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Tulips in wrong pot

EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
in Plants
Hello, I was expecting crocus in this 8”/20cm pot. As you can see, it’s tulips instead . They aren’t dwarf ones, but are small because they are crowded I think. I was redoing a border last year, and these were no doubt in the pot “temporarily”, and I forgot. I’ve never tried to move tulips when in active growth. Would this be a bad idea?
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    No problem as long as you do not disturb the roots too much. I have about 20 pots of Tulips to go in when the soil is a bit warmer.
  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    I've moved tulips whilst in growth without causing any harm to them/ Gently tip them out of the pot on to your hand to avoid damaging the growing points. Take care not to break the roots and transfer them into the required pot and cover with compost.
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    thank you ! 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    I planted what I thought were pink tulips, along with some darker pink tulips in the bed I wanted them in, then when I went to pot up the red tulips in a pot realised I had already planted them in the 'pink' bed!  I dug up what I thought were the red ones but will just have to wait until they begin to flower.  At which point I will carefully lift them, as described above and get them in their proper pot.  Doh!
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Transplant if you like, but I also think your tulips will be fine it hat pot. The bulbs can be planted very tightly and they will be fine.
  • shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
    I agree with Fire. Let them do their thing this time. I have pots stuffed with multiple  layers. Maybe you thought they were crocus as they were a smaller bulb/variety? When I have things I want to move I use a coded system with cable ties. E.g. I got several free bags of daffs with orders recently and I had no idea what they were so I planted in pots and now they have flowered I put 0-4 mini cable ties loosely on each flower stem to denote which variety. Can also be used on mixed tulips etc. Use the lowest numbers on the most numerous.
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