How Late Could December-Planted Tulips Emerge?

[GardenGeisha]

It has been a wack-o winter here in Salt Lake City, Utah, Zone 6ish. We've had a lot of abnormally high temperatures and not much snow at all. I didn't plant my new tulip bulbs (Appledoorn mix) until December 3, and the ground was still unfrozen then. My other older tulips, which have been in the ground for several years all seem to be up, and they've been up for some time now. However, I see no signs of the newly planted bulbs. Is it possible they didn't receive enough chilling with the warm winter we had, and that they will still come up, albeit late, if we get colder temperatures in the next few weeks? We did have some temperatures around 15 degrees F in December, after I planted them. Do you think the warm winter did them in? How late is the latest you've ever seen tulips come up after being newly planted in December in Zone 6? I hear that the Skagit Valley Tulip festival is going to be held earlier than usual this year, since the tulips are going to bloom there earlier than usual.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Someone who lives here tells me she planted daffodil bulbs last November, and they are just barely poking through in her garden, whereas her established daffodils are at least 6" tall. She pointed out that daffodils tend to come up before tulips in the spring, so maybe there is still hope for my tulips. I don't want to dig around until I'm sure they are not going to come up...

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I'm no help, as my daffodils and relatives are now done for the season. But my tulips have about 5" of leaves showing. Everything is waaaay early here in the Sierra Foothills.

 

[catjac1975]

It has been a wack-o winter here in Salt Lake City, Utah, Zone 6ish. We've had a lot of abnormally high temperatures and not much snow at all. I didn't plant my new tulip bulbs (Appledoorn mix) until December 3, and the ground was still unfrozen then. My other older tulips, which have been in the ground for several years all seem to be up, and they've been up for some time now. However, I see no signs of the newly planted bulbs. Is it possible they didn't receive enough chilling with the warm winter we had, and that they will still come up, albeit late, if we get colder temperatures in the next few weeks? We did have some temperatures around 15 degrees F in December, after I planted them. Do you think the warm winter did them in? How late is the latest you've ever seen tulips come up after being newly planted in December in Zone 6? I hear that the Skagit Valley Tulip festival is going to be held earlier than usual this year, since the tulips are going to bloom there earlier than usual.

They should come up at the appropriate time. It depends on the soil temp. They may just be a different variety from what you had. They should grow perhaps not flower this year but I doubt it. Were they in good condition when you planted them?

 

[GardenGeisha]

I have planted tulips as late as January and had them flower that same spring. They seemed in good condition, yes.

 

[catjac1975]

Then my guess is variety. They could also be deeper because they are newly planted. I think tulips tend to come up closer to the surface as the years pass.

 

[GardenGeisha]

That does make sense.

 

[GardenGeisha]

CatJac, the first one has poked through today! Yippee!