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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Tulips
Planting
Tulips prefer a site with full or afternoon sun. In Zones 7 and 8, choose a shady site or one with morning sun only, as tulips don鈥檛 like a lot of heat.
The soil must be well-draining, neutral to slightly acidic, fertile, and dry or sandy. All tulips dislike areas with excessive moisture. 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.
Tall varieties should be sheltered from strong winds.
When to Plant Tulips
- Plant tulip bulbs in the fall, 6 to 8 weeks before a hard, ground-freezing frost is expected. The bulbs need time to establish themselves. Planting too early leads to disease problems. See local frost dates.
- A good rule of thumb is to plant bulbs when the average nighttime temperatures in your area are in the 40s.
- In colder northern climates, plant in September or October. In warmer climates, plant bulbs in December (or even later).
- To find the best dates, consult our fall bulb planting chart.
- Nature never intended bulbs to loll about above ground, so don鈥檛 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.)
- If you miss planting your bulbs at the optimal time, don鈥檛 wait for spring or next fall. Bulbs aren鈥檛 like seeds. Even if you find an unplanted sack of tulips or daffodils in January or February, plant them and take your chances. See more about planting tulips in winter.
How to Plant Tulips
- Plant bulbs fairly deep鈥8 inches deep, or about three times the height of the bulb. Dig a hole deeper than that in order to loosen the soil and allow for drainage. In clay soils, plant 3 to 6 inches deep instead.
- Space bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart.
- 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鈥檛 bear wet feet, bulbs need water to trigger growth.
- If you鈥檙e 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鈥攊f they have been a problem鈥攑ut 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鈥檛 lose hope if you鈥檙e planting your tulips later in the season鈥攋ust follow these tips.
Growing
- If it rains weekly, do not water. However, if there is a dry spell and it does not rain, you should 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 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鈥檚 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.
Catherine Boeckmann
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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?
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.
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
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.
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鈥檇 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.
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 鈥減erennial鈥, are generally grown as annuals. So, we’d probably just plant some new bulbs.
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
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鈥攗nless something on the packaging indicates somethign else.
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.
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鈥檇 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鈥檓 zone 7 or 8.
If these bulbs are not viable, what can I do with them?
