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tulips losing their heads

I have a front garden border with tulips which were planted in the winter. They came up a few weeks ago and were a loverly display. Earlier this week two of them had there flowers 'snipped' off about 2 inches below the petals. Now there are 4 that have suffered the same fate. I dont know that if the fact that the one affected are all yellow in colour has any baring on it but none of the other coloured tulips have been touched. Also the heads are just lying by the plant and haven't been eaten or collected.

Does anyone know what could be the reason for this? I live in a Glagow city suburbs with very few wildlife issues to worry about. 

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Posts

  • PatsyDPatsyD Posts: 35

    Wind?

  • bcosergiobcosergio Posts: 27

    PatsyC - I considered that also but I dont think that the wind was that strong over the time that this happened. Also the fact that its only happened to 4 so far out of 30 odd seems a bit strange.

  • lazy gardenerlazy gardener Posts: 317

    Birds-some are attracted to yellowimage

  • bcosergiobcosergio Posts: 27
    lazy gardener wrote (see)

    Birds-some are attracted to yellowimage

    Thats the winning explaination at the moment. Any more bids? image

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039

    definetely birds. You will often see eaten yellow crocuses whilst the purple ones are left untouched

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Pigeons fighting/mating (hard to tell the difference!) around here.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • AuntiemandAuntiemand Posts: 51

    Do you have any cats in the garden?   One of my neighbours cats has a penchant for tulips.   She doesn't eat them, just chews the stems, about two inches under the flower.   Not always does she chew right through so I often come home to pots of tulips with heads hanging by a thread.   Other times the blooms are in the bottom of a pot.  Both my neighbour and I have caught the minx a it.

    I'm warned every year and neighbour raises her puts so they are pretty much out of reach.   I try to cover adjacent pots so the cat can't sit and nibble but she will sit in mt night phlox, alyssium or even campanulas to reach.   

    She's had red, white, pink angelique and yellow so far this year.

    Not sure it's a common problem but if it's not birds?

  • muddy maremuddy mare Posts: 106

    imageimagemy tulips are also being deadheaded also parsnip seedlings scratched out,and potato tops scatched out and pecked the culprits......pheasants

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    One of my tulips was snapped and dangling about 3 inches below the bloom - it was either the wind or it could've been knocked by a blackbird flying down from the fence to rummage for worms in the border.

    As for pheasants, regard it as fattening them up - get them used to feeding there and in the autumn soak some raisins in brandy and put them out in the garden - the pheasants will love them and get so sozzled you can walk out and pick them up - fill your freezer - that'll teach them image (don't tell the local farmer/gamekeeper I told you image)


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • muddy maremuddy mare Posts: 106

    he he have already had a word with the game keeper!!good idea though dove !the kitchen garden now looks more like a scrap yard with all the metal defences and scare crows they dont seem to like the aparagus though ......thank goodnessimage

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