My Potted Tulips Are Dying

Season

• Tulips bloom very early in the season and bring some of the first color to gardens and flower pots. They maintain flowers and foliage only through summer, though, and fade back at first frost. Even potted tulips lose their foliage and enter dormancy. The bulbs bloom again in spring after a winter resting period.

Crowding

• Tulips self-propagate at their bulbs and need frequent manual separation. This is especially true in pots, which offer limited soil space. If tulips stop blooming and produce only thin, weak foliage, they may be crowding the pot. Dig the bulbs up and separate them at the natural divisions. Put half of the bulbs back into the original pot and move the other half to new pots and containers.

Light and Temperature

• Tulips are hardy bulbs and survive even the coldest winters, but require bright light and warmth in summer. The plants refuse to bloom without light and fade quickly without adequate warmth. Keep potted tulips in full sunshine or artificial light all day, indoors or out, with temperatures of 70 to 85 degrees F.

Soil, Nutrition, Water

• No flowering plant can grow, thrive or bloom without adequate soil and nutrition. Keep tulips in pots with drainage holes for circulation and use a mix of rich garden loam and organic compost. This soil provide nutrition and lasting moisture availability, with quick drainage. Don't use acidic peat moss foundations, which will burn sensitive tulip roots. Use bulb or 5-10-5 fertilizer in spring to provide additional nutrition, and water the tulips with 2 inches of water every week.