Tulip bulbs - plant BEFORE or AFTER the first frost?

[AntiqueBooks]

Hello

I'm seeing conflicting info re this.

After the first frost to minimise Tulip Fire or before the first frost to give them enough time to put roots down before the hard part of winter?

Where do you stand on this debate?!

Thanks

I've got green noses poking up too. I also pruned my roses and clematis as they were starting to sprout.
I'm growing these Claudia tulips in pots.

Think I might move my bulb pots to the back window ledge as squirrels less likely to get them there.

I've always planted my tulips in November, but this year im going to plant them in spring - if I get around to it. I'm in Cornwall so warmer but very wet.

I've always planted them in pots and it's my understanding that they are fully hardy. They have certainly always survived rain and frost perfectly well.

If you're worried about too much rain then make sure your pots are raised up off the ground so they can drain properly.

I think tulips need at least 12 weeks of cold weather so best planted earlier than spring

I didn't really mean spring but was too late to edit. I think of after Christmas as spring tbh, even though it's winter.

I am taking Bunny Guinness's advice which is to buy tulips in the January sale and plant them straight away

All my bulbs (daffodils, iris, crocus) have green shoots EXCEPT my tulips. I wonder if the wet/cold was too much for them and/or if planting them in multipurpose compost as opposed to with grit just didn't work. (Before I knew any better). Time will tell!

The ready-potted ones from Tesco and Lidl have green shoot, just not the ones I potted myself.

Is it too late now for me to plant some tulips in pots? I planted most in beds in Nov but had some left over which I intended to get some pots for - then Christmas got in the way. Should I plant them now?

@Elektra1 they generally say New Year is the cut off I think. Google suggests if they flower they will be small. But you may find they come back better next year, especially if you feed/put in new compost.

Alternatively you could buy some ready-potted ones from B&Q/Lidl (those already have green shoots) and save the bulbs for this autumn?

Do they just “keep” for next autumn or do I need to store them in a particular way?

I've got noses in sunny parts of garden but not in darker parts, or pots in darker parts. The species tulips have a good 6 inches of foliage already in sunny areas.
T
Its a relatively new garden for me and I've got loads of showy hybrids in areas that I didn't realize were full shade- they're full sun in summer! Pretty sure I've wasted a lot of money and time planting them.
At least I know for next year 😬

@Elektra1 keep them cool, dark and dry. So in a cupboard inside the house I think.

Finally seeing a tiny green shoot on the tulips I planted myself. So they are way behind the ready potted ones I bought from b&q and Lidl.

Here is the current state of play.

The big pots are bulbs I planted myself. The smaller pots are things I bought ready-potted. For purposes of comparison. (Each is in front of the relevant home-potted equivalent if you see what I mean)

From left to right it's:

1. Tulips (barely sprouting) - 3 pots from B&Q and lidl in front for comparison
2. Iris - 1 pot in front from B&Q for comparison
3. Crocus (colour already showing). Couldn't see any ready-potted ones in shops.
4. Daffodils - 1 pot in front from B&Q for comparison

My mistake with my home-potted tulips was putting them in too-rich soil. I suspect they also got pretty wet over winter although they had some shelter.

I think your home grown tulips will be fine, just a little slower than the shop bought and you may be pleased of that later in the season as will stagger flowering a bit potentially.

I've now removed my potted daffs and crocuses from the "staging and experimentation" area in my back garden (said area shown in photo above with bench) and put them out the front alongside my snowdrops. All have only a sliver of colour. (My front garden is south-facing)

My hellebores and skimmias are still out the front and looking fab so it's a nice big cheery display.

Crocus, daffodils and snowdrops out the front. Alongside skimmia and hellebores.

I planted mine in November and they're all coming up! A guy I work with imports his bulbs and plants close to 2000 each year in his garden. He digs all the bulbs up after they've flowered and brings them into work and plants the new ones. I always follow what he tells me as his garden is beautiful

You know, I've only realised at the ripe age of nearly 43 that crocuses are small like buttercups. Not big blousey things like tulips!

I was surprised how small mine were when they appeared, the photo on the packet makes them look big!

I don't remember the bulbs being ultra tiny when I planted then!

You can get different sizes of flowers! Depends on what type you’ve bought. I don’t think any are quite as big as a tulip but I think most are bigger than a buttercup.

Went away for a week and excited to see a lot of growth in the tulip pots on my return!

Earlier this week, I moved my potted bulbs to the front of the house (south facing) so they could start getting some of the sun we now have.

Left to right:
Back row - iris, crocus, daffodils
Front row - iris, 2 x snowdrop, daffodils

The big pots I potted myself. The small pots were bought ready-potted from B&Q

Tulips making progress.

The big pot I potted myself. The smaller pots I bought ready-potted from B&Q and Lidl.

To complicate matters, some of the dwarf species tulips are smaller than the big crocuses.

I can see why daffs and tulips are the most popular, they're the most impactful. For impressing those who walk past my house!

I can also see the attraction of buying ready-potted and smaller pots at that! Planting up and lugging around huge pots is not my idea of fun!