Bulbmeister.COM - Discussions

TulipManiac · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject: stems that are too long

I've been growing tulips in my little garden plot for four years. Last year, for the first time, many of my tulips grew stems so long that they started to keel over and I had to stake them. (This was always a few days after bloom started - I had the impression that the stems continued to grow.)

This never happened before. Did I not plant the bulbs deep enough? Or was it simply a happenstance result of weather and other conditions? (Once it got warm enough for bloom to start, it didn't get any warmer for about a month, so I think bloom was prolonged.)

Thanks,
TuMan

kmirvin · Site Admin Joined: 01 May 2000 Posts: 101

TM:

Two common culprits for weak tulip stems would be planting too shallow or not enough light intensity. Since your tulips got an early start, could shading from a building have been a culprit?

If you were trying a new variety, maybe it could be a poor trait. Maybe just plant that variety deeper next time.