TULIPS IN THE SUN

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Well I figure that today was a good time to plant the Tulip bulbs in a pot .

My garden helper Odette was there to supervise and make sure that I did things to her satisfaction. That was OK with me because I figure she knows as much about Tulips as I do.

I got the Tulip bulbs for free early this year. I was in an office where the manager was throwing out a pot of Tulips

that had lost their bloom. I ask her if I could have them and she gave them to me. I stored the bulbs and stuck them in the refrigerator wrapped in paper on November 11th.

I read that Tulips need the cold to make them want to grow so the time in the refrigerator was the best that I could do here in South Florida.

Anyway today seemed as good as any to plant them. I put them in a recycled pot and filled it halfway with some organic soil mix with the bulbs pointing up.

After that I just poured the remaining soil mix over the top of the bulbs. Then poured some rainwater over the soil to wet it out.

The only thing left was to put a homemade plant marker into the pot

so I don't forget what and when I planted them.

I have no idea if these Tulip bulbs will even come up much less flower. But Christmas time is a time for miracles so who can say. Time will tell as always.

And my Christmas wish for all the nice folks who have stopped by my blog.

I wish you good health, safe travel, and the best holiday ever.

------------sanddune------------------------------------------------

NEW PUPS FOR FREE

Several new pups on my Bromeliads are here and ready to start a new free plant. What I have learned with the Bromeliad plants is that the bloom on the plant signals its slow demise. But it also tells the plant to make new offspring to carry on.



This Brom has been in bloom for several months. Nothing about a Bromeliad happens fast.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It now knows that for its species to survive it must reproduce. So it does before the main plant slowly fades away.


It starts new plants that are called pups to propagate the plant.



In the picture { click on any picture to enlarge it } You can see the two new pups this plant has produced. They are ready to be planted on their own as new plants. In fact, I planted this Bromeliad as a pup from it's mother.
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This Pineapple Bromeliad is also ready to have its pups form new plants. Each pup can be cut from the pineapple and will grow into a separate adult. The adult will mature and have new pups to complete the cycle.



Ok, you say but how can I use that Revelation. Well, since you ask, I'm fittin to tell you.

If you have a friend with a Bromeliad in bloom that you like ask if you can have a pup. It wont be long before they appear and you have your own for free. A little patience and you will soon have pups of your own running around.


This is one of six growing from pups I have harvested from one Bromeliad. They make great gifts or barter plants with gardener friends. Note: Of course my garden helper Odette had to get in the picture. She is hunting lizards she hopes I will flush from the plants. To her a high speed chase with a lizard is great dog fun.


Anyway where was I . Here is how I harvested the pups from an earlier post:
http://sofloridagardening-sanddune.blogspot.com/2009_05_17_archive.html
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And finally it is the middle of November and I can plant my free Tulip Bulbs. I got them from a lady in an office who was throwing away a potted plant with spent Tulips. I have been saving the bulbs in a coffee can and now is the time to plant them, in a bag, in the refrigerator. According to what I have read they need the cold to start growing so in South Florida that means the fridge.

I am hoping to leave them there until around January when we get our colder heat here and plant them outside in a pot. Yes, growing Tulips in the tropics sounds stupid but one of the advantages to being a gardening nimrod is that you don't always know when you are doing stupid things. Besides I have been waiting since spring to be able to put these bulbs in the refrigerator. Hope the wife don't think they are onions.

-------------------------sanddune--------------------------------------------------------