I ordered 3 of these bulbs to give them a try as they were quite expensive. Has anyone grown these with any success and have you been able to divide them? I would love to have more of them and would like to know how many years you leave them before trying to divide them. Thanks
Tulipa "Ice Cream"
I planted 8 of them in the fall of 2010. Not very impressed as they just looked like they never really opened, but to be expected by their name. Return rate not great but I still had a few in 2013. As Tulip Ice cream is a Division 11 Double Late (bedding type) so your best bet to get more is to follow this advice from the Royal Horticultural Society
Quoting:
Encouraging re-flowering:
Most bedding type (i.e. not species) tulips are best replaced each year. If left in the ground they are unlikely to re-flower after their first year.
The alternative to discarding old bulbs and replacing with new is to lift and dry the tulip bulbs after flowering;
Deadhead to prevent seed production and wait until foliage turns yellow before lifting the bulbs (about six weeks after flowering)
If you need to lift earlier, place in trays until the leaves become yellow and straw-like
Clean the soil off the bulbs and discard any that may be diseased or damaged
Allow the bulbs to dry thoroughly before storing
Store the bulbs in trays or net bags in a warm, dark well-ventilated place 18-20°C (65-68°F) before replanting in the autumn
As flowering is uncertain, it is often best to use old bulbs in the less important beds, borders and containers, and use new bulbs for conspicuous areas
Dwarf species tulips such as Tulipa kaufmanniana, T. fosteriana, T. greigii and their hybrids often re-flower without lifting. Only lift and divide when clumps get overcrowded.
*Although not usual, some cultivars growing in warm soils, where they can be baked in summer, may re-flower from year to year and possibly multiply.
*I do not lift our tulips and plant many in beds that are not watered much as they like it dry and hot in the summer, so we do get many to come back for years in those particular beds. However, we always plant more each year of many favorites. We do plant as many of the Darwin and any of the species types where the return rate is more reliable. I will look later to see if I have a shot of Tulipa Ice Cream. Patti
Interesting article but I'm not sure how to lift these when they need to be planted in the fall? By the time the foliage dies off, it will probably be August and I will then have to put them back in the ground in October. 2 months drying doesn't seem to be of any benefit. I think I will leave them in the ground and hope for the best.
I assume you can lift them 6 weeks after they finish blooming. If they start for you in early May then you can cut the blooms off by June then you could lift by mid July and replant in Oct which is a tight turn around. I know many in Alberta grow their tulips in pots to get them to bloom much sooner than May. My nephew and his wife live in Sherwood Park and she has bulb envy whenever she sees our garden photos. Patti