When it comes to tulips, I often wondered why they first bloomed so nicely, but after a few years, they seemed to have fewer blooms, or disappear entirely. One year all I had was a lot of foliage, but no blooms. So, what is the problem--and why don't tulips multiply and re-bloom like crocuses and daffodils? Since tulips are native to soils that are thin and rocky, with cool, wet springs and hot, dry summers,it may be that they simply don't perform in our temperatures and soils. If you're like me, most of my tulips are planted in areas that get watered, irrigated or sprinkled through the summer. This causes them to split apart, making many smaller bulbs. These bulbs are the reason for lots of foliage, with no bloom--they simply aren't big enough yet. The added summer moisture also can cause them to rot. For this reason, many gardeners plant fresh tulip bulbs each year, when they get the maximum size and vigor of the bulb. However, there are a few varieties that seem to stay intact before splitting--for quite a few years. The research is still ongoing, but if you can, search out for varieties that are marked as perennial tulips, and they will perform longer than most varieties.
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