On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 17:17:53 GMT, Pam wrote:

Frogleg wrote:

On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 14:04:10 -0400, Pelvis Popcan
wrote:

It also begs the questions - how are tulip bulbs produced for sale in
the first place?

Very good question. Hope someone knows the answer.
snip
I live in one of the largest tulip bulb producing areas of the world - we
actually generate more tulip bulbs in the Skagit Valley of Washington
State than are grown in Holland. Heck, we even ship 'em to Holland!

No kidding! You learn something new every day.

bulbs are dug each year after the foliage dies back, are sorted by size
and age, kept in dry storage over the summer and are replanted (by machine
- we are talking 100's of acres here) each fall. Bulbs that are harvested
for sale are three to five years old, so those little baby bulbs you find
if you dig up your own tulips do indeed mature to full size, flower
producing bulbs PROVIDED they get the right conditions and care. Unlike
narcissus, tulip bulbs do not split (or shouldn't - if they split you
have damaged them in digging) or produce multiple "noses"- they do produce
offsets or baby bulbs each year which is what is grown on by the growers
to produce full size bulbs.

So what you're saying is it's probably easier (and cheaper!) to just
plant new tulips each fall and enjoy the spring display. And hope you
might either have ideal growing conditions, or one of the varieties
that *does* come back/multiply in place. At least I can stop thinking
of my lack of success as a personality flaw. :-) Thanks.