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Monday, April 7, 2014

UPDATE: Black Tulip Fail

It rained last night.
 
This afternoon, I went out to dig up the black tulip bulb. There was no bulb even after I turned up the dirt for about ten inches.
 

about five inches down
 
When I shook off the dirt from the "bulb," there was nothing. So, I dug down about ten inches. Nothing.
 

This is it!
 
Will this ever grow into a tulip? What happened to the bulb? Down further in the ground?
 
my solution
 
While I have lost nothing, I am perplexed as to where the bulb could be.
 
UPDATE
 
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I know better. The black tulip has been planted differently.
 

 
 
I was treating the long white underground part as though it were a bulb. I think the tulip leaf has a better chance of surviving this way. What do you think?
 

Your turn
Will this live in the pellet? What else can I do? Is the second picture better?
 

 


18 comments:

  1. I have some doubts about whether it will survive in the pellet - but nothing ventured nothing gained.
    Could it have rotted in the soil? I know not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think it rotted at all. I can put it in potting soil if anyone things I should.

      Delete
  2. I have the black thumb of death when it comes to plants but I am curious to see what happens with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sonya Ann,
      Even though I came to planting rather late in life, I am pretty successful, but bulbs are not my strong point. Maybe someone has more knowledge than we do.

      Delete
  3. I'm pretty sure you are not going to get that leaf to live...it certainly won't make a bloom...sorry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lynda,
      EVER? t won't make a bloom ever? Rats. Even the last way I planted it? Thanks.

      Delete
  4. I am a plant killer, so you don't want my advice. :) I'm going to respond to your no-reply email in a sec. :)

    -andi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andi,
      Thanks for warning me...lol. I am still confused about the no-reply email. Does anyone know anything about that? In general or on my blog?

      Delete
  5. I'm not understanding why you dug it up? As long as the leaf was growing I would have left it alone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jane,
      I want flowers. Digging up the bulbs and replanting will give me flowers. If not, then it is gone and I can plant something that will bloom. That black tulip was in a place where it always got mowed down. It was not in a bed. It made me sad every time it was mowed. Only exbf did not mow it. He cannot mow any longer because of his hips.

      Delete
  6. Your County Extension Service, part of the State College System and funded by your taxes, is your go-to for all information on gardening, livestock, home economics, farming, etc, they also do 4-H stuff and sponsor agricultural fairs. Ask them for advice, it's free. Every county has an office. They have lots of printed info, too, and that may cost a little. In northern Fl I received a monthly 4 page newsletter for home gardening for $2 a year. Couldn't beat the price or the info.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bellen,
    I live less than a block from our Extension Office and have their number in my phone. It seems that over the last few years, get less good information. Usually, there is just something they emal me or mal me. There is no chance of a followup question. PLUS, if you have an unusual question, they mostly don't know and look up something not so useful. But, I have not given up. There is no cost for information mailed to me, so far. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linda - at our Extension Office I make sure to speak to an Agent, actually a horticulturist, not a Master Gardener as their info seems to be limited. Also, I can access much info on line at the website for Univ of FL - maybe that would be a better source for you. For Alabama it is ACES.edu

      Delete
    2. Bellen,
      I don't think they have Master Gardeners at the Extenson Office here. Today, I talked to a new agent. I mean, he is not the long-time agent. I had looked on the AL site, and the answer to my question did not exist at the time I searched. I also thought maybe there was information at a dedicated tulip blog.

      I hate it when the secretary says to me, "Maybe I can help you." She never can. But, there is a new secretary, too. So far, she has not tried to help me.

      The leaf will not make a tulip, at least no one seems to think so. I tried. Thanks.

      Delete
  8. So what are you going to do with the leaf, throw it away? Where there is life there is hope...maybe...I would stick it in a pot and leave it until it was good and dead then I would leave it for a bit longer just in case it wasn't. If it was still dead after a few more months I might then tip it out into the garden. I'm not into Tulips though so maybe none of that will work for you...

    Barb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barb,
      That was my thought! Sadly, I have dumped that one leaf and several leaves from some other tulips that never bloomed. I did get bulbs there, though.

      Delete
  9. When was it planted? Has it ever bloomed? I feel like I came in in the middle of the movie here and don't know the first part of the story. I don't have a problem growing tulips under most circumstances.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Marcia,
    I have no trouble growing tulips because the first I planted bloomed. The black tulip is a volunteer. My problem was they never bloomed over one more time.

    Here is where it starts--in the post For The Birds. right here:
    http://practical-parsimony.blogspot.com/2014/04/for-birds.html

    This post was just this April on the 6th or 8th.

    Thanks for reading.

    ReplyDelete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.