Tulips

Each fall we plant tulips for the following spring. Our first year we planted 2000 bulbs and that spring had such success we planted 4000 the following fall. In the following spring we sold every tulip and could have sold more so again we doubled our planting to 8000 bulbs. This pattern continued and so last fall we planted 36,000 bulbs. It's a big job but with a lot of prep work and some organization we can do it in less than three days.

Tulip bulbs ready for planting.

After the last delivery of the season we clean out the green houses and dig trenches down their entire length. The trenches are three feet wide, six inches deep and about 100 feet long. Space is very limited in a green houses so the trenches must be dug by hand, for the past few years we have been fortunate to have a much younger employee to do this task.

Roger planting bulbs. Kohl reading the next pit with fresh soil.

The tulips are shipped from Holland to a port in the northwest and then trucked to us. As soon as the bulbs arrive and are unloaded we start planting. Now the real physical work begins--it is not hard, just very uncomfortable. We climb into the pits and set the bulbs into the soil about a half an inch apart in row upon row. The bulbs come in crates of 500; I can plant a crate in about fifteen minutes, but I am the fastest bulb setter on this farm.

RT, the maestro, in the tulip pit.

After the pits are filled with tulip bulbs they are covered with a layer of soil and top coat of sand. When the entire row is planted we lay lines of drip tape and give them a good watering.

KT and Miguel planting crates of bulbs.

We are fortunate to have good friends that enjoy grubbing around on their hands and knees for hours at a time, which is asking a lot as we are all over fifty! Kath has been on the tulips crew for years and is our number one non-employee. (There have been times when we could not have operated with out her--thanks again honey.)

Kath, our number one non-employee and dear friend

After the tulips are planted we put the farm to bed and things really wind down. The first day of February we fire up the heat in the green house and wait for the tulips to emerge. In six weeks the tulips are ready for delivery.

My Sprinter loaded and ready to go!