 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Answers From the Tulip Expert
Mary
Hockenberry Meyer
Extension Horticulturist and
Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota
Special thanks to Dr. Mary Meyer, for providing her time and expertise in responding
to your questions.
Questions From:
A.C.E. Program, MI
terhaar@northernway.net
Q. We have a hard time seeing the results of our tulips because of the deer. They
nip off the leaves, buds and stems. Any suggestions?
A. Deer love tulips, they eat them like we do ice cream !! Plants like tulips
in the Lily family are good food. Plants in the Amaryllis family, like daffodils
have alkaloids that are not good to eat and few animals eat these. So, try planting
other bulbs if you cannot fence and keep the deer away. Dogs are also good deer repellants,
but that may not be practical.
Questions From:
Winslow Elementary, NY
smueller@rhnet.org
Q. When we dug up a tulip bulb in February it had a long yellow-green sprout. When the tulips emerge in the spring the emerging bud is red. Why does the color of this shoot change?
A. The color changes as the plant matures and gets older, and as it gets more light. Exposure to light is the big factor.
Questions From:
St. Francis Intermediate, MN
julsti@stfrancis.k12.mn.us
Q. Our tulips started blooming in our raised garden bed 4/9/99 and we are wondering how come they are so short this year? The stem is maybe 1 - 2 in. tall which makes the bloom very close to the ground in the middle of the leaves.
A. Good question !! Here are some ideas: Is the variety the same as last year ? Some tulips are very short, Red Emperor is early and short. The raised bed may have helped to heat the soil up faster than if they were planted in the ground and given the tulips a head start. If conditions were not ideal from the time the bulbs were planted until flowering, many environmental factors can influence the development of flowers, too cold, too warm, etc.
Q. Our tulips are blooming a lot today 4/12/99. Is this early for the Minneapolis area? Our teacher says her tulips are still coming up in her garden and they are Red Emperors too.
A. So, you do have Red Emperor ! They are a short tulip, but one that is early and lasts well from year to year. My Red Emperor on the North side of my house are just at peak of bloom this week (April 29). If your tulips are in full sun and on the south side, they would get the warmest conditions and thus be the earliest to bloom. The raised beds also warm up faster than in-ground soil. April 12 is early for tulips in Minnesota!
Mary Hockenberry Meyer
Extension Horticulturist and
Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
3675 Arboretum Drive
Chanhassen, MN 55317
Copyright 1999 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
