I thought I was being clever. Mother Nature reminded me I was being an idiot.
That reminder came in the form of a squirrel buffet followed by Tulip Fire, a fungal disease that thrives in the damp, crowded conditions I created when I tried to force my Seattle tulips to bloom early with a tarp and frost cloth.
This whole expensive gardening lesson started, as many bad gardening decisions do, with a reel on Instagram. A flower farmer talked about getting tulips to bloom earlier using frost cloth and a tarp to trap warmth.
An easy-peasy way to get early blooms weeks ahead of schedule? Sign me up.
What I failed to pay attention to was that the grower was in Ontario, Canada, which has a VERY different winter than Seattle's Zone 8b.
The Great Bulb Buffet
The first thing to go wrong was the squirrels.
Those fat tree rats watched me plant my expensive parrot and double-blooming tulip bulbs, noted the location carefully, and then dug right underneath the tarp to feast on every single one they could find. The tarp that was supposed to protect my bulbs and coax them into early blooming instead created a warm, sheltered dining experience for the entire squirrel population of my block.
The Great Squirrel Buffet of 2025 wiped out a significant portion of my investment before the tarp could do anything useful.
A tulip bulb massacre (and the remnants of the squirrel's feast)
Then came the Tulip Fire
Those that survived the squirrel buffet faced another challenge.
The tarp trapped moisture. I'd also used compost instead of well-draining potting mix, and I'd planted the bulbs tight in the flower-farmer style — close spacing, maximum use of bed space.
What I got was Tulip Fire — Botrytis tulipae, a fungal disease that thrives in exactly the damp, crowded conditions I'd created. It spread fast. By the time I realized what was happening, it had moved through nearly 80 percent of the bulbs that had survived the squirrel attack. Distorted growth, brown spots on the leaves, buds that rotted before they opened.
The Great Squirrel Buffet, followed immediately by the Tulip Plague. The one-two tulip punch.
What is Tulip Fire, and how do you avoid it in a Seattle garden?
Tulip Fire (Botrytis tulipae) is a fungal disease that affects tulips. Our wet springs in the Pacific Northwest create conditions where it can spread quickly if you're not careful.
Symptoms
Distorted or stunted shoots emerging in spring, brown or grey spots on leaves and petals, buds that rot before opening, and a fuzzy grey mold on affected tissue in wet conditions. If it looks like your tulips are struggling and the leaves have spots, it might be Tulip Fire.
How it spreads
The fungus overwinters in infected bulbs and soil. It spreads through spores in wet conditions, which is why close spacing and poor air circulation—exactly what I created with my tarp setup—make it much worse. Once it's in a bed, it can persist in the soil for several years. (This is why I planted 90 percent of my tulips in crates so it can’t live in my raised beds.)
If it happens
Pull the affected plants, chuck them in the bin, then assess the remaining bulbs carefully. Then give the bed a rest from tulips for a season or two.
And the punchline
The tulips that made it through both the squirrel attack and the Tulip Fire — the handful of survivors — did not bloom earlier than my untarped tulips in the other beds.
All of that fuss because the Instagram Good Idea Fairy struck again, and it made absolutely no difference to the bloom time.
The survivors, getting ready to bloom right on time.
Tulips bloom when they're ready. Seattle's climate (Zone 8b) already gives them what they need. The cold, wet winter does the dormancy work. The warming spring temperatures signal when it's time.
There is no reel from Ontario that will improve Mother Nature’s system in the Pacific Northwest.
What I do differently now
I protect my crates full of tulips from squirrels with chicken wire laid flat over the top. If I plant them in a raised bed, then I cover the top with chicken wire. I leave the bulbs alone all winter. I do not touch them, tarp them, or attempt to mess with them at all.
And in late March and into April, they bloom.
Seattle winters are long and grey and they have a way of making you feel like spring might not actually come back this time.
Avoid my mistakes — a quick checklist for growing tulips in Seattle
- Use well-draining soil or potting mix, not straight compost.
- Give bulbs reasonable spacing — tight flower-farmer spacing increases disease risk in wet climates. If you want to grow tulips as perennials, they need to be a few inches apart anyway.
- Lay chicken wire flat over the bed immediately after planting to deter squirrels or grate Irish Spring soap or sprinkle cayenne pepper on them. Once the green foliage starts to poke through, you can remove the chicken wire in the early spring.
- Skip the tarp and extended frost cloth setups that trap moisture and restrict air circulation. You don’t need it.
- If you see distorted growth or spots on leaves in spring, pull the affected plants and dispose of them in the trash.
- Trust our rainy winters to do their thing. No need to try to game the system like I did.
Also, maybe just don't blindly follow advice off the internet from someone who lives in a completely different climate than you.
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Tulip varieties: Salmon Impression and Exotic Emperor
If you are looking to plant tulips this fall, I sell them in my fall-planted bulb sale from September until late November.
🌷Browse tulip bulbs and other fall-planted flowers 🌷
FAQ: Tulip Fire and tulip problems in Pacific Northwest gardens
Q: What is Tulip Fire disease?
A: Tulip Fire is a fungal disease caused by Botrytis tulipae. It causes distorted growth, brown or grey spots on leaves and petals, and rotting buds. It spreads through spores in wet conditions and can persist in garden soil for several years.
Q: How do I prevent Tulip Fire in a Seattle garden?
A: Plant in well-draining soil rather than straight compost, give bulbs adequate spacing for air circulation (a few inches), and avoid setups that trap excess moisture. Remove any infected plant material immediately and dispose of it in the trash.
Q: Can I make tulips bloom earlier in Seattle?
A: Attempts to force earlier blooms by trapping warmth with tarps or frost cloth tend to backfire in Seattle's climate — the trapped moisture creates ideal conditions for Tulip Fire, and the results often aren't earlier anyway.
Q: How do I stop squirrels from eating tulip bulbs in Seattle?
A: Lay chicken wire flat over the planting bed immediately after planting. Squirrels can't dig through it, and you remove it in early spring once stems start emerging. Mixing grated Irish Spring soap and cayenne pepper into the top few inches of soil is another option many Seattle gardeners swear by.
Q: What should I do if I get Tulip Fire in my garden beds?
A: Pull affected plants immediately and dispose of them in the trash — not the compost, where spores can survive. Assess remaining bulbs and remove any that look infected. If Tulip Fire has been in a bed, consider rotating your tulips to a different location next season, as the fungus can persist in the soil.
Growing Flowers in Seattle Blog
West Seattle Flower Farm grows seasonal cut flowers in a small urban lots in Seattle.