[zimmy]

Leader,
I want to make sure I have the right terminology.

Are tulip bulbs fall or spring bulbs? I don't know if you go by when they are planted or when the bloom.

Thanks!

[zimmy]

And one more question -
Are they perennial? How many years can people expect to get blooms?

Thanking you!

[Leader]

Confusingly, I've seen 'em referred to both ways!

I call them fall bulbs, and I think that's the more common way. I've had good luck, conversion-wise, optimizing pages for "fall bulbs"--showing that the traffic was finding what they were looking for when they landed on pages promoting fall-planted (as opposed to fall-flowering) bulbs.

But, if you have a lot of gardening-noobs, then to make it clear, it's probably best to say either "fall planted" or "spring flowering" at least once on the page (although I wouldn't optimize for either of those).

Hope this helps!

[Leader]

Perennialism:

It varies by variety. Most of the ones I have up should last about 3-5 years, I believe. Exception--Queen of Night was only good for 2 in my garden, then they went to leaves (without blooms). Kees Nelis is a solid 5 years. After 10 years, I still have a few of those from my original planting. I can't guarantee how long tulips'll keep going, though--a lot of plant performance depends on the conditions they are planted in.

Some places try to claim that all tulips "bloom best their first year and never as well after that." The same places will also say not to fertilize them their first year.
Related? Possibly!
DO fertilize them AT PLANTING and they should do better, most likely because they won't use up as much of their energy the first year. Plus, at planting, the fertilizer can be put underneath the bulb, rather than as a side-dressing which then has 6 inches (depth) of earth to dilute in before it even gets to the root area.

There are a few tulips I've seen that actually do follow that "1 good year" pattern, but I haven't knowingly listed any.

[msladybug]

Zimmy,

Being a gardener (that is where my nickname came from), I would go with Leader and list these as fall bulbs. That is typically when most gardeners will set them out. Perhaps in the description or as a side note, you might suggest these bulbs perform best when planted in the fall for spring flowering. Tulip bulbs generally are referred to as Perennial bulbs but I would state that for best bloom performance these are best replaced every 2 -5 years, depending on the planting region. That is generally the life of most tulips. Most gardeners understand this and have no problem with it. I live in the Hot South so the bulb life is generally around 2 -3 years here.

Only problem I have with my tulips is the squirrels like to dig them up and eat them. Well, there's always a challenge in everything you do. :)

Hope that helps.

[zimmy]

Great info - thanks ladies! :flower: