Why Do My Tulips Look Unhealthy?

Do the leaves of your tulips have large, ragged holes in them?

Are the leaves yellow and distorted, and are the bulbs decayed?

Are the leaves yellow and is the whole plant stunted?

Are the leaves of your tulips streaked or spotted and flowers rotted?

Are the leaves and flowers streaked or mottled, foliage may be spindly and deformed?

Do your tulips have spots on stems and foliage?

Large, ragged holes on the leaves are caused by slugs and snails. Slugs and snails feed on the plant leaves usually at night. To control slugs and snails use diatomaceous earth around your plants. You can also handpick them during the night or use shallow dishes filled with beer as a trap.

Yellow and distorted leaves and decayed bulbs are caused by insects - Bulb mites. These tiny, whitish mites feed in groups on bulbs. Infested bulbs have corky, brown spots that become powdery. Bulb mites are attracted to damaged or rot­ting bulbs but can move to healthy ones. Dig and destroy severely infested tulips, solarize the soil before planting in the previously infested ground.

Yellow leaves and the stunted plants usually indicate Tulip bulb aphids. These aphids infest both the bulbs and aboveground portions of the plant. They suck sap from leaves, stems, and flowers, causing foliage to curl, pucker, and yellow. Spray infested plants with insecticidal soap. Destroy seriously infested bulbs or try dusting them with pyrethrin.

The likely cause for these symptoms is a fungal disease - Botrytis blight. Other symptoms include slimy, collapsed leaves and flowers. You can only prevent Botrytis blight disease by planting bulbs in areas with good air circulation. Water plants so leaves can dry up before sunset. Infected plants should be removed. Spray weekly with a copper fungicide until the disease is under control.

These symptoms often indicate viral diseases. Viruses circulate internally in plants so there is no effective way of curing the plant. Viruses weaken tulips without killing them, so you should remove infected plants to halt disease spread to healthy tulips. Aphids and leafhoppers may spread viruses so the best way of preventing viral diseases is to control these insects.

Spots on foliage and stems are caused by environmental issues. Frost causes brown spots. Tulips caught by late spring frosts may show small brown spots that later merge into blotches. Sometimes leaves split and look ragged. Prevent it by spreading a 2-inch layer of organic material such as chopped leaves on the soil over tulip bulbs in the late fall right after the ground freezes.

If the bulbs are unearthed and gnawed, foliage and flowers chewed the cause are animal pests. Rodents like to feed on tulip bulbs; droppings or disturbed soil may appear in flower beds. Plant bulbs where human activity will discourage wild­life. Pet cats or dogs will deter animal pests. Line planting beds with hardware cloth to exclude burrowing rodents. Cover beds with screen wire in winter.