What's going wrong with these tulips?

Slinky

They were like this last year too, and the flowers didn't develop properly.

twopenny

Looks like slug or snail damage to the leaves. They could have had a go at the flower buds but it didn't look like it.

Tulips are renowned for having a short life. The only ones that have survived in my garden are Poundland red ones. Large and reliable.

fatbelly

Have they only been in two years?

If you are asking why they are 'blind', the usual reasons are too shallow, not enough sun, poor soil or poor quality bulbs to start with.

Having said that, I'm not an expert on them. I have never had success with them, whereas daffodils I find I can plant them and let them get on with it.

Farway

I'm with 2p, slugs, and to echo the sentiment about tulips being mainly unreliable.

Some,very rich folk obvs, grow them as annuals and bin them after the first year

The shorter ones, are supposed to be more reliable but no bets taken

twopenny

What is interesting is my iris which showed the same holes and haven't bloomed for years.

I've given them more sun, poorer soil, fed not fed. They did just fine in my old garden stuck anywhere 😭

Slinky

Thanks folk. I think I'll dig them out and bin them.

I love tall plain red tulips. Our previous house had a whole border of them down the drive (must have cost a fortune), underplanted with grape hyacinths (not my favourites, but the contrast was good). However the tenants we had briefly whilst living elsewhere dug them all out and replaced with geraniums. Not best pleased.

I bought the ones above as a mixed bag of, I think, yellow tulips, and peach coloured daffs. I wanted the daffs really, but they've not been brilliant either. I think there's one just about to flower.

I've bought some gladioli bulbs today from Dobbies. A pink and purple mix. I bought some last year and they were spectacular, if somewhat floppy. I had to rescue a lot of them as the flower heads were so heavy the stems were breaking, but it meant I had lovely vases of flowers in the house. Now all I need to do is find somewhere to put them in!

twopenny

That may explain it. I bought a beautiful Primrose yellow one ,stunning.

Flowered just a bit the second year and done.

I think it's only the reds that are strong.

Another thought was did you dead head them. Just dead headed my dad's so all the goodness goes into the bulb.

Glads always do well. But they do need staking.

Slinky

I always deadhead tulips and daffs. I've just deadheaded my hellebores too.