Bulbs didn't bloom!?

Question

I planted over 300 tulip bulbs and not one flower.
Did I plant them up side down?
If so IF I dig them up will they die?
Pondering this.....over and out.

Thank you all very much for your answer. Happy Summer

Answer 1

Sand D,

you may have planted them too deep.

but ALL of them?

where did you buy them? some places sell really bad bulbs. only buy "TOPSIZE" bulbs.

what type of bulbs were they?

wait until fall, dig them up and replant at the proper depth.

add some bone meal to the planting holes.

if you discover that many seem to be missing, then you may have a pest eating them.

replant what you find in holes covered with wire mesh over the top. this will deter squirrels and the like.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 2

Even if you planted them upside down, they would still bloom....if they had a bloom inside to start. Failure to bloom may be a cheap bulb that didn't properly mature the season before and thus did not form a flower...they were just too weak. Given plenty of TLC now including bone meal or superphosphate food and allowing the foliage to totally mature before removing, they should flower next season.

Another thought is gophers got underground and ate all your bulbs, but you'd see signs of their digging...and wouldn't have foliage either.

Also if your winter was weird, that may have been a problem. We are often quite dry in winter here and bulbs fail because they dried out over winter. Also if you planted the bulbs where there is poor drainage......they rotted.

If you planted too shallow, perhaps the bulbs suffered freeze damage. If you live in a warm climate, did they receive enough cold over winter?

Just some things to think about. Sorry, I hope they bloom next year. As for moving them, if you know there's a drainage problem of animals under ground, you should move them after the foliage ripens and turns yellow.

Answer 3

The pointed side goes up and the flat side goes down. You probably could dig one up and check, otherwise there are critters that feast.

Also if they were very young, small bulbs it may take two years before flowers appear, but with tulips this isn't as likely as with some other bulbs.

Answer 4

Wow how frustrated you must be...Do you live where it freezes? Tulips need extended cold temperatures once they are planted. Otherwise, you would have needed to put them in a fridgerator for 6-8 weeks after you purchased the bulbs before you planted them. The bulbs are pointed on the top, and the point goes up, round side goes down. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Just dig up a few to see if you did it upside down. If the bulbs look they have begun to rot or decompose, you still might have a chance if you turn them right side up.