Just to make sure I understand, the top photo is last year's bulb with its babies/offsets?

And in the second photo, the bulbs with red Xes are the last year ones?

I didn't know what the circled ones were.

They look great though! Please post back about if the babies bloom!

Oops. Didn't make it clear but you got it. The one circled is last year's with all 3 splits not separated. It occurs to me I won't know which bloom belongs to which bulb. I will be documenting the performance of 'Daydream' to chart its performance over 5 years, I hope.

I imagegoogled Daydream. It's gorgeous.

interesting to see. Do you cool the bulbs and then grow them in containers?... if so, even more impressive!

Years ago, I planted Daydream, a darwin hybrid. I loved the look, starts out yellow and turns a orangey peach. 6 bulbs in the hole. 2 years later I counted 60 blooms on that clump. It always needs dividing here, or grows itself to death. the most prolific tulip I've ever grown. I've got a pic of that clump somewhere. If I can find it I'll post it.

If you prevented flowers forming on any of the offsets, they will definitely bulk up enough for a guaranteed bloom the following year. If you decide to allow the larger offset to flower, remove the bloom before seeds develop.. Also, tulips will split into smaller offsets in looser, shallower soil...which is why so many potted tulips are more like annual plants. Planted deeply, a bulb will usually only split into one smaller daughter bulb rather than numerous smaller offsets...although this alone will not guarantee reliable perennial returns.

Sounds like I have been planting my Apeldoorns too shallow and getting all kinds of small divisions. Thanks for the info.

For me, the Darwin hybrids and species stay with me the best. Also they need fertilizer. Where I live, I try to get some on when they break the ground in spring, and after bloom. Also I try to plant the Darwins at least 8 inches deep.

Flowergirl, what kind of soil do you have? Does planting 8" deep keep ground freeze from reaching the bulbs? Thank you.

I live on a hill, about 2 spades down its white clay. All the dahlias I left in the ground froze last year. I plant them about 8 inches deep. Tulips were fine.Glads live over, they are around 6 inches. Here I think it depends on snow cover. I have terrible soil, I try to mulch with compost every year.

Back home in Iowa the garden had been garden for 90 years and it was essentially clay all the way down. Else where around the farm stead there was good rich clay based black dirt. Good old Iowa black gold. Here in Minneapolis, I hit sand down about a foot and a half. Both places frost generally goes down as much as 4'. Tulips don't mind the frost, neither does garlic nor my daylilies or any other of my hardy perennials. The frost does go deeper in open ground than under snow cover or mulch. One thing about deeper tulip planting is that there is less danger of frost heaving than if planted too shallow. I suspect the roots are more secure and so possibly divide less...

Thank you for the information on your soils. I had wondered about the different depths of planting. Didn't know if soil or freezes contributed and I see the heaving in a snowless freeze does. Since you have clay, Flowergirl, I may dig deeply into mine and try some 'Daydream' tulips in an unimproved area. And pray a gopher doesn't fall off the retaining wall across the street and relocate here. Thanks.

OldDutch - 4 ft.! Augggh, that is cold.