How To Plant Tulips For Beautiful Spring Blooms

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Tulips are a favorite in the garden and are known as harbingers of Spring (they’re one of the first of the season to produce blooms). Their beautiful flowers and vibrant colors are a refreshing change after a cold and dreary winter.

They are easy to plant and maintain although the digging required can be a bit overwhelming if you decide to plant dozens in the Fall–but so worthwhile to do and you’re sure to appreciate the effort come Spring.

Here are instructions for planting them and a few growing tips (even in pots!)…

• Choose bulbs that are plump and firm, don’t use any that have soft spots or mold since they likely suffer from rot.
• They flourish in well dug soil, prepare it by digging at least 12 inches deep so it’s loose and clump free.
• How Deep: Instructions should have been included at time of purchase. If not a basic guideline is to bury them three times the bulb height in depth (so if it’s 2 inches high, dig a hole 6 inches deep, leaving 4 inches of soil above the top tip once it’s planted in the soil).
• How Far Apart: About two times their width apart (you can plant farther apart but closer together gives an impressive show once they start blooming).
• Using a bulb planter or a trowel, dig a hole in the prepared soil to the required depth needed (one hole per bulb). If you are planting several together, dig up an area large enough to accommodate them all instead of digging one hole at a time (big time saver!).
• Plant with the pointy side up, the flat root side sitting at the bottom of the hole. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which end is which, in these cases a safe bet is to plant it on its side–the plant will figure things out and grow up. Fill the hole back with soil making sure there are no air pockets and pat the ground lightly as you fill.
• Water thoroughly.

When: Sometime between September and December (depending on which zone you live in, usually about one month before the heavy Fall frost is a good time).

Where: Choose a location where they will receive at least six hours of sun, the bulbs need plenty of sun so they can store energy for next year’s blooms. Soil should be well draining to prevent rot.

Growing Them In Pots:

Yes tulips can be grown in pots and containers! They’ll still need to be planted in the Fall and Winter outside, here are a few tips:

• Choose a pot with drainage holes, fill the bottom with a layer of pea gravel or rocks for drainage.
• Use a potting soil that isn’t heavy with peat, you want the soil to be well draining so they don’t rot. You can mix a bit of sand into the soil to increase drainage if you like.
• Fill bottom of pot with soil deep enough so that the top bulb tip will be 3 to 4 inches from the top of soil. They can be planted much closer to each other when grown in pots (about 1/4″ to 1/2″ apart).
• Plant as noted above (pointy side up and flat bottom down) and cover them with dirt.
• Cover the top of the soil lightly with garden compost, a heavy layer of mulch for harsh winters (about 2″ deep).
• Water.
• Place the container in an area of the yard where they’ll have some protection from the sun and harsh weather (for example: near hedges). If you live in a harsh winter climate, place it somewhere where the bulbs won’t freeze solid (unheated garage for example). They will freeze easier when planted in containers so you do need to take care where you place it if you have very cold winters.
• When you notice the first shoots growing in the Spring, take the pot and place it in full sun then give them a good drink of water.

Tips

• After they bloom, let their leaves yellow for about 2 months before cutting back (at this point the leaves should be able to pull free from the plant easily), the foliage helps feed the bulbs.
• Some varieties will multiply so if you planted 12 in the Fall and dig up 16–lucky you!
• Once the bloom fades, cut off the flower to make sure the plant’s energy will go to the bulb rather than to the bloom.
• Mulching in harsh winter climates can help prevent them from freezing (add mulch after the ground has frozen).
• About a month before they are expected to bloom, top the soil lightly with a mix of bone meal and compost to give them an extra boost of nutrients.
• If you bought bulbs early and it’s too soon to plant them, keep them cool as warm temperatures will affect the bloom size. Placing them in a paper bag (so they can breathe) then storing them in the refrigerator works great!
• You can force them indoors to enjoy during the winter months, here’s how.