A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum milorganite and flower color?

So here's what I'm wondering?

I've posted down in gardener's chat lately about how all the tulips that I've bought that were supposed to be pink, are blooming blood red!!! Even though some of the packages were from different growers. And today, I noticed that some tulips that I've had for a few years and bloomed a pinkish-purple before, are blooming bright red!!!

Sooooooo - can milorganite cause flowers to grow a different color than what it's supposed to be? It is 4% iron, 5% nitrogen, 2% phosphate, 1.2% calcium, and 1% chlorine.

I really need to know why all the bulbs that I buy that are supposed to bloom pink, are blooming bright red instead? I do put a LOT of milorganite down when they are sprouting leaves because the deer eat the leaves EVERY year, and it does work as a deterent.

I really do not do red flowers, and am planning on digging up many many bulbs after they bloom and giving them to my friend who only does red. Unless anyone can help me solve this problem?

I know there is a mosaic virus that creates streaks of colour in your tulip petals, but I've never heard of completely changing colour. The streaked tulips can eventually revert back to red. I couldn't find much info but I did found these:

"It is one of those things which is very hard to explain. Both tulips and daffodils are very strong colored and will not change color depending on sun exposure, moisture, temperatures, or soil pH."
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Bulbs-709/Tulip-Problems.htm

"Tulips do degenerate over the years often reverting to plain colors. If it is within your budget, planting new each year is best. "
http://members.aol.com/valecroft/maygardeningqanda3.html

"Q.
I don't get it. I have lived in my home in northern Idaho for 5 years. When I moved in there were no TULIPS on the property. I have planted various tulip patches, mostly in pinks and purples. A couple years back I notice some red tulips and some yellow tulips appearing.

At first, I just thought they may have been old bulbs that were for some reason dormant and had been "stirred up" by my planting, but each year more and more red and yellow are appearing and less and less of the colors I planted. Are my tulips changing colour? I planted three tulips in a certain corner of the garden and they were supposed to be a pale greenish white flower, which the first season they were, now this year all three are yellow!! I don't get it. Is it some sort of pollinating thing or what?

A.
Your tulips are almost certainly cross breeding and seeding down, the young tulips slowly reverting to basic colours. Some tulips can change colour due to eelworm attack, eelworm is endemic in some soils. If you don't want other colours to appear, remove and destroy the seed heads after flowering. "
http://members.aol.com/valecroft/maygardeningqanda.html

"Highly bred tulips can revert to parental forms, or get a virus transmitted by aphids, which cause color variations. "
http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/01/garden041201.htm

I have heard of people who use tulips as annuals and just discard them and plant new ones each year, but my wallet doesn't allow me to do it. Besides, they come back year after year and the varieties are the same offered every year. Hope the quotes and links helped a bit.

Thanks for all that information Kenny!

The thing is... most of the bulbs were newly purchased last fall and planted then as well. So either the growers are not providing the correct color bulbs, or something is going on in my soil?

I'm going to look in the garage and see if I saved the packaging - I usually try to do that - and then see if there is any contact info on them!

Nothing would surprise me about colour changes in anything. I planted red astilbes and they bloomed red for two years, now they are pink. Could never figure it out either.

I know Lynne doesn't like red though, that's the worst part.

I found this from the 'madscience' site...

Tulips, may change
color when exposed to acids or bases because of the anthocyanins they contain.

That is interesting Tamara - just asked Don and he said that it is pretty neutral according to the elements in there.

And yes... I really do not like red flowers, and there will be many bulbs for me to dig up if I have to.

I could not find any of the packaging from them. I'll have to ask in the store next time I go if anyone else has found the same problem with the colors.