They say no two snowflakes are alike and you could nearly say the same thing about tulips.  Few flowers come in a bigger variety of shapes, sizes and colors. The Master Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension have some tips on growing them.

You can find tulips with single, double, ruffled and fringed blooms.  And we won't even try to name all the colors, suffice it to say, many.  The gardeners says while they are a true perennial, many replant every other year.  From a weather standpoint, tulips love cold winters and dry summers.  Here are some other tips:

  • grow in full to partial sun.
  • use a well-drained sandy soil
  • plant tulip bulbs in the fall, 6 to 8 weeks before the first hard frost
  • place bulb point facing up

Tulips are also another flower often given as gifts this time of the year. Once they finish blooming, remove the bulbs from the container and store in a cool, dark place and plant them next fall.

Get more information on growing any plants, trees or shrubs with fact sheets at Cornell Cooperative Extension's website or call the Horticulture Hot Line at 315-736-3394 between 9 and noon Wednesday and Fridays.

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