Should You Dig Up Tulip Bulbs Every Year: Here's What the Pros Think

12.10.2023 12:58

To answer the question of whether annual digging of tulip bulbs is mandatory, we first need to delve a little into the theory of the problem under consideration.

Thus, according to the expert of the online publication BelNovosti, scientist-agronomist, landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , the bulb of this plant contains buds, from which bulblets are formed next year.

The “mother” bulb itself dries up, since it transfers all its nutrients to the same “daughter” bulbs.

So, if these bulbs are not dug up every year, they will go deeper and deeper into the soil.

As a result, tulips will bloom later and later each year, since they will need more time to germinate.

Tulip
Photo: © Belnovosti

But that's not all: the duration of flowering, unfortunately, will decrease - your tulips will shed their petals faster, and the flowering itself will not be as lush as with annual planting of bulbs.

Moreover, after 3-5 years you won’t even be able to dig up the tulip bulb – it will go so deep into the soil.

As a result, in the place where tulips bloomed profusely relatively recently, there will be no tulips at all.

Elena Shimanovskaya Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Editor of Internet resources