warm season and into the following year.
Should you soak spring bulbs before planting? There's no need to soak them before planting. However, if you are late getting them into the ground, then soaking them for 12-24 hours can speed up the rooting process. Adding fish emulsion or liquid kelp to the water before soaking will help them root even faster.
Caring for hardy bulbs
These bulbs are perennial and thus left in the ground year after year. With good conditions, they will bloom every spring. Every three to four years, hardy bulbs should be dug up in the fall, divided and replanted. Rotting or dried up bulbs should be composted.
Many bulbs will naturally self-propagate through the formation of offsets, bulbils, or seeds. Others need some human interaction to reproduce successfully, with the most common techniques being chipping, scaling, and scooping.
After those bulbs finish flowering many wonder if it's possible to place the plants in the soil so they will bloom next year. The short answer is yes, but some of these bulbs will return better than others. Tulips and hyacinths, for example, always look their best the first spring after planting.
Planting flower bulbs too close together can cause root systems to strangle each other or cause them to dehydrate or starve due to limited water and nutrition. The general rule of thumb is to cover the top of each bulb with 3" to 4" of soil, taking care to not break off any sprout growth.
Most people leave their spring bulbs in the ground after blooming, and only pull out the ones that they plan to replace next fall. If you want to move or divide the bulbs in your garden and replant them next fall, you can do so once the foliage has begun to yellow.
While you do not need to dig and divide your tulips every year; they should be dug up at least 3-4 years if planted in the ground. If you are not digging them up yearly, make sure they are not in an area of the yard where they will be watered all summer. Too much water over the summer will rot/kill your bulbs.
There is no real reason to dig up tulips bulbs each year, or at all. Most gardeners leave their bulbs in the ground where they were originally planted, and, are left to rebloom. Sometimes gardeners will dig up tulip bulbs but only when the plants seem to have offered fewer flowers.
(Small, weak tulip bulbs will likely never bloom again.) Plant new tulip bulbs in the fall. While most modern tulip cultivars bloom well for three to five years, some tulip types (classes) bloom well over a longer period.
Tulips continue to grow after they are cut and will open in the vase. Cutting at this point will allow you to enjoy your bouquet as long as possible. If you order a bouquet of tulips, like the ProFlowers Purple Tulips or Holland Queen Tulips, expect some blossoms to be fully open and others partially closed.
Unlike most cut flowers, tulips keep growing in the vase, sometimes up to 6 inches or more! For the longest enjoyment, buy cut tulips when the buds are still closed but the color of the flower is evident.
Answer: Tulips can be dug up and replanted as soon as the foliage dies back (turns brown) in early summer. Tulips can also be dug up and replanted in fall (October). If you intend to move tulips in the fall, mark the site when the foliage is present so the bulbs can be located in October.