Tulips are generally pretty tough spring bloomers that don’t run into trouble too often. However, there are a few diseases that can pop up in your garden beds. If you spot them, you’ve got to act fast to keep the rest of your flowers safe!
Common Tulip Diseases
When tulips start looking a little “off”—whether they’re growing weirdly or just look sickly—the culprit is usually an infected bulb. Here are the main troublemakers to watch out for:
- Tulip Fire (Tulip Blight)
- Gray Mold
- Bulb Rot
Tulip Fire
Tulip Fire is a real headache. You’ll notice it in the spring when your tulips barely sprout, look deformed, or develop pockmark-like spots on the petals. These spots spread quickly and turn into a fuzzy fungal coating. If you see this, don’t wait—you need to jump into action immediately.
This disease is caused by a fungus called *Botrytis tulipae*, which absolutely loves rainy weather. At first glance, the tulips look like they’ve actually been scorched by fire (hence the name). If your patch is infected, the only way to save the neighboring flowers is to be ruthless: pull out the infected plants entirely and get them out of the garden. To avoid this heartbreak, here’s how to prevent it:
- When shopping, only buy firm, undamaged bulbs (the fungus often hitches a ride inside the bulb).
- Don’t crowd your tulips; give them some breathing room.
- Keep about 12 inches (30 cm) between clusters so they can dry out quickly after a rainstorm.
- Go easy on the watering.
- Avoid high-nitrogen synthetic fertilizers; organic options are much better for tulip health.
You might also see something similar called Gray Mold (*Botrytis cinerea*). It’s less common in tulips, but if you spot it, treat it exactly the same way you would Tulip Fire.
Bulb Rot
This nasty issue is caused by *Fusarium*, a type of sac fungus. It starts with distinct brown spots on the bulb that quickly turn into a white-pink fungal fuzz. Eventually, the bulb shrivels up into a black, mummified mess. If a tulip manages to grow from an infected bulb, it’ll look sick right away—think yellowing leaves and a wilted, sad-looking flower. Here’s how to keep bulb rot at bay:
- Regularly check on any bulbs you have in storage.
- Toss any diseased bulbs immediately (put them in the trash, not the compost!).
- Rotate your planting spots; don’t plant tulips in the same soil year after year.
- Stick to low-nitrogen fertilizers.
- Handle your bulbs like eggs—any little bruise or “wound” is an invitation for fungus.
- Make sure your storage area is airy, cool, and dry.
