tulips suffering

[Bear Drummer]

My mother bought some tulips to plant in an area that was already designated for other things... so they were put in pots out in the sun... they were forgotten about by me, while I was setting up the rest of the garden, and since nobody else was thinking of them, they dried up.... Then they were watered, and subjected to a 3 day rainstorm that knocked them down - as well as the fact that there weren't drain holes in the pots, so they were overwatered. One of these several things made the parts above ground die.

My question is - living in south Mississippi, there is enough growing season to start over... how should the bulbs be prepared to do this? I am not familiar with bulbs, so I really have no clue as to what to do...

[fran]

Tulips are not good perennials in Mississippi. They need 6 - 8 weeks of real winter cold, so you would need to buy any new tulip bulbs in the fall, chill them in a paper bag in your fridge 6 - 8 weeks, then plant outside or in pots. They will then bloom. Once the leaves have died back in late spring, you either dig them up to store or toss.

As for your current set, I doubt there's much life left.

[Newt]

Hi Bear Drummer,

If I'm understanding you the bulbs sprouted, didn't bloom, got drowne and now are laying flat? I would suggest that you take them out of th pot and plant them in the ground now. If you leave them in the soakin wet soil you risk them rotting. Plant them 8" to 10" deep. Let th foilage turn yellow before you remove it even if they don't bloom a this will feed the bulbs for next year's blooms. You may want to plan them where something else that is coming up will cover their yellowin foilage.

New

-- Newt

[Bear Drummer]

My mother bought them already blooming... they are in 6 inch deep pots right now... they were dehydrated, then overwatered - and the stems have turned yellow... I am hoping that there is still something I can do to save the bulbs, either for later this year, or next year...

[presley]

fran was correct. Tulips will not come back in southern mississippi. Even if the bulbs are not rotted (which is unlikely), they need to be stored dry and relatively cool over the summer, and then chilled in the refrigerator for