Growing Tulips

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Tulips

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Long live the tulip! This brightly colored jewel announces spring’s arrival, along with the cheery daffodil. We look forward to seeing those blue-green leaves start to emerge as the Earth awakens from its winter sleep. Here are our tips on how to plant and care for tulips.

Tulip bulbs are planted in the autumn before the ground freezes. By planting varieties with different bloom times, you can have tulips blooming from early to late spring. Some types are good for forcing into bloom indoors and most are excellent for cut flowers, too.

Tulip flowers are usually cup-shaped with three petals and three sepals. There’s a tulip for every setting, from small “species” tulips in naturalized woodland areas to larger tulips that fit formal garden plantings from beds to borders. The upright flowers may be single or double, and vary in shape from simple cups, bowls, and goblets to more complex forms. Height ranges from 6 inches to 2 feet. One tulip grows on each stem, with two to six broad leaves per plant.

Although tulips are a perennial from a botanical perspective, many centuries of hybridizing means that the bulb’s ability to come back year after year has weakened. Therefore, many gardeners treat them as annuals, planting new bulbs every autumn. The North American climate and soil can’t replicate the ancient Anatolian and southern Russian conditions of their birth. Gardeners in our western mountain regions come closest to this climate. 

Planting

Selecting a Planting Site

  • Tulips prefer a site with full or afternoon sun. In Zones 7 and 8, choose a shady site or one with morning sun only.
  • Soil must be well-draining, neutral to slightly acidic, fertile, and dry or sandy. All tulips dislike areas with excessive moisture. 
  • Tall varieties should be sheltered from strong winds.
  • You’ll want to space bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart, so choose a large enough planting site.

When to Plant Tulips

  • Plant tulip bulbs in the fall, 6 to 8 weeks before a hard frost is expected and when soils are below 60 degrees F. (See local frost dates.) This is usually during September or October in the north, and November or December in the south. To find the best dates, see our fall bulb planting chart.
  • Nature never intended for bulbs to loll about above ground, so don’t delay planting the bulbs after purchase.
  • In southern climates with mild winters, plant bulbs in late November or December. The bulbs will need to be chilled in the refrigerator for about 12 weeks before planting. (Bulb suppliers often offer pre-chilled bulbs for sale, too.)

How to Plant Tulips

  • Prepare the garden bed by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.
  • Plant bulbs deep—at least 8 inches, measuring from the base of the bulb. And that means digging even deeper, to loosen the soil and allow for drainage, or creating raised beds. Remember, the bigger the bulb, the deeper the hole it needs.
  • Set the bulb in the hole with the pointy end up. Cover with soil and press soil firmly.
  • Water bulbs right after planting. Although they can’t bear wet feet, bulbs need water to trigger growth.
  • If you’re planning to raise perennial tulips, feed them a balanced fertilizer when you plant them in the fall. Bulbs are their own complete storage system and contain all of the nutrients they need for one year. Use organic material, compost, or a balanced time-release bulb food.
  • To deter mice and moles—if they have been a problem—put holly or any other thorny leaves in the planting holes. Some gardeners use kitty litter or crushed gravel. If ravenous voles and rodents are a real problem, you may need to take stronger measures, such as planting bulbs in buried wire cages.
  • Don’t lose hope if you’re planting your tulips later in the season—just follow these tips.

Yellow tulips

Care

  • If it rains weekly, do not water. However, if there is a dry spell and it does not rain, you must water the bulbs weekly until the ground freezes. 
  • Rainy summers, irrigation systems, and wet soil are death to tulips. Never deliberately water a bulb bed unless in a drought. Wet soil leads to fungus and disease and can rot bulbs. Add shredded pine bark, sand, or any other rough material to the soil to foster swift drainage.
  • Apply compost annually to provide nutrients needed for future blooms.
  • In the spring, when leaves emerge, feed your tulip the same bulb food or bone meal which you used at planting time. Water well.
  • Deadhead tulips as soon as they go by, but do not remove the leaves!
  • Allow the leaves to remain on the plants for about 6 weeks after flowering. The tulips need their foliage to gather energy for next year’s blooms. After the foliage turns yellow and dies back, it can be pruned off.
  • Large varieties may need replanting every few years; small types usually multiply and spread on their own.

Pests/Diseases

Recommended Varieties

Tulip flowers may be single, double, ruffled, fringed, or lily-shaped, depending on the variety.

Wild, or Species, tulips are small in size, ranging in height from 3 to 8 inches. They are tougher than hybrids. They also bloom in the South and look best when planted as a carpet of color. One of our favorites is ‘Lilac Wonder’.

Triumph hybrids are the classic single, cup-shape tulip that make up the largest grouping of tulip types. Top varieties:

  • ‘Cracker tulip’ is a midspring bloomer with purple, pink, and lilac petals.
  • ‘Ile de France’ is a midseason bloomer, with its intensely red blooms on stems to 20 inches tall.
  • ‘Calgary’ is a midspring bloomer with snowy-white petals and blue-green foliage.
  • Though tulips tend be planted as annuals, the Darwin Hybrid tulips are known to act as perennials, blooming for several years.

There are so many beautiful varieties of tulips. Explore catalogs and experiment in your garden!

Wit & Wisdom

  • Did you know: If you dig up a tulip bulb in midsummer, it’s not the same bulb you planted last fall. It’s her daughter. Even while the tulip is blossoming, the bulb is dividing for the next generation.
  • To get the longest vase life, cut tulip stems diagonally, then wrap the upper two-thirds of the flowers in a funnel of newspaper and stand them in cool water for an hour or two. Then, recut the stems and the tulips will last at least a week.
  • In 17th-century Holland, the new tulip was such the rage and fashion that a handful of bulbs was worth about $44,000.
  • Red tulips symbolize a declaration of love. Explore more flower meanings here.

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Reader Comments

Leave a Comment

planting in raised bed

Submitted by Joy Chaput on

Will tulips planted in a 4 x 4 raised bed survive a zone 4 winter. It will essentially be surrounded by soil but above ground level.

raised bed bulbs

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

Some bulb suppliers do not recommend this, in part because the freezing/thawing cycles are brutal to the bulbs. If you want to try it, be sure that there is excellent drainage over winter to prevent rotting. You might try placing straw bales around the bed and a thick layer of mulch over the bed to help insulate. Remove the mulch and bales in spring. You may also want to place wire mesh around the bulbs to prevent rodent damage. Good luck!

Tulips as a gift

Submitted by Hope gannin on

I recieved a very nice tulip arrangement for mothers day. They came in a nice metal container. What should i do with the bulbs after the flower has died off. Should i plant the bulds now in the garden or store them until fall?

When to Plant Tulip Bulbs

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

Hi Hope,

After the flower has died off, remove the dead stalk and flower and gently dig up the bulbs. Brush off any excess soil and place the bulbs in a paper bag. Place the bag in a cool, dark place (such as a garage or shed) over the summer. In the fall, plant the bulbs for spring blooms!

Transplanting

Submitted by Patty on

I have to remove my tulip bulbs immediately after flowering due to repair work on my home. Am I dooming these poor bulbs or is there a chance they will grow beautiful tulips next year? What is the safest way for me to do is? I don’t have much time as the work begins in a few days.

moving tulips

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

You have to wait until all of the tulip foliage has died back before moving the bulbs. If the foliage has died back, they should be ok to lift and move. Store in a warm (65° to 68°F), dark, well ventilated place and replant in fall.

Moving tulips

Submitted by Mary on

Can I dig bulbs and place them in a container? I will not be planting again in the yard. How deep should the soil be in the container? Should I water or not? Can the container be left on the east facing deck on my house?

Planting in a container in afternoon sun.

Submitted by Eva Garza on

Is this advisable?

tulips

Submitted by Dean May on

is horse manure ok to fertilize

Forcing Tulips

Submitted by Frances Saiewitz on

My daughter gave us tulips from Holland and have directions for forcing them in a pot. It is spring here in nj .. Can we plant them directly into the ground?

Planting tulips

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

Tulip season is ending now. Are they bulbs? If so, then, yes, you could plant the bulbs in the ground and end up with a foliage plant, but it won’t provide blooms until the following spring.

 

Spring watering

Submitted by Victoria Liebman on

I live in the Denver area and our Spring weather here is unpredictable! How much water do tulips need in the spring? I haven't had much luck with tulips (your article helped me figure out why) except for one spot under a shady Pear tree. I attributed my bad luck to not watering them enough in the spring - now I'm hand watering every little tulip stand everyday or so obsessively - but I don't know how much they need. Thank you for your help!

Watering Tulips

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

If you’re getting regular rain showers (1-2 times a week), you shouldn’t have to water the tulips at all. If it’s truly dry out, then you can water them once a week, giving them 1 to 2 inches of water. Before watering, check the soil around them. The top ½-inch of soil (at least) should be dry before you water again. Tulips can rot easily, so you shouldn’t need to water them everyday unless it’s very very hot and dry outside.

How to grow flowers in hot sandy soil

Submitted by Connie Fields on

We just moved to SC and have so much sand and no rich soil. I have no idea how to plant my flowers and really miss having beautiful flowers spring and summer. What do I do?

First, you will need to add

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

First, you will need to add substance to your sandy soil and improve water retention with some potting soil or compost. Mix in 2 to 3 inches of composted leaf mold, peat moss, manure, or a peat moss-based potting soil. And look for flowers and plants that are drought-tolerant. For example, consider Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) and Black-Eyed Susans Rudbeckia). For a flowering shrub, consider Indian Hawthornes (Rhaphiolepis). Contact your SC cooperative extension for more local advice.

 

Tulips planted in water

Submitted by Myra on

How to care for stents blooms and bulbs for next season?

care of tulips next season

Submitted by saskia on

HI,
WE live in Napa CAlifornia, usually nice and warm but periodic downpours. Our tulips bloomed beautifully but age and rain flowers are gone and only green leaves are left. How long do you suggest to keep them in the ground, before removing them. and put them in a dry area (paperbag)until next fall.
Thanks MUCH for your help

Best
Saskia

The tulips bought in the store in water. Can they be planted?

Submitted by Vera Myers on

There are a lot of roots with these tulips. Can they be transplanted in soil? I live in Central Florida.

Tulips bought in store

Submitted by Judy Altheide on

Cam tulips bought in the store with lots of roots be transplanted in the soil. I live in middle Tennessee.

Tulips

Submitted by sally krie on

Why do my tulips have lots of leaves but no flowers, do I plant too deep or not deep enough? I have one pot with lots of green but looks like no flowers, the other pot didn't come up at all, same bulbs planted at same time???

Tulips

Submitted by June patterson on

I received tulip bulbs for my birthday in mid December. The ground is frozen so I can’t plant now. What do I do with the 40 or so bulbs I received?

When do I plant them?

Grow Tulips in the shade

Submitted by Thimy on

Hi Almanac Staff,
I live in San Diego Zone 10, it's very dry and hot, but my backyard is very cool with shade from the house. Please let me know if I can grow tulips in the shade (almost all day until Summer)
I just received several bulbs (single and double) can I grow it now or soon? Thank you.

Tulips in Hot Climates

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

Growing tulips in warm climates is tricky because tulips need a cooling period of 3–4 months with temperatures below 50°F in order to produce blooms. For this reason, many warm climate gardeners keep their tulip bulbs in the refrigerator for about 3 months before planting them in late December or early January. It’s a bit late at this point in time (late November), but you could try storing the bulbs for about two months and planting them in late January, though your blooms may be disappointing due to the short cooling period and warm temperatures. Another alternative would be to keep them stored for longer and then grow them indoors. In any case, you will probably have to treat your bulbs as annuals, rather than perennials.

Additionally, tulips prefer full sun or partial shade, and do not do as well in full shade.

Growing of Tulip in Delhi under controlled condition

Submitted by Jitender Kumar on

Want to grow Tulips in Delhi (Lodi Garden) under controlled condition. Please suggest some suitable varieties and tips as climatic condition of Delhi are not suitable for the same.

Tulips

Submitted by Georgina Reid on

I live in zone 3,if I plant tulips in cinder blocks will they survive?

Tulips in Cinder Blocks

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

If the cinder blocks are above-ground, then the plants likely wouldn’t survive unless the blocks were completely surrounded by mulch. If you were to plant the tulips in cinder blocks sunken into the ground and put a layer of mulch over them, they may be able to survive a Zone 3 winter.

Could I plant tulips in pots in the fall and store them ina shed

Submitted by Darlene Knight on

I'd like to protect my tulips from hungry mice and voles. If I plant them in pots and store them in a dark, unheated shed could I bring them out in the spring?

Tulip Storage

Submitted by Almanac Staff on

Hi Darlene,

Yes, you can plant your tulip bulbs in pots in a dark and unheated shed. Be sure to wait until all of the tulip foliage has died back before transplanting the bulbs into pots. In the spring, either transplant the bulbs into the ground early on, or leave them in the pots and bring them out of the shed a couple of weeks later. We hope this helps!

Missing tulips

Submitted by Colleen on

I have been reading about everyone's tulips and am so jealous! I have loved tulips since I was young and helped my mom plant many, many bulbs. The first fall I had my own home, I was so excited to plant tulips. With several acres of land, I had visions of fields of tulips! So off I went and planted about 1000 bulbs. Sure enough, when spring came, I had many blooms--for about a day! The nex day all the blooms were gone and I learned that deer also loved tulips! Since I also loved the deer and we had dozens visit daily, my dreams of a yard full of tulips was over quickly. I tried other bulbs over the years but the rabbits, squirrels, moles, and voles got most of those.

H

Pages

Growing Tulips

Botanical Name

Tulipa
Plant Type Flower
Sun Exposure Full Sun, Part Sun
Soil Type Sandy
Soil pH
Bloom Time Spring
Flower Color Green, Multicolor, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Hardiness Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
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