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'Tulip Lessons' with George Lessens

It's time again for tulips!

HOLLAND, Mich. - Weather plays a vital role in the growth and cultivation of tulips. Every year, when we have typical West Michigan weather, the tulips are blooming and beautiful when Tulip Time rolls around. That’s because when you’re talking tulip cultivating, it’s all about temperature.

When it’s below 50 degrees, tulips do grow, but at a really slow pace. As the temperatures rise, so does the growth rate. By the time it gets above 60 degrees, look out! They’re really booming!

To get tulips to maximum size, overnight temperatures need to be over 55 degrees. This allows the tulips to keep that growth rate going throughout the night.

Once the tulips bloom, the temperature needs to stay in the mid-60s to hold the blossoms. Too hot and they’ll die. Rain temperature matters, too. Warmer rain will make them grow faster, but heavy rain will give those tulips a beating and knock off the blossoms.

A hard frost will kill the tulip blossoms as well. Usually that doesn’t happen in May. We might get a light frost, but they will survive that.

You can use this basic information to raise tulips at your house. Take plants in at night if it’s going to get too cold and keep them warm to get big, beautiful tulips.

And what about all that crazy, cold weather we’ve had this year? It may have kept the tulips on hold, but now that the weather is warming up, they’re growing quickly!

You can get a check up on the City of Holland’s tulips with their Tulip Tracker by clicking here.

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