Tulips are an incredibly diverse family of plants taking many shapes and sizes that are very easy to grow. They are perennials that are grown from a bulb that will bloom every spring. They need to be planted in the fall before the ground freezes for winter. They will tolerate light frost and the earliest ones even withstand light snow. 

Where To Plant

Tulips require a period of chilling in order to bloom in the spring. For this reason they are perennial and will thrive and in zones 7 and below. In zone 8 and higher bulbs need to be planted in December or January and need to have been chilled for 8-10 weeks in a refrigerator. In order to get them to return each year in these hotter zones, they will need to be lifted after the foliage has faded in the early summer.

Plant in a sunny location in a place that has good drainage. Tulips don’t like muggy ground because it will rot their bulb. If you suspect that you have poor drainage, try digging a one foot hole and filling it with water. Watch it and if you can see that the water takes a long time to disappear then you have poor drainage. 

How To Plant

Prepare your ground with compost and peat moss for taller, larger tulips. Tulips are strong and surprisingly withstand poor soil but they will be smaller and less vigorous the poorer the soil is. 

Plant tulips 8-10 inches deep with the pointy end up. If you are planting tulips in a cut flower garden you will plant the bulbs close together to encourage long stems. Dig a shallow and wide trench and place the bulbs near each other, like eggs in a carton. Then cover the trench/bulbs with soil.

If planting for a seasonal display you will probably not plant nearer than about 8 inches apart. You can space them farther depending on the look and layout you’ve chosen. A bulb planter or just a shovel can be helpful for this method.

Water

Once your tulips are all nestled in the ground you can water them well and then wait for spring. Before you know it, the world will start to warm and you will start to see little green heads poking up through the soil. 

When the green shoots start to emerge be sure to keep them hydrated. You can also feed them with a flower fertilizer as they work to establish for more vigorous flowers.

Harvest

If you are growing for cut flowers you will cut them when the bud has just started to color. Place in a clean vase in room temperature water and you can feed with flower food. If you need them to store for a longer period you can pull them from the ground, leaving them connected to the bulb. This will continue to feed the flower and can preserve flowers up to 3 weeks in cold storage. 

If you are growing for landscape use, after the blooms have faded it is best to let the foliage dry out. As the foliage fades it will feed the bulb and prepare it to go dormant beneath the ground until next year. 

Planting In Pots

Tulips can easily be grown in pots. This is a good idea if deer are a big problem in your area so that you can move pots to an enclosed or protected area. Deer love tulips and it can be very difficult to keep them from eating them. Plant in a pot 8-10 inches deep and ensure that they have sufficient exposure to water in the winter and spring. 

Vase Life

Tulips have a long vase life if picked at the right time and often will last a week and a half in the vase. Adding flower preservative will extend vase life the most. Hydrate well to encourage upright stems and be aware that tulips tend to elongate after a few days so tuck them down in a little further if working with them in arrangements.

Article By Sara Haller (Halden Co-Founder)

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