Spring annuals
By Brownthumb
Va,
United States 
To Helofaddigger and Spritzhenry, thank you for responding. This is the third season for my tulips. The first year all of the bulbs flowered. Last year, about half. This year, less than six. I have fed the plants and mulched. I haven't divided the bulbs because I really don't know when would be the right time to do so. I have the same problem with my hostas. They are doing great. Almost too good. They were planted a year before the tulips and they are huge. I just don't know when the time is right to divide my plants. As you can see, I'm a novice gardner with a lot to learn.
26 Apr, 2008
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spring bulbs
Answers
If they have been in for some years, they may have deteriorated to the point where you need to buy new ones. When you buy tulips (and some other bulbs) they have been 'treated' commercially and are often thrown away at the end of the season, or popped into a corner for colour for maybe another year or two. Do you feed them? This should help, other thought is - are they really deeply down in the soil?
27 Apr, 2008
Spritz could well be right about the short lived nature of tulips I change mine around each year so don't notice if any go astray! lol Hel.xxx.
27 Apr, 2008
Tulips do grow tiny bulbs on their sides but I do believe that the hassle of digging them up, potting them and nurturing them with no guarantee of success is too much work when you can buy new ones in the autumn at reasonable cost. It's not just a question of dividing them, unfortunately. Are they particularly special ones? There are so many lvely species and colours now - have a change!!! :-)
27 Apr, 2008
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You don't mention if these were newly planted last autumn?
If your bulbs have been planted a long time they will need dividing maybe this is your problem? Hel.xxx.
27 Apr, 2008