You probably know 6 weeks chill is recommended.

I have had 2 experiences due to one thing or another:
1. Chilled from late Oct.thru late December = sparse + poor bloom
2. No chill, planted early Dec. = bloom smaller than normal

My tentative conclusion is that tulip bulbs need to be in soil the 1st week of Dec. - HERE. I'm also Sunset zone 15.

I buy my new tulip bulbs when they appear in the nurseries about the first of September. Throw the bags into my garden refrigerator until I plant them the first week of December. I have never tried the minimum 6 weeks suggested. Every year my tulips average between 24 and 30 inches in height. Bulbs that I have saved from last year, and chilled the same, will bloom about two weeks earlier and be about 6 inches shorter. Al

Thanks Al and Iris girl for your inputs. It looks like I have an experiment to run. I have the same kinds of tulips in the fridge since September. These I will plant them early Dec. The ones I bought yesterday, I will probably plant around Christmas time. I will post my results on this thread in spring. Of course, I am hoping for the best outcome, he, he :)

Hui

How does one encourage this year's tulip bulbs to form a new embryo for next season?

Neal zooman6@me.com

No apples, onions in the fridge either. That messes with flower formation. I chill minium 4 weeks and best results at 6 weeks.

I have always chilled after purchase (September) until December, my best results ever were planting in pots in early December and moving the pots to deep shade and covering with leaves until leaves show.

I have not tried chilling tulips after first year bloom. Bulbs left in the ground sometimes flower, but much smaller. Bulbs will split into 2 or more smaller bulbs after flowering. But by third year they have dwindled down to nothing.

Do people find that chilling helps the bulbs grow larger in the second/third year ?

zooman6 , I know this is an old comment but I'm putting it here for others. To encourage offsets, the bulbs can be planted in pots quite shallowly --- I learned this by accident last year! If you're feeling adventurous, you can make small nicks along the edge of the bulb's basal plate (the flat part at the bottom from which root grow), and usually each nick will throw out an offset.

Everybody go see Descanso gardens tulip beds if you need a tulip joy break in so ca by Pasadena. Tulips here are worth the effort. Everyone loves them.

Just wanted to correct that 6 week chill time previously mentioned.....it is a bit short. Tulips need 12-16 weeks of temps 40F or below to grow and flower properly.

I think you're right, longer is better. It's my impulse buying on the sale rack that gets me. Then i only have 6 weeks. If I wait longer, the warm days ruin the flowers when they finally arrive. Buy early and chill longer for best results.