Blooming tulips not tall
My first tulip has bloomed and is only about 6 in high instead of the normal 16 in. I live in the high desert;zone 8 and always pre=chill bulbs for 8 weeks before planting in Nov. I fertilize w/ bulb food, too, and plant in raised composted beds.
Any clues why the tulips are so stunted? All other bulbs appear to be normal in height.
Thanks, Lehua
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(post #11760, reply #1 of 11)
Perhaps there was a rogue bulb in the batch you got. Some varieties are only supposed to be 6 inches tall and you maybe got one of those mixed in by mistake. Those very dwarf varieties tend to be early bloomers.
(post #11760, reply #2 of 11)
Just for mentioning that you have tulips blooming you should be forced to come up here and pull thistles in knee deep snow with soakers on both feet, and then watch the sunset at 6:30 PM while huddled around the fire trying to keep warm.
Man I hate it when people start bragging about their gardens at this time of year.
I think that what Jeana said is likely right. Keep an eye on the rest of them.
If it can die, I can kill it.
Certified Brown Thumb, 4th degree
If it can die, I can kill it.
Certified Brown Thumb, 4th degree
(post #11760, reply #3 of 11)
Sounds like you need to move:
come to the high desert here in August when it's 105.
Tulips are all doing the same thing, BTW, maybe they are all dwarfs.
Lehua
(post #11760, reply #4 of 11)
I love the species tulips. They are usually small, many of them hugging the ground like crocus. There is amazing variety amoung the species. Here in Southern Maryland they return much more reliably than the big tulips like the darwins. If the voles don't eat them all.
BJ
(post #11760, reply #5 of 11)
BeeJay, I too plant species along the trail to the Ponderosa Pine forest here in the Sandia mountains (Rocky Mountains in Albuquerque). Two of my favorites are Tulip turkenstantia (tiny off white) and T. Eichleri (multiple clumps of red). See attached photos. They are planted away from the house with no added water. We have spring snow melt (wet clay) then dry until July/August afternoon monsoons. Then snow again beginning with light snow after Halloween. That is all the water the species tulips get and they do great, loving a summer baking...and come back year unlike many of the highly hybridized Dutch tulips. Dont get me wrong, I love those too, however cant afford to plant loads of them every year so my mainstay are the species tulips that come back yearly. Of the highly hybridized tulips, my favorites are the Parrot tulips, like the one with the heron in the photo. The Darwin Hybrids come back yearly here, one of my favorites is "Big Chief" (red tall photo attached), although there are many Darwin Hybrids that are great.
If you like the small species tulips, you might also like small iris, called medians. There are numerous ones. A species iris that I grow along the same trail with the above tulips is Iris pumilla, which is crossed with the larger bearded iris to create the medians. See the purple species iris in attached photo for one particular species I. pumilla. I just plant it along the trail, with no pampering, in full sun. It is a very early bloomer, blooming at the same time as the grape hyacynths.
Edited 2/26/2009 7:29 pm ET by MontySparks
Edited 2/26/2009 7:29 pm ET by MontySparks
(post #11760, reply #6 of 11)
The Gardener always had some preatans fussileers (Spelling?) I like the Gregii with the mottled foliage. I also like the tulips with the petals that are crimson outside and yellow inside. There are so many different species tulips that one could never tire of them.
Good on you with the iris. Once upn a time I was president of the Chesapeake and Patomac Iris Soc. Many iris clubs seem oblivious to all but the tall bearded (aka German Iris) but we tried to emphasize all the species that would grow in our area.
BJ
(post #11760, reply #7 of 11)
BeeJay, Im the VP of our local iris group. In Albuquerque we are fortunate to be able to grow arilbreds. One of my very favorites is "Desert Fire", photo attached that I took in my friend's garden. I grow species, historics, medians, reticulata, and am trying Louisiana for the first time this year. I was able to get I. douglasiana through this winter, planted last spring, now to see if I can get it to bloom. Pacific coast iris are very difficult to grow here. Im also attempting I. tenax from seed. Myself, my father, and my brother grow Tall Beardeds, which my father started us in about 6 years ago. One of my mentors is very into species, and I have picked that up from her as well as the historics. My other iris mentor is big into medians, and hence where my start in that began. Both grow arilbreds. Spurias also do well here, although mine havent been in the ground long enough to bloom for me yet. This year we are attempting to cross I. reticulatas...well see if anything comes of it. I planted the species reticulata I. winogradowii , last fall, for this experiment. It throws really different reticulatas like I. reticulata "Katherine Hodgkin". Iris are the backbone of my gardening. I love plants that are so easy and beautiful.
Do you still grow iris? What are some of your favorites?
Monty
Edited 2/26/2009 11:19 pm ET by MontySparks
(post #11760, reply #8 of 11)
BeeJay, Thought you might enjoy this new arilbred introduction, "Refiners Fire" by a local breeder, McGrath. It is beautiful and unusual in color. Monty
(post #11760, reply #9 of 11)
I think that I saw Desert Fire in a recent issue of JAIS. Refiners Fire is an absolutely gorgeous arilbred. Was that one also in the JAIS? I'm not growing many iris now. The Gardener and I put in several hundred when we moved here but without The Gardener it just isn't the same. Besides the voles have destroye most of my iris. I like to buy remontrants when I get new iris. But with the voles nibbling at them they often don't have the vigo to rebloom. I particurly like iris insata. I've been growing thrm in large pot which I set in water in the summertime. I think that they want their roots to be drier in the cold weather. I have quite a few siberians. I have been planting them in nylon netting to keep out the voles. Shakers Prayer is so vigorous that it doesn't need netting. Do sibs grow well in Alburquerque?
I think that Astrid needs some arilbreds. They ought to grow great in Silver City.
BJ
(post #11760, reply #10 of 11)
BeeJay, Refiner's fire was introduced by Pet McGrath in 2006, and I believe I remember it being in the AIS journal. Last year we held an Aril Trek, tours of our four best iris gardens in Albuquerque. The photo was from Pete's garden. It is unbelievable with many aril species and crosses of species as well as drifts of hybridized arilbreds. It is the only time I have seen his garden. I have attached a photos of Desert Fire from one of the other gardens, of our president, which I often visit. Desert Fire is the yellow iris with dark red striping on the falls. Also, attached, since you like species is a Trek photo of a cross that Pete did of two slightly different species Iris Korolkowii, purple striped short middle eastern iris.
But back to the topic of this forum...tulips, and you noting you like the ones with coloring on the leaves..."Red Riding Hood" is one of the Tulip Greigii family which are easily recognized by the stripes on the leaves. He has grown well in straight clay for me for several years, and should for many more years. Darwin Hybrid Tulip "Oxford" is another tulip that has grown for me in clay coming back multiple years and is both beautiful and tough. Photo of red tulip with plain green leaves. Of course, to keep them returning, it is important to not give them much (if any) water in the summer...instead letting them bake in the sun...my kind of low maintainance plant to grow away from the house and water spickets!
I looked up Tulip Fusilier in a species tulip book "Tulips:Species and Hybrids for the Gardener" by Richard Wilford (great book). It is closely related to the T. Eichleri that I noted as one of my favorite species in the previous posting. Dainty looking but tough!
Voles. You might consider growing iris and bulbs in a raised bed, putting down expanded metal lath (or chicken wire) down under the bed to keep the voles out.
Water iris... I havent tried I. ensata, because it likes acid water and soil..we are a little alkaline. I have been told that peat moss in the water might help. In the case of siberian iris, they grow here but not well...atleast in my clay. I havent tried in good soil in a raised bed yet. However, particularly tough ones like Ceasar's brother (which I have a big clump) can be grown here. I have shakers prayer. And, I about to try "There be dragons" which I am told is a tough white siberian.
Have a wonderful week, Monty
P.S. What is Astrid that you refer to?
Edited 3/1/2009 10:33 pm ET by MontySparks
Edited 3/1/2009 10:34 pm ET by MontySparks
Edited 3/1/2009 10:51 pm ET by MontySparks
Edited 3/1/2009 10:53 pm ET by MontySparks
(post #11760, reply #11 of 11)
I just wanted to tell you WOW! That is gorgeous, just beautiful.
Flee~~Zone 5 Mid-Michigan
Flee~~Zone 5 Mid-Michigan