I recently got some Tulips from the mark-down rack and thought I'd give them a try this year. I'm positive I'll have to over-winter them in the 'fridge. Same with a couple of Hyacinths I picked up too. So... to help them think they will be nice and cool... I put them in the old ice cream maker that Hubby gave to me. Tulips in ice cream maker ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )
That ice cream maker never looked better. A perfect combination. It doesn't get cold enough in Texas for the winter for the bulbs to go to sleep? I will be back in a minute........don't go away...........oooooooh! O.K. you don't have enough chill hours...... vernalization........but you can simulate it in a refrigerator. Chill hours are anything below 45°F. Looks like tulips need 12 to 16 weeks, 2016 to 2688 hours. That doesn't leave much room for milk, veggies and other stuff in the refrigerator. You would have to mark the bulb container so you did not put them in a salad during the winter. Jerry
I love tulips.I have put crushed ice in the tulip bed but mine did great when we got the 3 times in snow a couple of years ago.I really like your ice cream maker.That is soooooo pretty.
Jerry.... thanks for doing the research on chills hours for me. 3-4 months in the 'fridge. No problem on the space. Food doesn't seem to last very long here. I will definitely put a big label on it. I know I'll remember what's in there... but who knows when "The Dragon" might go looking for a snack? Glenda... thanks for the tip about the crushed ice. Hmmm... too bad I don't have an old freezer that isn't self defrosting. Geez... never thought that I'd be wanting to defrost the freezer! Thank you both on the kind words on the ice cream maker. I didn't really want it painted/stained. But Hubby said since he found it, he was going to do whatever he wanted with it (geez... he sounds just like me!). And since I would be the recipient, I just said thank you. (And I must admit... I like the way it turned out.)
