A Better Tulip

Even though we all start with the same Tulip bulb, not every grower will ship the same caliber of plant. The quality of any Tulip flower is heavily influenced by the care with which it has been grown. 

Nearly all the Tulip bulbs on the market today are supplied by the Dutch, so the perception is that one grower’s Tulip crop will be pretty much the same as another’s—same bulb, same plant. The accepted wisdom is that last year’s plant is already growing inside this year’s bulb.

The reality is that last year’s bulb only has an infant flower inside; that flower needs care in order to grow. As the bulb puts down roots, it will have to draw nutrients and manufacture food to help the flower continue to thrive once it emerges.

To maximize profit in the Tulip business requires maximum speed; commodity tulips are grown fast—flushed with heat, doused with fertilizer and rushed onto the calendar. The attitude is: get them up, get them out, cash them in. This explains why you might see Tulips with weak stems, stretchy leaves and small blooms. The only energy involved comes from the bulb itself and whatever fast food a grower can grab.

It turns out that bulbs require a more natural spring than the simulation a production hothouse can provide. Cooler nights are a must, and plants prefer to sip their fertilizer rather than gulp it; plus, water timing makes a difference. When you supply them with the proper conditions, Tulips will reward you with a truly superior flower: a big bloom with a strong stem to hold it up—and a robust plant that looks nice and healthy. 

It’s no secret that we buy a better grade of bulb; this usually results in better hydration, more sugars inside the plant, and an advanced start to the process of sending out strong feeder roots.

To create an eye-catching display, we drop 6 bulbs into each of our 6.5-inch pots; this means you’ll get a stand of Tulips rather than just one or two shoots. Our attention to detail guarantees that the Tulips we grow are quality Tulips your customers will be sure to notice.

We choose to ship our bulbs very, very tight; we know that flowers peak for only so many days before the petals fall. Our aim is to provide you with the greatest number of days to sell Tulips that offer the best possible shelf life and in-home lifespan.

Our Tulip collection is available in six different colors:

• White
• Purple
• Red
• Yellow
• Orange
• Pink

We also carry a fancy double Tulip, ‘Monte Carlo Double Yellow’.