bulbs and woodchips

Hello,

I am trying to get a digital camera or some pics scanned so I can actually contribute some pics rather than always asking questions! But one thing that is bothering me..

I have added some garden centre manure raked it over. Weeded and laid down some mulch, small bark chips..Is this the right time to mulch? Now its getting dark I can't do much in the garden in evenings so I thought it would keep weeds back.

I've planted lots of bulbs, will these be able to push up through the mulch next spring? Have put quite a think layer down. (Will it decompose by next spring?)

I have really quite loose sandy soil so I hoped it might help add a bit of bulk.

Hope I'm not going to suffocate all my tulips and daffs?

 

Definitely the right time to mulch. I'm sure your bulbs will be fine. It will have rotted down a fair bit by spring, and it's all light, loose material anyway. I have covered all my pots of bulbs with a thick layer of bark to keep the weeds at bay.

 

Cheers sparkle thats good news!

 

I too have planted my bulbs and covered with a thick mulch of bark chippings, if it keeps the persistent away, I am more than happy for the bulbs to have to work a little harder.

 

I have just been reading tips for making your Tulips more perennial. They recommend planting Tulips eight inches deep. If a bulb can push through eight inches of earth, two inches of mulch is a breeze.

 

I have been fighting the perennial tulip fight for some years and would appreciate advice. In my experience a few varieties seem to cope better - notably the double early varieties and needless to say the triumph things, and the species natch, but apart from about five sucesses in the cultivated tulip field I have a woeful list of failures. In this department I rate anything that comes back but you wish it hadn't - the odd leaf, half reverted flowers, etc.

Success anyone? Please share

 

Sorry - I can't help at all. Gave up on tulips and glads years ago. Persuaded myself that I didn't like them anyway.

 

Hello crouchend. Whilst I lived in England I never had much luck with bulbs, especially tulips so definitely gave up on them. I am convinced they are a "personal" liking just like glads!

Unlike Hornbeam I do like them both but only if store bought ... in particular glads which last a long, long time in a huge vase in front of a huge open fireplace ... lovely memories!

 

When I first came here - I found tall yellow and red single tulips. Not knowing that tulips should be lifted, I let em bide. They were in a reasonably sheltered spot in cultivated clay - came up year after year, even crossed to provide me with some interesting yellow and red colour combinations.

Since then I've grown other dwarf tulips in containers and border and they again have come up again next year - but not as good and not as vigorous. Again they were kept on a fairly sheltered location.

I wonder if the shelter keeps the clay a little less sodden than elsewhere - or protects them from the worst of the freezing temperatures.