Frequently Asked Questions Ask Expert Answers 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Q. What are the instructions for this year's study? A. Click Here for Instructions for this year's study. Q. Exactly how does this Tulip Project work? A. You can review last year's program for a good overview. We will follow the same procedures, so you should find it helpful as you plan to participate.(But don't get lost--remember to you go back to the most current year for ordering info, and Updates) To Spring 2007 Archives To Spring 2006 Archives To Fall 2005 Archives To Spring 2005 Archives To Fall 2004 Archives Q. We planted Journey North bulbs last year and they're still in the ground. Do we need to plant a garden (new bulbs) again this year? A. Yes! New bulbs must be planted each year for the Journey North study. This is because many variables affect tulip growth in the bulb's second year. If people were to reuse bulbs, these variables could not be controlled so the experiment would not be reliable. Therefore, you must plant at least a dozen or more new bulbs each fall for your "official" Journey North garden. However, you can still use last year's bulbs for experimental purposes! Students can dig them up, and weigh & inspect them before replanting. They can plant the old bulbs beside this year's new bulbs and compare how each grows. Or, they can vary such things as the amount of sun, heat, water, etc. the old bulbs receive. Remember: Next spring, you may only report on the growth and blooming of the new, "official" bulbs as part of the Journey North experiment! Q. What if it's too expensive to buy new bulbs every year? A. Only buy a few new bulbs for the official experiment. (As mentioned above, a dozen is enough.) Use the new bulbs for reporting to Journey North about your garden. Dig older bulbs for other types of experiments so that each student has his or her own. Q. Exactly how close to a building may we plant our garden? Is it OK to plant inside our school courtyard, for example? A. Please be VERY careful not to plant near a building or other shelter. (Remember, your goal is to find a place that accurately represents the general climate of your region. Otherwise your tulips will not be a true indicator of spring's arrival.) As described in the Microclimate Lesson, you and your students can investigate by measuring local temperature conditions at various places around your school. This will show you whether nearby buildings or other structures might alter the temperature of your garden and interfere with your experiment. However, although this is extremely important, we do recognize that you may have very few options available for a planting site. Therefore, if you are simply unable to plant your garden in a open area, plant it in the best place you can find. In the spring, however, please be sure to mention the drawbacks of your site when you report from your garden. In your spring report, describe the microclimate of your garden and explain why you think this has affected your results. Q. In the spring, what do we do if it freezes after our tulips emerge? "We're very concerned about the tulips because if we get a freeze, there is nothing to protect them. If a freeze is predicted, do you want us to cover them? " asked Mrs. Min of Crystal Lake, IL. A. Because this is a scientific experiment in which we're attempting to measure spring's pace, it's important to let nature takes its course. After all, the experiment wouldn't be accurate if the tulips were protected from natural conditions. However, we understand that everyone has become quite attached to their tulips by now. Therefore, we recommend that you designate some tulips your "official Journey North tulips" and leave them exposed. You're welcome to cover the others. Report to Journey North ONLY on the progress of your official tulips. Q. In the spring, should we water the garden if there isn't much rain? A. Again, because this is a scientific experiment in which we're attempting to measure spring's pace in your climate, it's important to let nature takes its course. Q. Throughout the Seattle area, tulips seem to be a bit vertically challenged this year! We are wondering if this may be due to a frigid cold snap that occurred in March, after a couple of weeks of higher than normal temperatures and sunny days. A. Yes, a drastic change in weather can cause tulips to be stunted. (They are a bit more heat-sensitive than daffodils and other spring bulbs.) This often happens when a warm spell is followed by a cold snap. Q: I planted tulips inside and outside. The sprouts inside were green and the sprouts outside came up red at first, then turned green! I've really wondered about this. Does it have something to do with the weather? A: The red is actually a pigment in the tissues of the tulip leaves. When the tulip is under any kind of stress, which could be the cold temperatures at ground level during emergence, the red will be visible. You can see this kind of pigment showing on leaves in the autumn when the movement of water and food is cut off the leaves before they drop. Q: Why did the tulips in a raised flower bed have larger leaves than the ones in the ground? These also bloomed a few days later. Is there a reason why? A: Raised beds provide better drainage and tulips love good drainage, so the plants grow larger. Also, the soil above ground can warm faster and the plants grow sooner. Q: We planted single tulip bulbs in October. When we dug up a sample bulb in April, we noticed that the bulb had developed a second bulb attached to it. How does this happen? A: YES, plants want to grow, so sometimes they will have offshoots or multiple bulbs, it is the sign of a robust healthy bulb to have offshoots, which under the best conditions will develop into multiple plants. It's the way of a tulip increasing itself, and over the centuries, the best plants survive and are here to stay. Still Have Questions? If you have any additional questions about this project, please contact Journey North. This Season Teachers Kids Orientation Registration Search Copyright 1997-2008 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Contact us.