Tulips are perennial plants with gorgeous blooms that are loved by all gardeners fond of flowers. An important question that comes to most people’s minds is, how long do potted tulips last?
The life cycle of tulips depends on factors such as their variety, climate conditions and several others. This article will help you explore all about how long tulips in pots last and how you can increase their life, keep reading.
Contents
How Long Do Tulips Last in Pots and Containers?
Having tulips planted in pots, they can take eight to 10 weeks to bloom and last for 15 to 30 days after blooming. The bloomed flowers can last from several weeks to several months. The flowers bloom in spring for several weeks after which they start wilting and dying.
– Growth Cycle of Tulips
The time duration of eight to 10 weeks is not fixed as the plant can bloom for either several weeks or several months depending on the variety grown and the weather conditions in your area.
Belonging to the lily family, tulips prefer temperatures below 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for a few weeks in winter to set their roots properly in the soil and bloom in spring. The chilling period is needed to break the dormancy of the plant and enter the flowering stage.
If you are planting tulip bulbs, they too produce flowers after a chilling period of 12 to 15 weeks. This chilling period is essential for the potted bulbs to sprout. Spring bulbs need exposure to temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit for about 14 to 15 weeks to produce blooms.
According to their variety, each species needs a chilling period to sprout and produce flowers. This exposure to cold temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit is called vernalization.
Once spring arrives, the tulip bulbs sprout and grow new leaves. Then bulbs produce flowering plants in 15 to 30 days. Artificially forcing the bulb to produce flowers is a common practice used by many commercial growers. A forced bulb is grown under replicated winter-like conditions to quickly bring the plant into bloom.
– Blooming of Tulips
Most tulips we find today are annuals and bloom once a year from early spring to late spring. The bulbs do not produce flowers again, so it is better to discard them. So what is important in this case is that it is a perennial but over time with hybridizing, its tendency to be perennial has weakened.
There are two types of tulips: early tulips and mid-season tulips. Early tulips such as Emperor tulips and Double early varieties flower from March to April and mid-season tulips such as Viridiflora and Triumph tulips flower throughout the spring. In cool weather, the flowers can last for 10 to 15 days.
– Tulips in the Spring
Most tulip varieties last for one to two weeks in spring when the temperatures are low. But in warm weather conditions, the bloom time reduces to just a few days. This time can increase up to a few more days when the growing conditions are optimal in the ground.
In pots, the bloom time further drops to a few days, especially when the temperatures are not stable. What you must do in order to prolong the life of these beautiful flowers is to begin by cutting the flowers that are kept in a vase, as this will allow them to bloom for up to five days. They will last slightly longer away from direct sunlight in a cool room.
Making the Tulip Blooms Last Longer
Tulips need a chilling period in winter to bloom in spring. But apart from that, there are certain points that you should keep in mind if you want your plant to produce long-lasting blooms. Here are some tips to help you make your flowers last longer.
– Soil Mix and Fertilization
Plant tulips in a rich, airy, and well-draining potting soil made of sand, compost, and perlite. It cannot tolerate heavy clay and compact soils with poor drainage. Fertilize the bulbs once you plant them initially. Use a well-balanced fertilizer and apply it by mixing in the water while watering the soil.
– Light and Location
Unlike common indoor houseplants, tulips need a lot of direct sunlight to bloom. Planting tulips indoors is not feasible if your house does not receive direct sunlight during the day. Just like the tulips grown in the ground, tulips grown in pots and containers too need full sunlight to bloom.
You can keep your potted plants near a west-facing window or a balcony where they can get direct sunlight during the day. Choose a spot outdoors on a porch or a patio where exposure to direct sunlight is possible for a few hours during the day.
Tulips need to be in full sunlight to produce beautiful blooms. They are rarely grown as indoor houseplants. But if your house has a spot with good lighting with stable temperatures, you can grow them indoors too.
If you wish to grow tulips indoors, you can prepare a bulb garden by planting the cold-hardy tulips in pots. But this way, you can force them to bloom only for a one-time display. You can choose to plant tulip bulbs of early-flowering varieties.
– Watering
Tulips hate to be overwatered. Once you plant the bulbs, make sure you do not water them until they sprout and begin unfurling the leaves. They just need to be watered once while planting. Until you see some new green leaves, do not water the plant. It cannot tolerate a water-logged and compact soil mix.
– Temperature
Temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for growing tulip plants. Cold climates are best to plant the bulbs and as spring arrives, when the temperatures reach 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, they come to full bloom.
– Variety
Adding different varieties of tulips to the garden makes sure that you have blooms at all times in spring. Plant a mix of early, mid-season and late-blooming tulips so that as the early bloomers fade, you will still have mid-season and late blooming varieties producing flowers.
Frequently Asked Questions
– What Do Tulips Look Like After They Bloom?
Tulip is a perennial plant whose bulbs produce blooms every year but you will find annual varieties more than perennial. Once the flowers are done blooming, remove the old stalks leaving only the leaves on the plant. These leaves provide the energy to the bulb to produce flowers in the next season.
Remove the dead and old foliage that has yellowed and would not turn back green. If the winters are mild in your area, you can try growing tulips as annuals as tulips in pots do not rebloom. You can discard the bulbs after flowering and purchase new ones next season.
– How To Take Care of Store Bought Potted Tulips?
Place the potted plant near a window where it can get lots of direct sunlight. Check the soil once a week and once it is completely dry, water and fertilize the plant with a well-balanced liquid fertilizer.
To keep the store-bought plant alive, water it first and keep the pot in a sealed plastic bag. Keep this plastic bag in temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 to 10 weeks. Cool temperatures help the plant go into bloom.
Once the plants are finished blooming by the end of spring, the plants will not rebloom in the next season. Discard the bulbs and plant new ones next season. In the case of store-bought tulips in vases, change the water every two to three days until they last for a few days.
Conclusion
Belonging to the Middle East, tulips make for stunning potted flowers. If you live in a region with a cold climate, it is one of the best flowering plants you can try growing.
Let us quickly take a look at some important reasons, causes, and solutions to make the tulip flowers last longer.
- Tulips are gorgeous flowers that are the main highlight of springtime. They bloom throughout spring adding amazing colors to gardens.
- It is not a tropical plant. Instead, it needs a cold climate to bloom in spring. Temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit help the bulbs to produce blooms.
- The 8 to 12-week chilling period with cold temperatures helps the plant to go into the flowering stage.
- Since most tulips nowadays are annuals, you cannot make the plant rebloom next season. Instead, discard the bulbs and buy new ones for the next season.
Tulips make a wonderful springtime display. Grow tulips in your home garden and give your garden space a vibrant vibe in spring.
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