Tulip Splendor: A Complete Guide to Growing and Choosing Tulips in Tennessee
Fortunately‚ tulips need a winter dormancy‚ which is just what Tennessee provides to most of its gardeners‚ who come under USDA zone 6b through 7b․ With 12-16 weeks of chill before the first green shoots appear in late February or March‚ these garden gems are beginning to figure out how to thrive here․ If in previous years your tulips were leggy or didn’t flower‚ the problem is probably not the flower but its timing and the quality of the bulbs you planted․
So here’s the second half of a guide to the tulips worth growing‚ what you will get other than pretty flowers and how to get real results from bulbs you plant this fall․
Tulip Types Worth Knowing
Tulips are in the genus Tulipa and the family Liliaceae․ After centuries of hybridization resulting in thousands of cultivars‚ here are the classifications that you actually need to know:
The species Tulips are the closest thing to wild tulips commercially available‚ and while smaller than hybrids‚ are much longer-lived․ Most showy Tulips do not reliably reappear the next year‚ while the species are very reliable․ Tulipa tarda and Tulipa clusiana are good rock garden or naturalizing options in Tennessee gardens where low maintenance and self seeding are desired․
Darwin Hybrids are the workhorses of tulipdom․ Big flowers and big strong stems that hold up even in the strong winds and spring rains: something that’s a real consideration in these parts‚ since it can be 75 degrees one day in April and cold with a heavy storm the next․ ‘Apeldoorn’ and ‘Olympic Flame’ are indie classics for a reason․
Triumph Tulips are mid-season tulips․ They have the most color options and are the most environmentally hardy tulips to prepare as flowers․ Florists largely rely on this type of tulips’ hardiness to prepare flowers․ ‘Negrita’ and ‘Red Impression’ are highly reliable․
Fringed Tulips have serrated‚ nearly crystalline petals‚ including the well-known ‘Burgundy Lace’․ Parrot Tulips are ruffled and twisted‚ resembling synthetic materials that have been twisted or bent․ The two most requested varieties we get asked about are ‘Black Parrot’ and ‘Apricot Parrot’․
Greigii and Kaufmanniana Tulips are dwarf tulips with streaked or variegated foliage․ They are the earliest tulips to bloom‚ often before the last frost of the season․ Their small stature makes them more suitable for the comparatively chaotic late-winter weather of Tennessee‚ compared to the region’s taller tulips․
Double Late Tulips (or peony tulips) have more petals‚ giving them a more rounded shape․ ‘Angelique’ is probably the most photographed tulip variety in the country․ Lily-Flowered Tulips have petals that curve outwards and taper to a point․ ‘White Triumphator’ is a very elegant Tulip‚ suitable for formal or informal borders․
Tulips in Tennessee: when and how to plant․
About mid-October through early December when the soil temperature at a depth of 6 in (15 cm) is below 60 °F (16 °C)․ Bulbs planted in early fall in warm soil can produce roots and shoots‚ which can be damaged by an unexpected warm spell followed by a freeze․ This is common in Tennessee during the late fall․
Dig the holes 6-8 inches deep (three times the height of the bulb) and space them 4-6 inches apart․ The worst problem for most Tennessee gardeners is clay in the soil․ Tulips don’t like wet feet‚ so amend your soil with a few inches of compost or grit before planting․ If your yard has real drainage issues‚ consider growing your tulips in raised beds․
Plant the bulb with the flat base down and pointed tip upwards‚ covering with soil․ Water just once‚ to settle the soil‚ and leave until spring․ In Tennessee‚ tulips usually do not need to be watered during the winter because of rainfall․
Care Through the Growing Season
Once the shoots are up in late winter‚ there is no need to fertilize heavily․ A light application of bulb fertilizer of bone meal at the first appearance of foliage is sufficient․ Too much nitrogen results in luxuriant leaves with no flowers․
In Tennessee‚ the foliage is left to die down naturally‚ though it is customarily cut back once flowering is finished by late April to early May; this messy‚ sixweek process allows the foliage to feed the bulb to produce flowers the following year․ The most common reason for tulips not returning the following spring is the premature cutting of the foliage․
Most hybrid tulips‚ including Darwin Hybrids and Triumph hybrids‚ do gradually decline after 2-3 years even with ideal conditions․ This is normal‚ and is a result of the way they were bred rather than a mistake on your part․ Species tulips are the most likely to bloom faithfully for years‚ but hybrids need to be regarded more as a dramatic but unreliable color splash treated as an annual which has to be replaced every two years․
Why Tulips Are Worthy to Be in a Garden
Tulips perform a functional role as well‚ blooming in late winter to mid-spring when few other plants are in bloom‚ providing food for early pollinators such as mason bees‚ before flowers are plentiful in summer․ Tulips also require little maintenance after their first year‚ for example‚ they seldom need to be staked‚ watered‚ or treated with pesticides in most Tennessee back yards․
Tulips may be grown with other spring perennials whose foliage will cover the yellowing tulip foliage (for example‚ hostas‚ daylilies‚ or ornamental grasses)․ TN Nursery sells tulips and other bulbs which do well in Tennessee soil and climate‚ and companion perennials which will allow a bed to look good from March through October instead of merely for the three weeks of spring typically required to see tulip bulbs in bloom․
A Few Practical Notes
Tulips are eaten by deer and rabbits‚ causing problems in rural and suburban Tennessee․ If you live in an area with a high deer population‚ it may be possible to use a ring of daffodils around a tulip bed‚ as deer will not eat daffodils․
Squirrels can also dig up newly planted bulbs‚ especially if they are planted loosely in the new soil․ Pinned chicken wire just below the soil surface will block them․
Tulips reward a little planning more than they demand constant attention․ Get the timing and drainage right‚ and you’ll find a spring display that will outshine any other flowering bulb․
