Replanting tulips bulbs

Because we care about the environment and reusing our resources, I’m here in front of our head office in Quebec City, where 2,000 tulips are planted each spring. Now’s the time to plant next spring’s tulips. But last spring’s tulips don’t get thrown out. 

Once the tulips have blossomed, we dig up the bulbs and stems and sell them at a low price to our employees, who can then replant them for the following year. Proceeds from this popular initiative are then donated to the Québec and Chaudière-Appalaches branch of United Way, whose 2019 campaign begins soon. 

Do you want to do the same and give a second life to abandoned bulbs? Find out more. Many municipalities and organizations give away the bulbs from their flowerbeds to citizens at the end of spring. 

That said, here are a few tips for replanting tulips bulbs: 

Once you’ve collected your bulbs, they must be replanted temporarily or kept in a cool please. Wait for the flower to wilt and the leaves to yellow before trimming them off. Keep only the bulb. During this time, the tulip holds its reserves for the following year. If you remove the leaves right after the tulip blooms, it may not blossom the following spring. 

Then, store your bulbs in a cool, dry place until fall. Well before the first frost, replant the bulbs at a depth equal to three times their height. Why? Squirrels are quite fond of bulbs, so make it as hard for them as possible! 

At iA Financial Group, we not only give a second life to the tulips, we also reuse our summer plants and flowers when we remove them. The foliage is composted in the suburbs of Quebec City and we use the compost for horticultural work the following year. What a great example of circular economy! 

Don’t forget, tulips need the cold to blossom. So, this winter, when you’re hiding from the cold, think about your tulips and smile – although braving the cold, they’re getting ready to brighten up the spring. Thank you, and until next time!