Last fall I planted 100 mixed tulip bulbs in a narrow strip between a chain link fence and a retaining wall. They haven't started to come up yet, but I'm wondering if it would be safe to sprinikle Preen along the strip to keep down weeds and grass, or could that harm the sprouting bulbs?
Garden Inspire
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Preen should not damage your bulbs but I would recommend using a corn gluten meal product instead. Corn gluten meal has been shown to do just as well as the chemical Preen. There is a Preen labeled Organic which is actually corn gluten meal or you can find other brands.
Both will only stop seed from germinating so they will only stop weeds and grass that would otherwise be growing from seed. They won't do anything for the weeds and grass that are already there or are growing or spreading from roots.
Ginny H
That should not affect your bulbs. They are planted very deep and anyway, Preen is a preemergent herbicide that prevents seeds from germinating. I will say though, that I have had damage to some leaves of my garden plants when the dust floated and landed on them when I was sprinkling it on the soil. But since the bulbs have not even come up yet, I don't think you will have any problems and it is best to do it now than wait when there are leaves showing. I also found that if I watered and washed off any nearby plants after applying it, I didn't have any problems. Use it when the air is very still, no wind.
corina
tulips are meant to be in the ground all through the year I live in Montana and we have had a pretty cold spring and right now I have tulips comming up about 2 inches out of the ground if you have only had them in the ground 1 year give them another chance to bloom if you start planting and run in to a bulb just leave it alone unless the bulb looks soft if it is soft(like mushy)that means it is dead but if you do find bulbs there generally should be some green growth on them now. Go ahead and plant by the time any of your plants are big the bulbs should have been done blooming by then.