Take care to ensure the return of your tulips

Q. What can I do to ensure my tulips come back next year?

A. Many a gardener anxiously awaits the arrival of spring, and the bloom of the tulip. If you're like me, a spring bed with daffodils, hyacinth and of course the regal tulip play a prominent role in welcoming the new gardening season.

However, while daffodils multiply and hyacinths reappear without fail, tulips make dwindling appearances or are a "no show" at the spring party. Why? You could blame it on squirrels or chipmunks, you could blame it on soil or fertilizer, or point the guilty finger back at yourself, but the reality is the tulip requires nurturing to increase the likelihood of a repeat showing.

Here are a few pointers for the not-so-faint-hearted gardener who wants a showy group of tulips to grace their spring flower beds.

• Choose tulips meant for our climate. Most Illinois gardens are zone 5, while tulips range in hardiness - some not meant for wild fluctuations such as the freezing temperatures of January and February in the Midwest. In addition, ensure tulips are in a well-drained garden bed. Tulips subjected to extended periods of moisture will rot.

• Cut the flower and leave the greens. It's important to allow tulip bulbs to photosynthesize via leaves long after the flower has faded. Camouflage greens as they slowly die back by interspersing other perennials. Day lilies and hosta are great companions to spring bulbs.

• Feed tulips and all your spring bulbs. Fertilize spring bulbs in the autumn and spring. Use a mix of 10-10-10 bulb fertilizer plus two cups of bone meal per ten-square-foot area in autumn, and 10-10-10 bulb fertilizer again in the spring just as young shoots emerge from the ground. Bone meal moves slowly through the earth, so mix it an inch or two into the soil to ensure it reaches bulbs.

• Mulch bulb gardens. This will maintain more consistent temperatures and retain moisture in the soil. Two to 3 inches of mulch helps encourage healthy bulbs and other perennials.

• If squirrels are a problem, place a layer of wire mesh just above bulbs prior to covering newly planted bulbs in the garden. New shoots of spring bulbs are not inhibited by the mesh, but squirrels are usually deterred.

Keep in mind commercial growers remove bulbs and select only the strongest stock for showy spring gardens and catalogs. If you're looking for perfection, you'll need to dig up and inspect tulip bulbs after green leaves have completely died back in early summer. Bulbs that are soft or not well formed can be set aside while the best specimens are replaced in the garden. If you're like me, thoughts of spring bulbs are fleeting once summer is in full swing, and then there's something to look forward to next year.

Look for other tips on healthy bulbs by visiting the University of Illinois Extension website, extension.illinois.edu/bulbs, or ask a Master Gardener!

- Olga DeSio

Q. Do I have to get my indoor plants and seedlings used to being outside gradually?

A. The frost free date in our area is mid-May, so the beginning of May is a good time to begin thinking about hardening off plants. "Hardening off" plants is the process of getting indoor plants accustomed to outdoor temperatures seven to 14 days before transplanting them, by gradually exposing them to new light sources, temperature variations and water amounts. Just as we do not appreciate that blast of cold winter air in our face, plants are very sensitive to the shock of being moved from that cozy warm indoor environment to the harsh outdoors.

The biggest shock is the significant increase in light intensity outdoors. Outdoor light can be as much as 100 times brighter than indoor light.

Start placing plants outside in a shady area, avoiding midday full-sun exposure, for one to two hours a day for the first two to three days. Wind is a danger to plants accustomed to the house or greenhouse because it dries out a plant very quickly and can cause them to snap or be knocked over. Place plants in a sheltered area and bring them back indoors for the night.

Keep in mind plants are living in a 60 to 70 degree environment and freezing temperatures will kill your plants. After seven days, your sun-loving plants should be ready for temperatures above 45 degrees. Bring them back inside if it is below 45 degrees.

After seven to 14 days, plants are ready for transplanting. However remember to not force them into drastic conditions to which they are not accustomed. Transplant them in the evening or a cloudy day. Water them immediately after transplanting and continue to monitor the watering as they will be actively growing and requiring more water and nutrients than they did indoors.

Too much stress can cause injury or death to the plant in addition to making them more susceptible to pest problems. Acclimate those transplants, seedlings and houseplants to their new environment and they will be growing abundantly in your garden.

- Bev Krams

Q. When and how should I transplant my hostas?

A. Hostas make for a great shade perennial and can be transplanted in the spring or fall. If you choose to transplant in the spring, do so once the eyes have popped up but before the leaves begin to unfurl. If you choose to wait until fall, it's best to transplant in September in our area. I recommend you divide in spring, thereby giving your transplants the rest of the growing season to take root.

Some slow-growing varieties may need longer before being divided while your fast-growing varieties may require division every two or three years. Some varieties never require division. If you notice your hostas are crowded and the center clump starts to die out, it may be time to divide them.

To begin transplanting, make sure your soil is moist. If not, water the area the day before you plan to divide your hostas. You need to be careful to keep most of the root system intact when transplanting. I recommend you use a shovel and submerge it into the ground circling the hosta, being careful to protect the roots. Some hostas grow really large and may require that you dig as deep as 15-plus inches while others may only require you dig down about 8 inches. Once you've done this, gently pry the hosta out of the ground.

Now that you've got the hosta dug up, you can take a straight spade and divide it. When dividing, do your best to avoid slicing too many eyes. Depending on the size of the hostas you want to transplant, you can divide your one large hosta into halves, quarters or thirds.

Once divided into multiple plants, you can replant each hosta. When doing so, plant them at the same depth they were prior to dividing. Also consider adding some compost to give your soil a boost. Thoroughly water your new plantings to get out any air pockets in the soil, which will ensure your root system gathers the moisture necessary to grow.

Whether you choose to transplant in the spring or fall, your hostas are sure to bring joy throughout the years as you divide and multiply. Happy planting!

- Wendy Reiner

• Provided by Master Gardeners through the Master Gardener Answer Desk, Friendship Park Conservatory, Des Plaines. Call (847) 298-3502 or email northcookmg@gmail.com.