GROWING TULIPS Baby those bulbs

To help tulips bloom their average three to five years, protectthem from critters.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
If tulips happen to be your favorite springtime blossom, better get ready for some bad news.
"It's a popular misconception that tulips will keep coming back year after year," said Philip Steiner, of Mellinger's in North Lima. "Although tulips are classified as a perennial, they are not as hardy as other perennial bulb flowers and tend to wane after a few years."
While hardy daffodil bulbs will grow and multiply happily for as many as 60 years, Steiner said gardeners are lucky to get five good years out of a tulip bulb.
"The average life of a tulip bulb is three to five years," Steiner said.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule.
"Some older varieties of tulips, such as the red emperor tulip, are hardier and can last up to 10 years," Steiner added.
Dwarf tulips and "wild" tulips will also thrive for several years, although wild tulips are not as showy as the types of tulips most gardeners covet.
"Wild tulips are the original tulips that grew before there were hybrids. They've been around forever and are very hardy, but the blooms are not very spectacular," Steiner said.
Well, there you have it -- the bad news about tulips.
But don't get all down in the mouth and toss your bulb catalogs into the trash.
There's good news too.
Steps for longer life
For starters, there are several things you can do to lengthen the life of the tulip bulb and coax beautiful blossoms for a little longer than normal.
"Fertilizing the bulbs each fall will help give them the energy they need to continue to produce vibrant blooms every spring," Steiner said.
Steiner recommends a bulb food that contains phosphorous and potassium.
"Some people like to use bone meal, but I don't recommend it because it doesn't absorb into the soil as quickly as a traditional bulb food will," Steiner said.
Planting tulip bulbs in well-drained soil will also help.
"Tulips don't like a heavy, clay soil, and inadequate drainage will cause the bulbs to rot," Steiner said. "Water bulbs right after they've been planted but after that leave them alone."
Gardeners must also protect bulbs against mice, moles and other bulb-munching pests.
Planting bulbs 8 inches deep instead of the standard 4 or 6 inches deep will help keep them safe.
Other deterrents
"Another idea is to place gravel in the hole where the bulb has been planted. Small animals have trouble digging through the gravel and can't get to the bulb," Steiner said.
Filling holes with cuttings from thorny plants, such as holly or rose bushes, also deters pests, as does wrapping bulbs in pieces of wire caging.
Of course, even though tulips have a short life span, there are still plenty of reasons to love them.
Reveling in color
Tess Weaver, of Adgate's Garden Center in Cortland, said tulips win the hearts of many gardeners because they come in a rainbow of colors.
"Color is usually the first thing people consider when choosing tulips. This fall, most people are buying our big assortment packs of tulip bulbs in a variety of colors," Weaver said.
Many customers also want two-toned color varieties, such as parrot tulips.
"Parrot tulips have fringed, ruffled petals and are often yellow and red," Weaver explained.
One color that's not doing so well is the "black" tulip.
"It might be because it's not a true black but more like a deep purple," Weaver said.
Gardeners can enjoy a show of color from early spring until early summer if they select their tulips carefully.
"Most garden centers sell early-, mid- and late-blooming tulips," Weaver said.
Early bloomers unfold their petals in April, while late bloomers wait until the last weeks of May.
For some gardeners, fragrance is just as important as color.
Some particularly sweet-smelling tulips include the Apricot beauty, Union Jack, Angelique and Monte Carlo.
XAdditional source: The Old Farmer's Almanac 1996 Gardener's Companion.