Can i plant tulips so they flower June/July ?

[strat2215]

Does any one know, if i wanted my tulips to flower in June/July time, when i should plant them? I wanted to plant white/ivory colours. Thanks

[Newt]

Hi Strat,

Unfortunately you don't say where you live and which species or variety of tulip you have or want.* Spring blooming bulbs such as tulips usually bloom after a certain length of chill time.* For tulips it's 14 to 20 weeks.*
http://www.virtualseeds.com/ChillingTimetable.html

If you have the bulbs and haven't planted them, you could pot them up and put the pots in the refrigerator until the middle to end of May.* If you want them to flower outdoors you could sink the pots into the ground up to their rims.*

Do be sure not to store any fruit such as apples or pears in the refrigerator with your potted bulbs.* The fruit will off-gas and destroy your bulbs.* Here's how to force bulbs.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...re/DG1116.html

Newt

[strat2215]

Hi, thanks for the reply.* I live in Essex in the UK. I dont know anything about flowers,* so i cant tell you what species, apart from i wanted white/ivory colour.* I havent bought the bulbs yet, is there a particular bulb you would recommend?

I will have a look at the links you sent me now, putting them in the fridge sounds a good idea, so would i put them in the frige for the full 14 - 20 weeks (so from now untill May) and then put them outside in May, with the hope they would flower by the end of June beginning of July?

The reason behind me trying to do this is because i am getting married 4th July next year and wanted tulips.* I thought it would be a nice idea if i coul grow some of the flowers for the wedding rather than just buying them imported.

[Newt]

Congratulations on your upcoming marraige!* Having bulbs bloom exactly when you want them to can be tricky.* It sounds like you haven't purchased your bulbs yet, so you may have a problem finding them at this late date.* Considering where you live, your bulbs could easily be planted in the ground, but they may not bloom when you want them to.* Since you want to try and control when they bloom, you could try and plant them in pots, keep them in the refrigerator and force them to bloom when you want them to.* Personally, if this were my wedding, I wouldn't count on being able to do this, but I would try and force the bulbs anyway so as to have extra flowers.* :)

Newt