After the petals drop, the tulip shifts its focus from showy bloom to a highly important phase of energy storage. The health and potential of next year’s flowers are determined by the care provided during this transition time. Understanding the tulip’s life cycle is necessary because the plant redirects its resources from reproduction to fortifying its underground structure. This post-flowering attention ensures the bulb can gather the necessary reserves to successfully produce another vibrant bloom the following spring.
The First Step: Deadheading and Post-Bloom Feeding
The first action when the flowers fade is to “deadhead” the spent bloom, which means removing the flower head but leaving the rest of the stem and foliage intact. This simple procedure prevents the plant from diverting energy toward producing a seed pod. To deadhead properly, use clean shears to snip the flower stem just below the faded bloom, ensuring the maximum possible length of stem remains attached to the leaves.
Preventing seed formation redirects the plant’s resources back toward the underground bulb. Following this immediate step, a light application of fertilizer can support the bulb during its recovery period. A low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus bulb fertilizer is recommended to strengthen the bulb without encouraging excessive new leaf growth.
Nourishing the Bulb: Why Foliage Must Remain
While the spent flower is removed, the green leaves must remain attached to the plant until they naturally wither, which can take approximately six to eight weeks. This period is when the process of photosynthesis becomes the sole focus of the plant. The foliage acts as a solar panel, capturing sunlight to create carbohydrates and starches that are then transported down and stored within the bulb structure.
Prematurely cutting the leaves removes the plant’s food-producing mechanism, effectively starving the bulb of the energy required to initiate the next bloom cycle. Gardeners should resist the urge to tidy up the garden by cutting or braiding the green foliage. Braiding limits the surface area exposed to sunlight and reduces the efficiency of photosynthesis. Waiting until the leaves have completely turned yellow or brown ensures that the maximum amount of energy has been successfully transferred to the bulb for its dormancy.
When and How to Lift and Store Bulbs
Once the foliage has completely died back and can be easily pulled away, the bulbs are ready for the final step of care. Lifting the bulbs is generally recommended for non-naturalizing tulip varieties, those planted in hot climates, or in situations where the bulbs have become overcrowded. Removing and storing the bulbs allows them to experience the dry, cool dormancy they need, especially in regions with warm, wet summers that can cause the bulbs to rot.
Lifting the Bulbs
To lift the bulbs, gently loosen the soil using a garden fork placed a few inches away from the plant clump to avoid spearing the bulb. After carefully digging them up, remove any large clumps of soil and discard any bulbs that appear soft, damaged, or diseased. Do not wash the bulbs, as excess moisture can promote fungal growth during storage.
Curing and Storage
The next step is curing, where the bulbs are allowed to dry in a single layer in a shaded, well-ventilated area for 48 to 72 hours. Once the outer skin feels papery, the bulbs are ready for summer storage. They should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry location, ideally with a temperature range between 40 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a breathable container like a mesh bag, an open cardboard box, or a paper bag is necessary to allow air circulation and prevent moisture buildup until they are ready to be replanted in the autumn.