I am new to flower gardening and was given a potted Angelique Tulip plant. The plant needs to be repotted or planted in the ground (which is what I prefer), but I haven't a clue on how to go about it. Any suggestions? Syble
Tulips The best way is not to move the tulip until it has died back (when leaves all turn brown). Tulips are dormant by fall, so you shouldn't move the plant until then. Be very careful with the bulbs when you take them out of the pot, as any injuries to the bulb may allow for fungi or other pests to get in and kill the bulb. The small bulblets can then be carefully taken apart. The best idea is to store the bulbs overwinter in a cool dry place, such as a basement. Moisture can cause the bulbs to rot or turn mushy. If you want to plant the bulbs directly into the ground in the fall that is alright, but make sure they are in a well drained area or they will rot. The biggest problem with planting bulbs directly into the ground is mice! If you suspect there may be hungry mice in your area you may just want to leave the tulip in a pot. The trick is to dig a hole in the ground and put the entire pot into it. Then hide the pot with a slight mound of soil. This keeps your bulbs safe and allows you to put them in your garden at the same time. Plus you could do this at any time if you just want the plant out of the way. If you feel like you really need to put the tulip into the ground now you can do it, but you have to be incredably careful with the roots and aviod breaking up the soil (keep it in the pot shape if you can). Pre dig the hole and test it's size by setting the pot in it before atempting to take the tulip out of the pot. As you can see you have lots of options! Good luck.
Angelique Potted tulips, sadly, are really intended to be composted after blooming. The bulbs are usually quite small after blooming, and need lots of sunlight and goud soil to rebuild themselves. Even with all your care they may not bloom again next year. And Angelique is not reliable about coming back a second year, even when planted in the ground in the first place. For reliable tulips that will come back year after year, choose any of the gorgeous Darwin Hybrids this fall, and plant them in the ground.
