When to Plant Tulip Bulbs?

Plant tulips in fall when temperatures are in the 60's or lower during the day.

Tulips require 12-16 weeks of consistently cold temperatures (50's during the day or lower) in order to produce a flower bud in spring.

How to Plant Tulip Bulbs?

Plant Tulip bulbs in well drained soil. Tulips do not like wet soil, if water pools in the area they are planted add compost to help improve drainage.

Plant tulip bulbs 6-8" deep. The pointed end of the bulb should be facing the sky.

Place the soil that was removed from the planting hole over the tulips. Water the bulbs in after the initial planting. Avoid watering after the planting as they prefer to be dry in winter.

Bouquet Planting Tulips

For a full bouquet appearance plant 5 bulbs per one 10-12" wide planting hole. The bulbs can be planted 1-2" from each other in this larger hole.

Planting Tulips in Pots

Tulips can be planted in pots in temperate climates that do not experience many freeze and thaw cycles. If Tulips are planted in pots in above ground containers in a climate that has varying winter temperatures the pots will need to be insulated to protect the bulbs from the effects of the freezing and thawing that may occur.

What to do when your tulips are done blooming?

The flower stems can be removed once the blooms have faded. Keep the leaves intact until they yellow, wither and can easily be removed from the soil. The leaves gather energy from the sun after the blooms fade to provide energy for the next seasons blooms. If possible, keep the bulbs dry during summer, as they prefer dry conditions when dormant.