Description of a Germinating Tulip

Germination Process

• A germinating tulip should start off by issuing a green shoot from its bulb. This happens after the bulb is in cold soil for about 16 weeks, during which time the bulb's root system is developing. This 16-week period usually takes place during the winter season.

  To tell if the tulip is germinating in the spring, look for the green shoot to rise about 3 inches above the soil. At this time, make sure the air temperature around the plant is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and check to make sure the bulb does not dry out. In the next one to two weeks, the shoot will get longer and the bulb will grow fatter. The tulip flower then will come from this shoot and open up when the temperature reaches about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The blooms last about one to three weeks in mid- to late spring.

Tulip Types

• Tulips appear as single delicate cups and are available in a broad range of colors. While many tulip stems grow to about 14 inches long, still others can get as high as 30 inches tall. The long single late tulips germinate well in warm climates. They can be dark maroon, as in the case of the "Queen of Night," or get as light as the "Maureen," which is snow white.

  You also can grow lily-flowered tulips, which feature solid stems, petals that are shaped like arches and bulbs that have points on the end. Meanwhile, the "Darwin" hybrid tulip has blooms that supersede the size of those of all other tulips.

Varying Appearances

• If you spot a germinating tulip that looks like a peppermint, this is called the "Lady Tulip." Meanwhile, tulips that are light in color, shaped like stars and have a yellow center are considered the "Lilac Wonder." Other features that stand out on tulips are huge red and yellow lines on petals that have sharp-looking ends, which are characteristic of the Tulipa eichleri species.

Conditions

• To get tulips that germinate strongly and produce the greatest amount of color, plant no less than a dozen tulip bulbs together, placing them about 4 inches to 6 inches deep in your tulip planting soil. Also, note that germinating tulips typically resist disease, but they will begin to feature brown patches and produce stunted and disfigured leaves and stems when attacked by a fungal disease called tulip fire.