Where Do Perennials Grow – Tulips vs. Daffodils

Many gardeners and people who simply like having a beautiful flower garden each year many want to look into perennials. Perennials are typically sold and reproduced as bulbs, but some are sold as seeds and those like the rose bush are usually sold as a live plant with an established root and stem system.

One thing to consider with bulb perennials is what grows best where and how to preserve the bulbs until the next season. Not all perennials do well in all locations, so it might not be possible for one to grow certain flowers in certain areas.

Two general favorites include daffodils and tulips. Both grow from bulbs and may produce flowers year after year, both of them do not like the same soil, climate and locations.

Tulips should be planted in late August or early September and will bloom in the spring. Plant daffodils in mid-September.

Daffodils need to be watered generously after planting, and require an inch or so of rain or someone watering them to keep them strong. Using mulch, pine bark or similar ground coverings to will help keep the soil moist.

Tulips do not need so much rain as daffodils. As a matter of fact, if the soil remains too damp the bulbs are more subject to rot. This makes tulips better for more arid regions. Daffodils thrive better in areas that have larger amounts of annual rain.

During the spring, in the southern states, daffodils blooms are seen decorating yards, a business’s lawn area and even along roads and highways. They are a resilient flower, but do not handle cold very well. For this reason, they are rarely found in states in the northern part of the country.

Both tulips and daffodils do better in organically rich soil, but the daffodils prefer a slight higher acidity in the soil than tulips.

Storage of the two different bulbs is also quite different. After removing tulips from the ground, wash them gently and pat them dry. After the skin of the bulb is nice and dry, they should be stored in a refrigerator or something with a constant low temperature. The bulbs are more subject to rot if stored in a plastic bag, so a paper bag is more ideal.

Daffodils are generally not removed from the ground except to split up the bulb clusters. If one does want to remove them to replant them somewhere else, different measures of care are necessary. Like the tulips, the daffodil bulbs should be washed and patted dry.

These bulbs should be stored in something such as an onion sack or even panty hose to allow maximum air flow. This should then be hung in an area that is coo, but not cold. These bulbs need a room or such that receives plenty of fresh air.

When considering storage over leaving the bulbs in the ground, the two should be divided at different intervals. Daffodils bulbs should be separated only once every five to ten years to separate the bulb clusters as they will produce more blossoms as a cluster than tulips. Tulips should be separated each season to avoid mass clusters. If the tulip bulbs are allowed to clusters, only a few of the bulbs will result in a bloom.

It is suggested to plant tulips in groups of three or four bulbs, but plant daffodils in groups of ten to twelve in a circle formation.

Because of these differences, if someone has a favorite perennial flower, it may not be possible to grow them in their area. The flowers may not thrive or even grow in that area. There are many sources to aid one in deciding what to plant and what not to plant. It may be wise to do a bit of research before planting.