Planting Tulips: Lessons Learned
Last year I planted tulips for the very first time in my front yard. I had been working my butt off, all summer long, making 14-foot wide flowerbeds along my fence. By the time fall came around, I was very exhausted. My legs were even giving me warnings sign with shooting pains that I needed to rest. Did I listen? No. Instead, I ran to my local Walmart to buy tulips. They had them there at a good price and I loved the idea of beautiful tulips in the Spring.
Try to imagine how the fall tulip planting went. The soil was dry and I did not have the energy to dig holes. My head was spinning from burn out and I decided that I would just throw the tulips in the ground and see what happened in the spring. I was not following any of the planting guides. Most of the tulips were about 1-2 inches deep, many of the tips were pointing down, and many were above the soil after one rainfall. I have to ask myself, what was the point of doing it, under the circumstances?
By no surprise, although still hopeful, my tulips were a failure in the Spring. The ones planted too shallow did not flower or were tiny and stout. Other tulips got burned and rotted from extreme temperature changes and some didn’t even take root. There were a few that did do well and that was exciting, but the majority struggled.
Tips on growing beautiful tulips come spring:
Plant your tulips at least 6 inch deep. The deeper they are in the soil, the cooler the bulbs will remain and that is crucial for producing the flower. It also creates a strong base, so the plant can withstand wind and temperamental weather. If you plant too deep, it could inhibit flower growth and you could just end up with stems. 6-8 inches is a good rule of thumb.
Well-drained soil is important. Plant in a location that is not constantly wet and soggy. This can cause the bulbs to rot and get disease. No one wants that.
Plant the pointer top up and plant 1-2 inches apart. I prefer to plant mine as annuals so I have full control of my tulips (they can multiply and spread). In addition, it’s fun to mix it up. There are so many different fun and exquiste tulip varieties out there that I would like to try! I’ll include some of those at the end. I choose to plant mine 2 inches apart so I have less bulbs to dig up once they are done blooming. It is also more cost effective. For an abundance of flowers, you can plant them as close as 1 inch apart.
Plant in late fall when the temperatures are starting to cool, but the ground is not frozen. If it’s November and the ground is still soft, you can plant them. If you live in a higher zone, you can plant them in December and January, as long as you refrigerate your tulips 10 weeks prior. They need to cool for long enough to properly activate growth.
I live in a place with many deer. Deer love tulips! It is dessert for them. It’s always a gamble for me to plant tulips, but worth a try because I love them so much. Early spring when leaves start to emerge, spray the leaves at night with an egg wash mixture (2 eggs to 1-cup water). The more rotten the egg, the better. My mom use to do this and it worked. Also, plant your bulbs where your deer are less likely to visit.
Wait until they start to turn yellow to cut them back if you are choosing to grow them as perennials. You can also dig them up after they turn yellow and store them in a cool place and replant in fall.
Some tulips bloom early spring, mid spring, and late spring. If you plan accordingly, you can have tulips all spring long!
Here are some of my favorite Tulip varieties for long lasting spring color!
Early Spring Varieties- Sweet Desire, Sweetheart, Apricot Beauty, Purple Prince, Blonde
Mid-Late Spring Varieties- Charming Beauty, White Parrot, Impression Darwin, Cream Upstar, Blue Diamond
Late Spring Varieties- Blue Parrot, Angelique Series, Dordogne, Dreamland, Renown Unique, Menton, Copper
