tulips

[mutantpoodle]

do tulips grow up in grass
an area that used to be 'lawn' we have decided to let go
lots of new life activity but not so many flowers yet...(buttercups of course but...)
I was thinking to stick tulips randomly in the area

crow bar to make hole...pop in bulb...keep fingers crossed !!

i other places they seem to come up in flower beds which are not manicured or maintained...and in one or two places even up through grass
but I dont want to plant lots if it wont work

[mc2fool]

Sure, but how much are you going to "let it go"? Like daffs (and many other bulbs) you should let the foliage die back naturally after flowering and only remove the leaves once they've wilted and turned brown, or they may turn "blind" in following years, i.e. sprout foliage but no flowers.

So if your "let go" will still include mowing/strimming before that happens then expect them to flower just once and after flowering dig them up and throw them away and replant new ones the next October.

Indeed, many tulips are naturally only annuals when it comes to flowering and will turn blind after the first year, so be particularly aware of that when buying cheapo bulbs. Darwin hybrids are the ones that are supposedly most reliable in repeatedly flowering year after year.

The other thing to watch out for with tulips is grey squirrels who, along with crocuses, find the bulbs to be a tasty snack and will sniff them out and dig them up. The solution I use is chicken wire, on the ground above the bulbs, covered with a cm or two of soil for aesthetics....

[swill453]

Round here the deer eat all unprotected tulips (foliage and flowers). Daffodils are left alone.

Scott.

[BullDog]

Yes, we are unfortunately plagued with increasingly large numbers of grey squirrels. To the extent that I have been thinking of buying a couple of squirrel traps. But then I have the problem of dispatching and disposal of them. We used to have a garden liberally planted with snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips etc.... All we have now are bluebells. All the others have been eaten. The squirrels leave the bluebells alone. This year they've been more determined than ever planting conkers and acorns. Chilli powder discourages them but the rain washes it away.

[mc2fool]

Yes, we are unfortunately plagued with increasingly large numbers of grey squirrels. To the extent that I have been thinking of buying a couple of squirrel traps. But then I have the problem of dispatching and disposal of them. We used to have a garden liberally planted with snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips etc.... All we have now are bluebells. All the others have been eaten. The squirrels leave the bluebells alone. This year they've been more determined than ever planting conkers and acorns. Chilli powder discourages them but the rain washes it away.

Ha, curious, I've never heard of them going for daffodils; they certainly don't go for ours and they're planted unprotected (as are our bluebells). Most other bulbs, and especially snowdrops, crocus & tulips, we use the chicken wire...

[kiloran]

Yes, we are unfortunately plagued with increasingly large numbers of grey squirrels. To the extent that I have been thinking of buying a couple of squirrel traps. But then I have the problem of dispatching and disposal of them. We used to have a garden liberally planted with snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips etc.... All we have now are bluebells. All the others have been eaten. The squirrels leave the bluebells alone. This year they've been more determined than ever planting conkers and acorns. Chilli powder discourages them but the rain washes it away.

I can lend you one of our foxes, which hurtled up the garden and leapt into the shrubbery last week and caught a squirrel.

--kiloran

[BullDog]

Yes, we are unfortunately plagued with increasingly large numbers of grey squirrels. To the extent that I have been thinking of buying a couple of squirrel traps. But then I have the problem of dispatching and disposal of them. We used to have a garden liberally planted with snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips etc.... All we have now are bluebells. All the others have been eaten. The squirrels leave the bluebells alone. This year they've been more determined than ever planting conkers and acorns. Chilli powder discourages them but the rain washes it away.

I can lend you one of our foxes, which hurtled up the garden and leapt into the shrubbery last week and caught a squirrel.

--kiloran

Great news for you. We do regularly have night time visits from Mr Fox and it seems there's a family. We had a young fox sunbathing in the back garden earlier this year. Unfortunately, they seem to be having no effect on the local squirrel population. Though they are probably enjoying rabbits. I rarely see one.

[88V8]

Yes, we are unfortunately plagued with increasingly large numbers of grey squirrels..

Air rifle.

Regards tulips, PO here was very keen on them, apparently used to plant c200 pa, of which perhaps half a dozen remain. They need sun, and our garden has a lot of shade.

V8

[BullDog]

Yes, we are unfortunately plagued with increasingly large numbers of grey squirrels..

Air rifle.

Regards tulips, PO here was very keen on them, apparently used to plant c200 pa, of which perhaps half a dozen remain. They need sun, and our garden has a lot of shade.

V8

Yes, air gun is under consideration and will be essential if I buy a couple of squirrel traps. They really are getting out of hand locally.

[88V8]

Air rifle.

Yes, air gun is under consideration and will be essential if I buy a couple of squirrel traps. They really are getting out of hand locally.

I used to skin squirrels for the pot. Haven't bothered for a while but it seems a shame to throw them to the buzzards, as I do currently.
This looks a bit faffy... jus.... and one does need one per person but solos can be put in the freezer to await a companion.
We, or rather OH, usually puts them in the pressure cooker. After prep, I mean.

V8

[BullDog]

Yes, air gun is under consideration and will be essential if I buy a couple of squirrel traps. They really are getting out of hand locally.

I used to skin squirrels for the pot. Haven't bothered for a while but it seems a shame to throw them to the buzzards, as I do currently.
This looks a bit faffy... jus.... and one does need one per person but solos can be put in the freezer to await a companion.
We, or rather OH, usually puts them in the pressure cooker. After prep, I mean.

V8

Hmmm. Maybe Mr Fox would be interested in an easy meal if I get a couple of traps.

[mc2fool]

Air rifle.

Regards tulips, PO here was very keen on them, apparently used to plant c200 pa, of which perhaps half a dozen remain. They need sun, and our garden has a lot of shade.

V8

Yes, air gun is under consideration and will be essential if I buy a couple of squirrel traps. They really are getting out of hand locally.

Very likely a pointless exercise, as in a very short period of time neighbouring squirrels will discover your no/lower competition food source and move in to replace the ones you bump off ... unless you figure on roping in all your neighbours for quite a distance into a geographically widespread mass extermination campaign! But even that will only give you a temporary reprise ...

[BullDog]

Yes, air gun is under consideration and will be essential if I buy a couple of squirrel traps. They really are getting out of hand locally.

Very likely a pointless exercise, as in a very short period of time neighbouring squirrels will discover your no/lower competition food source and move in to replace the ones you bump off ... unless you figure on roping in all your neighbours for quite a distance into a geographically widespread mass extermination campaign! But even that will only give you a temporary reprise ...

Yes, that's why I haven't bothered so far, but the population locally seems to be multiplying sharply. I suppose eventually it will be self regulating if we get more foxes as a result. Meantime they're a bigger nuisance than ever presently.

[Dod101]

On the subject of tulips in grass I doubt that will do much because of deer and rabbits in my case but even when I protect them, in my experience they will flower only for two or three years. I find that if they are in a border and if I am liberal with compost I can extend their lives but I would not put them in grass. I put them in pots and replace them every couple of years.
Dod

[mc2fool]

Very likely a pointless exercise, as in a very short period of time neighbouring squirrels will discover your no/lower competition food source and move in to replace the ones you bump off ... unless you figure on roping in all your neighbours for quite a distance into a geographically widespread mass extermination campaign! But even that will only give you a temporary reprise ...

Yes, that's why I haven't bothered so far, but the population locally seems to be multiplying sharply. I suppose eventually it will be self regulating if we get more foxes as a result. Meantime they're a bigger nuisance than ever presently.

Actually I'm surprised you don't find the foxes a bigger problem. Aside from digging up bulbs, which we prevent with chicken wire, the squirrels don't cause any problems for us. The foxes, on the other hand, poop everywhere, dig huge holes in the lawn and other places, and go through periods of having fun ripping up the drip watering system.

[BullDog]

Yes, that's why I haven't bothered so far, but the population locally seems to be multiplying sharply. I suppose eventually it will be self regulating if we get more foxes as a result. Meantime they're a bigger nuisance than ever presently.

Actually I'm surprised you don't find the foxes a bigger problem. Aside from digging up bulbs, which we prevent with chicken wire, the squirrels don't cause any problems for us. The foxes, on the other hand, poop everywhere, dig huge holes in the lawn and other places, and go through periods of having fun ripping up the drip watering system.

Fortunately there's plenty of ideal fox habitat bordering three sides of our house which probably explains the different experience. I think Mr Fox is doing a great job keeping rabbit numbers down probably because they're easier to catch than squirrels. On the other hand, the squirrels like nothing more than a nicely looked after lawn to bury their nuts in. This year, much worse than ever, it seems.

[Nimrod103]

I wish I knew more about tulips because some live a lot longer than others. I have some large yellow flowering tulips in my front garden border which were there when we bought the house nearly 40 years ago, and they still come up just as good every year. I seem to recall there were also some red ones nearby, but I put a spade through them by accident, and have never seen them since.

OTOH all the tulips I have bought since come up for 2 or 3 years, but gradually get smaller and fade away.

AIUI tulips should be planted deep, the deeper the better, and relish being down at the level where the soil won't dry out significantly in the summer.