Frequently Asked Questions
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Q. What are the instructions for this year's study?
A. Click Here for Instructions for this year's study.
Q. Exactly how does this Tulip Project work?
A. You can review last years' programs for a good overview. We will follow the same procedures, so you should find it helpful as you plan to participate.(But don't get lost--remember to you go back to the most current year for ordering info, and Updates)
Q. We
planted Journey North bulbs last year and they're still in the ground.
Do we need to plant a garden (new bulbs) again this year?
A. Yes! New bulbs must be planted each year for the Journey North study.
This is because many variables affect tulip growth in the bulb's second
year. If people were to reuse bulbs, these variables could not be controlled
so the experiment would not be reliable. Therefore, you must plant at
least a dozen or more new bulbs each fall for your "official"
Journey North garden.
However, you can still use last year's bulbs for experimental purposes!
Students can dig them up, and weigh & inspect them before replanting.
They can plant the old bulbs beside this year's new bulbs and compare
how each grows. Or, they can vary such things as the amount of sun, heat,
water, etc. the old bulbs receive.
Remember: Next spring, you may only report on the growth and blooming
of the new, "official" bulbs as part of the Journey North experiment!
Q. What if it's too expensive to buy new bulbs every year?
A. Only buy
a few new bulbs for the official experiment. (As mentioned above, a dozen
is enough.) Use the new bulbs for reporting to Journey North about your
garden. Dig older bulbs for other types of experiments so that each student
has his or her own.
Q. Exactly how close to a building may we plant our garden? Is it OK
to plant inside our school courtyard, for example?
A. Please be VERY careful not to plant near a building or other shelter.
(Remember, your goal is to find a place that accurately represents the
general climate of your region. Otherwise your tulips will not be a true
indicator of spring's arrival.) As described in the Microclimate
Lesson, you and your students can investigate by measuring local temperature
conditions at various places around your school. This will show you whether
nearby buildings or other structures might alter the temperature of your
garden and interfere with your experiment.
However, although this is extremely important, we do recognize that you
may have very few options available for a planting site. Therefore, if
you are simply unable to plant your garden in a open area, plant it in
the best place you can find. In the spring, however, please be sure to
mention the drawbacks of your site when you report from your garden. In
your spring report, describe the microclimate of your garden and explain
why you think this has affected your results.
Q. In
the spring, what do we do if it freezes after our tulips emerge?
"We're very concerned about the tulips because if we get a freeze,
there is nothing to protect them. If a freeze is predicted, do you want
us to cover them? " asked Mrs. Min of Crystal Lake, IL.
A. Because this is a scientific experiment in which we're attempting to
measure spring's pace, it's important to let nature takes its course.
After all, the experiment wouldn't be accurate if the tulips were protected
from natural conditions. However, we understand that everyone has become
quite attached to their tulips by now. Therefore, we recommend that you
designate some tulips your "official Journey North tulips" and
leave them exposed. You're welcome to cover the others. Report to Journey
North ONLY on the progress of your official tulips.
Q. In the spring, should we water the garden if there isn't much rain?
A. Again, because this is a scientific experiment in which we're attempting to measure spring's pace in your climate, it's important to let nature takes its course.
Q. Throughout the Seattle area, tulips seem to be a bit vertically challenged this year! We are wondering if this may be due to a frigid cold snap that occurred in March, after a couple of weeks of higher than normal temperatures and sunny days.
A. Yes, a drastic change in weather can cause tulips to be stunted. (They are a bit more heat-sensitive than daffodils and other spring bulbs.) This often happens when a warm spell is followed by a cold snap.
Q:
I planted tulips inside and outside. The sprouts inside were green
and the sprouts outside came up red at first, then turned green!
I've really wondered about this. Does it have something to do with
the weather?
A:
The red is actually a pigment in the tissues of the tulip leaves. When
the tulip is under any kind of stress, which could be the cold temperatures
at ground level during emergence, the red will be visible. You can see
this kind of pigment showing on leaves in the autumn when the movement
of water and food is cut off the leaves before they drop.
Q:
Why did the tulips in a raised flower bed have larger leaves than
the ones in the ground? These also bloomed a few days later. Is there
a reason why?
A: Raised beds provide better drainage and tulips love good drainage,
so the plants grow larger. Also, the soil above ground can warm faster and the
plants grow sooner.
Q:
We planted single tulip bulbs in October. When we dug up a sample
bulb in April, we noticed that the bulb had developed a second
bulb attached to it. How does this happen?
A: YES, plants want to grow, so sometimes they will have offshoots
or multiple bulbs, it is the sign of a robust healthy bulb to have offshoots,
which under the best conditions will develop into multiple plants. It's the
way of a tulip increasing itself, and over the centuries, the best plants survive
and are here to stay.
Still Have Questions?
If you have any additional questions about this project, please contact
Journey North.
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