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Growing Tulips
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for 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.
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
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tulip bulbs top of soil after blooming
I noticed tulip bulbs lying on top of the ground when I went out to pick up the dead leaves after blooming this spring. Did the bulbs actually work themselves out of the ground. Were they originally not planted deep enough. They were in a flower bed on property we bought last year. Please advise. Thank you.
exposed tulip bulbs
If you are in an area with frost heaves, it is possible that the bulbs may have been pushed up, especially if they were planted at shallower depths. If the area had any heavy rain, erosion may have taken away some of the soil on top, or the bulbs sitting in muddy water might rise to the surface. Also, were there any signs of digging? Animals such as squirrels may sometimes dig up bulbs. Tulips may form offsets in spring–if these bulbs look tinier than normal, it could be that these detached from the mother bulb due to heavy rain, frost heaving, etc. and rose to the surface. Hope this helps!
Tulips
I planted bulbs in October and have green leaves nut no tulips. What happened?
tulip leaves but no flowers
It could be that the bulbs are in too shady a spot, or one that is too soggy. Older bulbs sometimes run down until they don’t flower much any more, but since you just planted yours last fall, that’s likely not the reason. Make sure that the bulbs have enough nutrients, but don’t add too much nitrogen, which can encourage leaf formation over flowering. A damaged bulb, such as caused by a hungry rodent, may also leaf out a bit but not flower. A diseased or weak bulb may perform the same way. If flowers do eventually show, after the display, allow the leaves to fade and brown naturally; if you cut them off while they are still green, then the bulb can not make food for next year, which weakens the bulb and discourages flowering next season.
I made a mistake with my tulips
I just read that one shouldn’t cut the foliage after the tulips and daffodils have bloomed but I did because they were so unsightly to me. I cut all of the greenery down to about 1 inch. Do I have a chance of the tulips and or the daffodils returning? Also would like to know as my amaryllis are beginning to bloom. Thanks
tulip after care
You are correct; the foliage of tulips and daffs should be left to yellow. Since you did cut down the foliage, it is not likely that the plants will return to optimal display/condition. You may see some limp growth next year.
If you find the foliage unsightly, fill the space with other same time or later-blooming plants as visual distractions. Bleeding hearts is a good one; they bloom with tulips but last longer. Meantime, day lily foliage starts up with great thickness.
Will tulips grow in my zone
Hello I am in zone 9a Las Vegas, Nevada and I just got a beautiful tulip plant as a birthday gift. I would love to plant this in my new garden but I am afraid of the extreme heat coming in the summer time that it would be best to grow in the house. Can they grow well in Las Vegas?
Tulips in Vegas
What grows in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. Tulips need a natural chill period, so unless you are in the mountains, it is highly unlikely to last. There are people who chill the bulbs in the fridge; note that there are no guarantees. To try it, let the foliage die back naturally, unearth the bulb, brush off the soil, and put it in the fridge away from food for a few months. Plant in spring when temps warm, in the same pot/soil, if desired. Water regularly. It’s a long shot to success. Most people would suggest that you enjoy the plant now, appreciate the giver, … and toss the remains into the compost.
Tunics removed
We've had a lot of rain this spring (3rd yr in a row!) and abt a dozen pink tulip bulbs were on the verge of going bad and their tunics were loose and cracked. Since I was going to over winter them, I removed the tunics to avoid a place for mold/fungus to grow (I do use powdered sulfur). Also, some of the basal plates pulled off as well. Are these bulbs worth packing away for winter or w/out the tunics and basal plates, they're a lost cause? Thanks
Transplanting ground Tulip plants
I am in zone 5, East central Illinois. I have read as much information as I can find in hopes of answering my questions to no avail. We have preplanted Tulips on the property line between two homes. Unfortunately, these Tulips are usually under rain water for most of the spring and summer months. Each spring, there are fewer flowers blooming. I would Love information on how to care for them before mowing starts here. Because the leaves are always mowed off before dying. Is there any chance of saving the bulbs before they disappear? Thank you for assistance.
Bulbs in water
Hi Ruthann, You’re right. Tulips won’t fare well in areas that are poorly drained or that collect water. Wet soil is a killer for all bulbs. They will get root rot and fail. Cool, soggy conditions and extended periods of wet weather favor infection.
In the fall, we’d suggest planting new bulbs in a planting site that is prepared so it will be well drained. Most bulbs love moisture but hate constantly wet soils. Find the biggest, best-quality bulbs. Ensure a site that is not shady and has 6 to 8 hours of direct sun each day. Plant at the proper depth and encourage good air circulation by spacing correctly.
It’s not uncommon for us to hear that a spouse got tired of mowing around the tulips. However, if the cut the leaves off before they yellow and die back naturally, you won’t have blooms the following year. Bulbs need the leaves after bloom to produce food for the bulb for next year. Once the leaves yellow, they may be removed. It is ok if you want to braid, rubber band or otherwise tie the leaves. It’s certainly better than removing the leaves completely.
If you want to move some spring-blooming bulbs to another spot, wait until the foliage has turned yellow, then carefully dig them up and let them dry in a shady spot for a few days. Store the bulbs in a cool, dry place for the summer until it’s time to plant them in fall. Keep in mind that tulips, unless planted quite deep or noted as “perennial”, are generally grown as annuals. So, we’d probably just plant some new bulbs.
bulbs under water
Wet soil is a killer for all bulbs. They will get root rot and fail. Cool, soggy conditions and extended periods of wet weather favor infection. In the fall, we’d suggest planting new bulbs in a planting site that is prepared so it will be well drained. You could try to unearth the existing bulbs but over the time described they may have been diminishing in quality/strength. Best advice: start over, as per above.
tulips
i just bought tulip bulbs. can i start the bulb inside in April and plant them in the ground in later may We still has approximately -10 weather in the nighttime until end of may
plant now?
Blubs are fine with the cold, but they do not transplant well. Best bet is to plant in early fall for blooms in spring 2020—unless something on the packaging indicates somethign else.
Tulip Bulbs
I've just been on holiday to Amsterdam & have bought bulbs for myself and friends. Should I plant them now or wait for the autumn, please? Do I plant them straight into the garden & what precautions should I take? I've a sunny corner of my English garden earmarked for them and going by previous comments would be wise to add sand round them as the soil is rather heavy.
Lee of House
I have tulip bulbs that a friend sent me last November, but I never got around to planting them. The inside temperature of my house ranges from 65-70 degrees F. Are these bulbs still viable?
Assuming the answer is yes, I’d like to put these in the northeastern lee of the house - it gets good morning/early afternoon sun, then plenty of shade. Does this sound like a good place for these bulbs? I live in north Florida; not sure if I’m zone 7 or 8.
If these bulbs are not viable, what can I do with them?
viable bulbs?
It’s not possible to know from here if the bulbs are viable. If they are still firm, not papery or mushy, they may still have life in them and if that’s the case, try them. That spot sounds as good as any. However, one alternative might be a pot, in which case, you could maybe move it into or out of sun, as needed. But better to try them than to wonder.
Tulip
Are tulip can survive in New Mexico soil? I would like to try to plan tulips.
Tulips in New Mexico
We’re not familiar with the soil in New Mexico, so we would recommend contacting your state’s Cooperative Extension service for local advice! Chances are, you’ll need to add some additional soil to the planting site, but it really depends on your local soil conditions. Soil aside, tulips should do fine in all but the most hot and arid areas of the state.
wedding
got a wedding 1st week of June. looking to plants some pots for the garden party. when would i plants bulbs, so they flowered in time xx
planting in raised bed
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Is this advisable?
tulips
is horse manure ok to fertilize
Forcing Tulips
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?
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