Tulips bring joy for everyone after a cold winter, and it is very easy to grow. So why not grow your own? In this blog we are sharing all you need to know about planting and growing Tulips. This is your complete tulip planting guide.
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When is the best time to plant tulip bulbs?
Fall is the best time to plant Tulip bulbs, before the ground freezes. We are in Kansas, Zone 6b, and October is a good month for us to plant tulips in ground.
For planting tulips in containers, you can manage to get away with planting them even after freeze because you will prepare the potting mix yourself, and it obviously won’t be frozen. But even with containers, try to get it in by November end.
What depth should tulip bulbs be planted?
Tulip bulbs should be planted at a depth of 6 inches to 8 inches, in ground and in containers as well. It is a better idea to pick a larger size container for growing tulip bulbs which provides enough depth.
- When is the best time to plant tulip bulbs?
- What depth should tulip bulbs be planted?
- What type of soil do tulips prefer?
- How do I plant tulip bulbs?
- How often should I water tulip bulbs after planting?
- Do tulips need full sun or partial shade?
- How do I care for tulips after they bloom?
- Can I plant tulips in pots?
- What pests or diseases affect tulips?
- How long do tulips take to bloom after planting?
- What VARITIES of Tulip are best for my region? What varieties of Tulip should I grow?
What type of soil do tulips prefer?
Here is how I prepare soil for planting and growing tulips:
- Tulips prefer loamy soil, so I mix 1/3rd part compost, 1/3rd part sand and 1/3rd part top soil (or you can use peat moss)
- Tulips can take a bit of acidic soil, but I have never done anything additional to maintain soil acidity, and they have done fine.
- For planting and growing tulips in clay soil, I mix compost and sand in equal parts with the clay I dig out, and then use this mix to fill the holes.
How do I plant tulip bulbs?
Follow these steps to plant tulip bulbs:
- Dig 6 to 8 inches deep holes, at least 4 inches apart from each other.
- Place one tulip bulb in each hole, the pointy side should be up, towards the sky, and the blunt side should be downwards towards the dirt. See the image below for clear reference.
- Once all bulbs are planted, cover the holes back with dirt and let it grow.
How often should I water tulip bulbs after planting?
Usually watering tulip bulbs at planting time is a good idea. Beyond that I rely on snow and rain during winter and spring to keep the soil moist for tulips.
If there is a dry spell, I would water them about 1 inch every week during spring.
Do tulips need full sun or partial shade?
My garden is partially shaded, but tulips seem to be doing fine. Tulips get about 5 hours of direct sunlight in my garden.
Usually, tulips need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. With partial shade, they bloom a little later than the ones in full sunlight.
How do I care for tulips after they bloom?
People chop down the tulip plants right after it blooms, which is a BIG NO. Making flower is an exhausting job for the bulb. It needs to make more food and store it to survive winter.
After bloom, let the tulip leaves be on the bulb and let it turn brown. The leaves and flower stem make food for bulb through the process of photosynthesis.
I even add a single dose of high PK organic fertilizer because it gives the bulbs an additional boast to prepare for next year. Why and how? You can learn it in this video that explains when to add what kind of fertilizer to plants.
Can I plant tulips in pots?
Yes! I plant mine in pots as well. Begin with choosing a large pot to plant tulips. A combination of 1/3rd compost, 1/3rd vermiculite and 1/3rd peat moss (or potting mix from stores) makes a good potting mix to grow tulips.
Plant the tulip bulbs at the depth of 6 inches, with another 3 to 4 inches below the bulbs to allow roots to grow.
What pests or diseases affect tulips?
Squirrels steal a lot of my tulip bulbs. This year I am putting a chicken wire on top of my tulip containers to prevent them stealing it.
How long do tulips take to bloom after planting?
Tulip bulbs planted in Fall bloom in Spring. So it takes about 6 to 7 months for tulips to bloom after planting the bulbs.
What VARITIES of Tulip are best for my region? What varieties of Tulip should I grow?
Now that you know how to grow tulips, it is time to find out the best tulip variety for your planting zone.
You can check the table below to see the different types of perennial and annual tulip varieties. I personally grow the Darwin Hybrid varieties.
It is a good idea of call your local agriculture extension to get a list of varieties (for any kind of plant) that do best in your area.
| Type | Recommended zone | Tulip Varieties type | Variety Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perennial | 3-8 | Darwin Hybrid | ‘Apeldoorn’, ‘Red Impression’, ‘Golden Parade’, ‘White Emperor’, ‘Pink Impression’ |
| 3-8 | Triumph | ‘Carnival de Nice’, ‘Purple Prince’, ‘Dreamland’, ‘Princess Irene’, ‘Yokohama’ | |
| 3-8 | Fosteriana | ‘Estella Rijnveld’, ‘Firebird’, ‘Orange Emperor’, ‘Red Emperor’, ‘Yellow Emperor’ | |
| 3-8 | Greigii | ‘Red Riding Hood’, ‘Ballerina’, ‘Burgundy’, ‘Queen of Night’, ‘Crispijn’ | |
| 4-9 | Botanical | ‘Tulipa humilis’, ‘Tulipa tarda’, ‘Tulipa saxatilis’, ‘Tulipa pulchella’, ‘Tulipa linifolia’ | |
| 4-9 | Species | ‘Tulipa clusiana’, ‘Tulipa bakeri’, ‘Tulipa orphanidea’, ‘Tulipa montana’, ‘Tulipa turkestanica’ | |
| Annual | 3-8 | Single Early | ‘Jan van Nes’, ‘Peach Blossom’, ‘Antoinette’, ‘Abba’, ‘Hallelujah’ |
| 3-8 | Double Early | ‘Double Pink’, ‘Danceline’, ‘Monte Carlo’, ‘White Triumphator’, ‘Apricot Parrot’ | |
| 3-8 | Parrot | ‘Scarlet Parrot’, ‘Yellow Parrot’, ‘Green Parrot’, ‘Duc van Tol’, ‘Red Parrot’ | |
| 3-8 | Lily-Flowered | ‘Casa Grande’, ‘White Triumphator’, ‘Burgundy’, ‘Black Hero’, ‘Purple Dream’ | |
| 3-8 | Triumph | ‘Couleur Cardinal’, ‘Apple Blossom’, ‘Havran’, ‘Flaming Parrot’, ‘Don Quichotte’ |
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