Top-of-the-line Tulips!

As part of the mission statement of this project, I am pleased to introduce to my readers Manju Dileep who has managed to grow Tulips in the harsh desert climes of the Gulf for two years in a row. She has written about her personal experience in growing tulips. I will first put her words here and then my own mistakes and observations. I am hoping that I will be able to grow Tulips next year based on her tips. Here is what she has to say :

Growing Tulips in Dubai – Manju Dileep

First let me tell you all how my love for Tulip flowers and plants started. I was blessed to visit Netherlands in 2019 April for the famous Tulip festival in Keukenhof Gardens which happens every year in March to April. I still couldn’t forget the amazing experience of viewing thousands of multicoloured Tulip flowers

I decided to try growing Tulips in my home in Dubai. I planted some bulbs in 2020, managed to get some Tulip bulbs through my nephew who was travelling to Dubai from Frankfurt. My husband suggested to try simulating cold temperature for the bulbs by keeping it inside the refrigerator for few weeks. So, I refrigerated the bulbs for a few weeks before planting to initiate germination by inducing low temperature to the bulbs. That was the most interesting and important information which helped me grow Tulips in Dubai. After that I planted the bulbs in normal potting soil. The bulbs started germinating in 2 weeks’ time and within 1.5 months two of the plants bloomed to amazing blood red colour flowers. Only 2 out of 5 plants bloomed. Those two flowers were a great victory for me. I kept them in refrigerator for almost 4 weeks and planted them in the last week of November 2020. Got flowers by Feb 1^st week. of 2021 You can see pictures of the flower and plant as below:

This year again I am so lucky that my husband’s friend brought some bulbs for us from Amsterdam during end of August 2021. Again, repeated same procedure. Refrigerated the bulbs for 6 weeks until end of November 2021. Planted them during 1^st week of December 2021. The bulbs started germinating after 2 to 3 weeks. But the growth was fast. Got the first flower bloomed by Jan 15^th. Got two colours this year. Red and yellow which you can view in the pictures as below:

Coming back to growing method, other than refrigerating there’s no special technique I did to grow them. Can pot them 4 to 5 inches deep from the surface. I just used normal potting soil and didn’t add any fertiliser. The place where I kept the plant was only receiving maximum 1 hour sunlight after 3 PM. Maybe we got the flower bloomed because of collective prayer and strong wish from my husband and me! Ultimately, we all know with a strong desire Universe and almighty will make things work for us in a positive way. 

 You can try same procedure for growing. It worked for me then it should work for you as well. Please remember to grow it in the coldest months as Tulip needs our lowest temperatures in UAE as other months will be too hot to grow them!

Article and photos courtesy :Manju Dileep

I am now going to add some more information from my research-

https://www.almanac.com/plant/tulips#

To summarize the main points for the UAE Dos and Donts:

Plant your tulips to the East as they like morning sun in this region

Plant your tuips in late November after keeping the bulbs in the fridge for 3 months.

Have well draining soil, which means compost along with perlite and soil and manure. Tulips don’t like too much moisture.

Space bulbs 4-6 inches apart.

Plant bulbs fairly deep about 3 times the height of the bulb. remember to loosen soil well and make sure you add bonemeal or a phosphorous rich fertilizer.

Water immediately after planting because although they don’t like wet feet, the first watering triggers the germination.

Remember unless there is a drought no need to water the bulbs until the leaves come out then apply bonemeal again and water. In general just keep the soil lightly moist.

To make the soil better draining add some grit to the soil mix.

Dead head the tulips as they go but don’t remove the leaves. The leaves are making the food for the next planting and helping to store energy. When the leaves turn yellow and dry then prune them

The main pests and diseases are –

Gray mold
Slugs
Snails
Aphids
Nematodes
Bulb rot. If you have rats in your area you might want to put a wire cage around the bulb to protect it.

Also we need to dig up the Tulip bulbs around April and then dust them with cinnamon powder or rooting hormone and wrap in a newspaper and keep in a cool dry and dark place. Come August pop them into your refrigerator and keep until you are ready to plant in the first week of December.

Some Fun Facts about Tulips –

1. If you dig up a tulip bulb in midsummer, it’s not the same bulb you planted last fall. It’s her daughter. Even while the tulip is blossoming, the bulb is dividing for the next generation.
2. To get the longest vase life, cut tulip stems diagonally, then wrap the upper two-thirds of the flowers in a funnel of newspaper and stand them in cool water for an hour or two. Then, recut the stems and the tulips will last at least a week.
3. In 17th-century Holland, the new tulip was such the rage and fashion that a handful of bulbs was worth about $44,000.
4. Red tulips symbolize a declaration of love.