tulips and daffs - can anyone tell me what we've done wrong?

[CoffeeCrazedMama]

We planted loads of daffodils and tulips back in the autumn, and while there has been lots of foliage we had only two daffodil flowers and to date no tulips flowers. Can anyone advise why this is the case? I have never been a very keen or skilled gardener but this year we are really trying to turn the (south facing) garden around and have had a lot of success with other plants.

This happened to me too. I was told I didn't plant them deeply enough. HTH

Thanks Pixel. And dh used a fancy new bulb planter I got from the garden centre to put them in, too! Better luck next year to both of us eh?

If they're not planted deep enough, they will never flower. You'll need to take them up and either replant them or throw them out and replace them.

The usual rule of thumb is to plant them in a hole which is at least twice, and preferably three times, the height of the bulb.

leave them

they'll be better next year

and the next

and the next

sorry, I'm with wigwambam, if they didn't flower the year you put them in (when they are all fresh and plump and happy from being cosseted in their growing field in the netherlands or whenever) they are unlikely to do so in the future. And tulips can be very stubborn about flowering again next year anyway. Dig em up, plant em deep, give them some nice food and water and say you are sorry.

mine didnt flower the first year

god you should see them now

Thank you all so much. It is great to get so much helpful advice. Think we will dig them up and plant them deeper. So much for the fancy bulb planting device! AND I have just ordered a new compost bin (really fed up with throwing veg peel and rotty stuff from fridge in the bin) so by next autumn they will be going into revitalised, organically nourished soil!