By Kew
Surrey,
United Kingdom 
Tulips coming up in November!
Hi. I planted a container of tulips late last month and have just seen there are shoots coming up already! Obviously these are going to get damaged once the frosts begin but is there anything I can do to stop the growth and encourage spring flowering - or is it too late?
11 Nov, 2011
Answers
This has also happened to 2 of my pots..is mulch like bark mulch...could I use straw?
11 Nov, 2011
Composted bark would be better Kate or leaf mould.
11 Nov, 2011
Bark would be better just because its less likely to blow away, but mulch just means anything you put on top of the soil - could be shredded up newspaper.
11 Nov, 2011
We proper rotted leaf mould shouldn't blow away any easier than shredded newspaper.
11 Nov, 2011
No, that's right Moon Grower, but I just meant bark would be better than straw unless its anchored down, and also making the point that anything at all counts as a mulch from a protection point of view, even an additional layer of potting compost.
11 Nov, 2011
Absolutely... even covering with cardboard or a piece of carpet will help.
11 Nov, 2011
They will stop growing automatically once the weather gets colder, this unseasonably mild weather has caused lots of things to grow and plants to flower when they should be dormant. Cover the top of the container with a layer of mulch and perhaps plant your bulbs deeper in the container next year.
11 Nov, 2011