Why plant tulips later in autumn?
■ Hold fire on planting tulip bulbs until later in the autumn; late October and early November are best.
■ This is because the colder conditions make the bulbs less vulnerable to tulip fire, a fungal disease that causes leaves and flowers to become distorted and rotten.
■ Small black seed-like structures also appear on dead growth and the outer casing of the bulbs.
■ Infected plants and bulbs should be removed immediately and destroyed. Tulips should not be planted in the same area for three years afterwards, unless you can dig over contaminated soil and bury it deeply.