Tulip Buds dying

After admiring Carol Klein's tulips in containers, I planted lots of pots with tulips last year.   When they had finished flowering I fed them and put them away until they started to sprout.  I also brought fresh bulbs and planted these.   Despite produing healthy leaves and buds, the buds have just become dessicated and produced no flowers.   Exactly the same with the newly planted Any ideas?

Yes, I agree. Tulips do need water when growing, and have to be watered when in tubs if there isn't enough rainfall.

This happened to many of mine, and now Tulip Fire has spread through the lot.  I sincerely hope this isn't your problem as it means I have to stop growing tulips for 3 years!

I had this problem last year - had 2 flowers in a 12 inch pot!  not brilliant.  Spoke to the manager in a local garden shop and he said the most likely thing is mice!!, they are so lightweight they can balance on the stems and chew out the buds, just leaving the very papery casing.  Gave it a go again for this year and they weren't very successful either.  Have now decided not to put any in pots again, but will be trying the trick of planting them in the ground about 15" deep (have heard that can be successful) they can then naturalise if they want to.  I've not had any problems with daffodils in pots they were an absolute picture this year.

Are you sure that it was 15"? I think that 8-10" is around about the maximum.

i too had bad tulips this year first time ever.. goldfinch.. i thought you just could not grow them in the same place for 3 years.. not at all.. i hope that is not so.. i love tulips.

Alina W - I read in another of my garden mags that they can be planted up to 15" deep and just left to it!

Fascinating - I look forward to hearing whether it works!

Susan  I have sucessfully planted a bed of tulips 3 yrs ago and again this year have come up trumps even after two hard winters, so definitely worth a try. good luck