Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ok so when we bought the house, the previous owner had planted a nice amount of tulips and they grew every year. So last year, I added bulbs for different colors and put a thin layer of mulch on top Apparently, I suffocated them lol. Only 6 popped up this year. So, my question is can I remove the mulch and just put soil down and hopefully they come back next year? OR do I remove mulch and bulbs (maybe they are dead dead?) and start all over. TIA
in my experience, missing tulips are not due to mulch, but due to critters eating the bulbs.
There's no sign that the mulch was disturbed and we would be talking about over 30 bulbs being munched on in the winter so I'm thinking I smothered them
There's no sign that the mulch was disturbed and we would be talking about over 30 bulbs being munched on in the winter so I'm thinking I smothered them
Moles and voles would not disturb the mulch, and 30 is not unreasonable.
But, okay, believe that it was the layer of much...
Himain...This is what I would do. Remove the mulch from 2 or 3 and examine them. Do they look like they sprouted but just couldn't make it to the light? Than YOUR theory is correct, and you can proceed from there.
If the bulbs look mushy or eaten or just plain gone, Pitt Chicks theory is correct.
There's no sign that the mulch was disturbed and we would be talking about over 30 bulbs being munched on in the winter so I'm thinking I smothered them
I planted 125 tulip bulbs 4 years ago, in different sections of my yard. Less than half came up, and those were super short. The next 2 years, NONE came up. Nothing. This spring - I had 4 tulips (all in the same group) come up and bloom. I was shocked. I have no moles or voles. Tulips were planted at the correct depth.
I was told that we don't have the cold here that tulips require. We used to, but not for several years now. We barely have a winter. And tulips need an extended period of cold. Not sure if that is your problem but just throwing it out there.
What are you using for mulch and how thick? I doubt it's the mulch as I put a new layer on mine about every other year. Shredded wood mulch roughly 2 inches thick. About 50 total and they grow great - unless a moose discovers them. Apparently moose find tulips quite delicious.
OP said it was a thin layer. Tulips would have no problem coming up through a thin layer.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Apparently, I suffocated them lol. Only 6 popped up this year. So, my question is can I remove the mulch and just put soil down and hopefully they come back next year? OR do I remove mulch and bulbs (maybe they are dead dead?) and start all over. TIA
