Tulips… or something else? First time planting!

Is it too soon for this little one to pop up? I planted the bulb in November, and I think we’ve had our last cold frost here in Alabama. It’s been rainy the past few days, and today’s high is 72°F.

First time growing tulips—really hoping for big, healthy flowers! Should I remove the three flowers to help it focus on leaf growth?

That’s a hyacinth, not a tulip. And no, it’s not early!

Marin said:
That’s a hyacinth, not a tulip. And no, it’s not early!

Haha, good to know! It’s a bit chaotic between my tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils. I tried to plant them in a pattern, but my dog decided they were a snack. :woman_facepalming:

Flynn said:
I thought it was a hyacinth too! Removing the flowers won’t make a difference—tulips only bloom once a season, then you have to wait until next year for new flowers.

It could be! I had a mix of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, but my dog scattered them and ate a few, so I lost track. Is it normal for them to bloom like this?

Spring is on its way! :seedling:

That’s a hyacinth!

Did you plant the bulb too deep?

Lane said:
Did you plant the bulb too deep?

I started with about two inches of soil on top, but between the rain and my dog digging around, the dirt got disturbed and compacted over time.

The soil temperature matters more than the air temperature. If it’s been averaging 50°F or above for about five days, then it’s not too early. Looks like it might have been planted too deep. Try clearing some of the mulch so the leaves get full sun.

@Milo

@Shawn

Camden said:
Did you chill the bulbs before planting? Tulips in warmer climates can end up stumpy if they don’t get enough chill hours, and they won’t naturally get that in mild Southern winters.

I didn’t do any controlled chilling. They were in my garage from October to November, but we still had some warm days back then.

@Camden
That makes sense. I’ll make sure to chill them properly next time and not plant them as deep.

As a kid in Indiana, our tulips basically grew on their own without any effort and kept multiplying each year. Now I realize there’s always more to it than it seemed!

Yup, that’s a hyacinth!

What exactly are we looking at here? Can you share more details—when you planted it, where you are, how deep the bulb was planted, and what else is growing nearby? My tulips are still tiny and have just one little leaf, definitely no flowers yet.