Tulipa ‘Lasting Love’ is a captivating tulip variety, celebrated for its rich color and classic form. Cultivating this tulip successfully ensures a vibrant display in any garden, season after season.
Understanding Tulipa ‘Lasting Love’
Tulipa ‘Lasting Love’ features deep burgundy-red flowers with softer red edges, creating an elegant, fluted appearance. These blooms reach 18 to 22 inches (45-55 cm) on sturdy stems, blooming in mid to late spring, usually in May. They provide a beautiful transition between earlier and later flowering varieties.
Some classify ‘Lasting Love’ as a Lily-flowered tulip due to its slender, pointed petals, while others place it within the Triumph group. Triumph tulips are known for their classic cup shape and strong, wind-resistant stems. Its rich color and robust nature make it a desirable choice for garden beds, borders, and as a cut flower.
Planting Your ‘Lasting Love’ Tulips
Plant ‘Tulipa Lasting Love’ bulbs in the fall, after the first frost but before the ground freezes. This allows bulbs to establish roots before winter’s chill. Planting too early risks premature emergence and frost damage in spring.
Choose a location with full sun, providing at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. Insufficient light may lead to weaker stems and less vibrant blooms. The soil should be well-draining, as wet conditions can lead to bulb rot. Amending the soil with organic matter, like compost, improves both drainage and fertility.
Plant bulbs six to eight inches deep, pointy end up. Space individual bulbs four to six inches apart for adequate growth and air circulation. For a more impactful display, plant bulbs in groups of 10 or more, spacing them two to three inches apart for mass plantings. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the soil around the bulbs.
Ongoing Care for Vibrant Blooms
After planting, maintain consistent moisture, especially during dry spells in fall and spring as tulips actively grow and flower. Avoid overwatering, as excessive moisture can lead to bulb rot. Supplemental watering may not be needed until spring, depending on rainfall.
Tulips are not heavy feeders, but a balanced bulb fertilizer can be applied. Apply it at planting time in fall or in early spring as foliage emerges. Placing fertilizer a few inches below the bulbs ensures roots can access nutrients effectively.
While resilient, ‘Lasting Love’ tulips can encounter pests like slugs and aphids, or fungal diseases such as tulip fire and bulb rot. Good air circulation and proper watering habits help prevent many common fungal problems. Promptly removing any diseased foliage contributes to overall plant health.
Encouraging Return Blooms
To encourage ‘Lasting Love’ tulips to return annually, proper post-flowering care is important. Once blooms fade, deadhead spent flower heads. This prevents seed formation, directing energy back into the bulb for future blooms.
Allow foliage to yellow and die back naturally. Leaves photosynthesize after flowering, replenishing the bulb’s energy reserves for the next growing season. Do not cut, braid, or tie green foliage, as this interferes with energy storage. Foliage should remain until completely yellow or brown.
In suitable climates, ‘Lasting Love’ tulips can naturalize, returning for several years. If your climate is not ideal (e.g., very warm or wet summers), lifting and storing bulbs can improve reblooming chances. Dig up bulbs after foliage dies back, clean excess soil, and dry them for a few days in a well-ventilated, dark place. Store them in a cool, dry, dark location (e.g., garage or refrigerator) in mesh bags or cardboard boxes until fall replanting. Regularly check stored bulbs for disease or softness, discarding unhealthy ones.