Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Tulipa 'Flaming Parrot' (Tulipa 'Flaming Parrot')— schedule & NPK
Also called Flaming Parrot tulip, yellow red parrot tulip.
More about tulipa 'flaming parrot'
About Tulipa 'Flaming Parrot'
Tulipa 'Flaming Parrot' · also called Flaming Parrot tulip, yellow red parrot tulip · flowering
'Flaming Parrot' is a bold parrot tulip with large, ruffled, fringed petals in primrose-yellow boldly flamed with crimson-red, opening wide in late spring. A showy spring bulb for borders and dramatic cut arrangements, it needs full sun, sharply drained soil, and a sheltered spot to support its big, feathered, flame-streaked blooms.
Growth habit: Herbaceous spring bulb with grey-green strap-shaped leaves and a single large, fringed, feather-edged parrot flower per stem, on a relatively tall, sturdy stem for a parrot type. Perennialises unreliably and is commonly grown as an annual or biennial for a guaranteed flame-coloured show.
What fertiliser tulipa 'flaming parrot' actually wants — and why
Tulipa 'Flaming Parrot' feeds for next year, not this one — the critical window is after flowering, while the leaves are still green and recharging the bulb.
A low-nitrogen, potassium- and phosphorus-leaning bulb fertiliser (something like 5-10-10) or bonemeal at planting. High nitrogen grows floppy leaves and rots stored bulbs.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for tulipa 'flaming parrot': match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed tulipa 'flaming parrot', and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For tulipa 'flaming parrot':
Mix bonemeal or balanced bulb fertiliser into the planting hole in autumn. Feed with high-potash fertiliser as shoots emerge and after flowering to fatten the bulb for next year. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which promote soft growth and rot. The rhythm: a bulb feed at planting, a light feed as leaves emerge, and — most important — a potassium feed straight after flowering while the foliage is still green and feeding the bulb. Never cut the leaves off early.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when tulipa 'flaming parrot' is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for tulipa 'flaming parrot'
Use the bulb-feed label rate for tulipa 'flaming parrot'; the timing (post-bloom, leaves still green) does far more for next year's display than the concentration.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water tulipa 'flaming parrot' first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the tulipa 'flaming parrot' watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding tulipa 'flaming parrot'
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for tulipa 'flaming parrot':
- Tall, floppy, soft leaves that flop over (too much nitrogen).
- Soft or rotting bulbs lifted at the end of the season.
- Lush foliage but few or poor flowers.
Signs you are under-feeding tulipa 'flaming parrot'
- Progressively fewer or smaller flowers year on year ("going blind").
- Small, weak bulbs and thin foliage.
- Bulbs that fail to come back at all after a few seasons.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full tulipa 'flaming parrot' care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Bulbs are not container-flushed like houseplants; the equivalent is not over-feeding and lifting/dividing congested clumps of tulipa 'flaming parrot' every few years so they are not competing for nutrients.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for tulipa 'flaming parrot'
Organic options
Bonemeal worked in at planting plus a mulch of garden compost or well-rotted leaf-mould is the traditional, reliable approach for tulipa 'flaming parrot'. UK: blood, fish & bone or Westland Bulb Food; US: Espoma Bulb-tone or bonemeal.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A proprietary bulb fertiliser at planting and a high-potash liquid (tomato feed) after flowering — UK: Westland Bulb Food then Tomorite; US: Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed Bulb or a bloom booster post-flower.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising tulipa 'flaming parrot' — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does tulipa 'flaming parrot' need?
A low-nitrogen, potassium- and phosphorus-leaning bulb fertiliser (something like 5-10-10) or bonemeal at planting. High nitrogen grows floppy leaves and rots stored bulbs. Tulipa 'Flaming Parrot' feeds for next year, not this one — the critical window is after flowering, while the leaves are still green and recharging the bulb.
How often should I feed tulipa 'flaming parrot'?
Mix bonemeal or balanced bulb fertiliser into the planting hole in autumn. Feed with high-potash fertiliser as shoots emerge and after flowering to fatten the bulb for next year. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which promote soft growth and rot. Mix bonemeal or balanced bulb fertiliser into the planting hole in autumn. Feed with high-potash fertiliser as shoots emerge and after flowering to fatten the bulb for next year. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which promote soft growth and rot. The rhythm: a bulb feed at planting, a light feed as leaves emerge, and — most important — a potassium feed straight after flowering while the foliage is still green and feeding the bulb. Never cut the leaves off early.
What strength of feed for tulipa 'flaming parrot'?
Use the bulb-feed label rate for tulipa 'flaming parrot'; the timing (post-bloom, leaves still green) does far more for next year's display than the concentration.
What does over-feeding tulipa 'flaming parrot' look like?
Tall, floppy, soft leaves that flop over (too much nitrogen). Soft or rotting bulbs lifted at the end of the season. Lush foliage but few or poor flowers. Cutting or tying off the leaves of tulipa 'flaming parrot' as soon as the flowers fade is the great bulb mistake — the bulb recharges through those leaves for weeks afterward, and removing them early means a weak or blind display next year.
Should I flush the soil of tulipa 'flaming parrot'?
Bulbs are not container-flushed like houseplants; the equivalent is not over-feeding and lifting/dividing congested clumps of tulipa 'flaming parrot' every few years so they are not competing for nutrients.
Keep reading
- Tulipa 'Flaming Parrot' care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water tulipa 'flaming parrot' — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
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- All 3899 fertilising guides in the Growli library