Tulips are difficult flowers to grow because they are so particular. In many parts of the country, tulips may only bloom for a few years at a time before they die out completely. There is no rhyme or reason behind why tulips bloom for several years before disappearing. What happens if I plant tulips this year? Continue reading to find out why your tulips aren’t blooming and what you can do to ensure they bloom every year.
The tulip is here to stay! In the fall, we should plant these brightly colored jewels so that they can brighten our days in early spring. It’s always exciting to see the first signs of spring as the Earth emerges from its long winter hibernation. We’ve put together a list of helpful tulip planting and care tips.
Tulips: A Brief History
Late winter or early spring is the ideal time for tulips to emerge from the ground. If mild winter weather causes premature growth, the danger is not as great as it first appears. Tulips (and daffodils) have been through this before, and they’re fine with the conditions. Growth may be slowed if winter temperatures return. The snow acts as a deterrent to new growth and shields the foliage from the bitter cold.
A Fall Planting Will Produce Spring Flowers
Before the ground freezes over in the winter, tulip bulbs are planted. Tulips can bloom from early to late spring if you plant varieties with varying bloom times. Some cultivars can be forced to bloom indoors, and the majority of them make beautiful cut flowers.
Cup-shaped, with three petals and three sepals, tulip flowers are the most common type. No matter where you want to plant your tulip, you can find one to suit your needs, from small “species” varieties for naturalized woodlands to larger “classic” varieties for beds and borders. Simple cups, bowls, and goblets to more elaborate forms adorn the upright flowers, which may be single or double-flowered. 6 inches to 2 feet in height. There are two to six broad leaves on each plant, and one tulip grows on each of the stems.
Tulip bulbs are either annual or perennial.
Tulips are botanically perennial, but the bulb’s ability to return year after year has been weakened by centuries of hybridization. They are thus treated as annuals by many gardeners who plant new bulbs each year. The climate and soil in North America are incomparable to those in ancient Anatolia and southern Russia, where they were born. It may be more successful with tulip perennialization in the western mountain regions of the United States.
Plant Tulips in the Spring
- Tulip bulbs should be planted in the fall, six to eight weeks before the first hard frost is predicted. The bulbs will take some time to grow. A disease problem can arise if a plant is planted too early. Check the dates of your local frost.
- Planting bulbs in the 40- to 50-degree range is a good rule of thumb for your region.
- Plant in September or October if you live in a colder part of the country. Plant bulbs in December if you live in a warm climate (or even later).
- Our fall bulb planting calendar can help you figure out the best times to plant.
- After purchasing the bulbs, don’t delay planting them because nature never intended for bulbs to sit on top of the soil.
- Late November or December is the best time to plant bulbs in southern climates with mild winters. Before planting, the bulbs will need to be kept cool in the refrigerator for about a month. (Pre-chilled bulbs are also available from bulb suppliers.)
- Don’t wait until spring or next fall to plant your bulbs if you missed the ideal time to do so. Unlike seeds, bulbs do not germinate in the same way. In January and February, even though you may have found an unplanted sack of tulips or daffodils, don’t hesitate to plant them.
Planting Site Selection and Preparation
- Full or afternoon sun is ideal for tulips. Tulips prefer a cool, shady location in Zones 7 and 8, and morning sun is best in Zone 8.
- Dry or sandy soil with good drainage and a pH of neutral to slightly acidic is ideal. Tulips have a strong aversion to wet conditions.
- Strong winds should be kept at bay by tall plants.
- Choose a large enough planting area if you want to space your bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart.
- Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches with a garden fork or tiller, then add a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.
Tulips: How to Plant Them
- Plant bulbs three times as deep as the bulb’s height, or 6 to 8 inches deep. The soil should be loosened by digging a deeper hole, which will allow water to drain out. For planting in clay soil, go 3 to 6 inches deep rather than less.
- Set the bulb in the hole with the pointy end facing upwards. Put soil on top and firmly press it down.
- Water bulbs as soon as they are planted. Bulbs, despite their dislike of wet feet, require water to stimulate growth.
- When you plant perennial tulips in the fall, give them a balanced fertilizer. To store all the nutrients they require for a year, bulbs act as a self-contained storage system. A balanced time-release bulb food or organic material can be used.
- You can use holly or other thorny leaves in the planting holes to keep mice and moles away if that is a problem.
- Cat litter or crushed gravel may be used as mulch by some gardeners. Planting bulbs in buried wire cages may be necessary if rodents and voles are a serious problem.
- If you’re planting tulips later in the season, don’t give up hope—just follow these guidelines.
Tulip Care and Growing Instructions
- Do not water if it rains on a regular basis. You should, however, water the bulbs weekly until the ground freezes if there is a dry spell.
- Tulips are doomed by wet summers, irrigation systems, and soil that is too wet. Unless there is a severe drought, do not water a bulb bed. Fungus and disease thrive in wet soil, which can rot bulbs. Drainage will be improved if you amend the soil with shredded pine bark, sand, or some other coarse material.
- For future blooms, apply compost on a regular basis.
- The same bulb food or bone meal you used at planting time should be fed to your tulip in the spring, when the leaves emerge. Make sure you have plenty of water on hand.
- Tulips should be deadheaded as soon as the blooms fade, but the leaves should not be removed.
- After flowering, leave the leaves on the plants for about six weeks. For the tulip’s next year’s blooms, they need their foliage! Pruning is an option once the foliage has turned yellow and has begun to die back.
- Replanting of large varieties may be necessary every few years, but small ones tend to self-promote.
Pests and diseases
- Mold that is gray in color
- Slugs
- Snails
- Aphids
- Nematodes
- Bulb decomposition
- Tulip bulbs are particularly beloved by squirrels, rabbits, mice, and voles.
Species to Consider
When it comes to Tulip flowers, there are a wide variety of shapes and sizes to choose from.
A “Species” tulip is one that is between three and eight inches in height. Compared to hybrids, they’re more durable. When planted in a carpet of color, these flowers look their best. ‘Lilac Wonder’ is one of our favorites.
Triumph hybrids are the most common type of tulip, with a single cup-shaped tulip. Some of the best kinds:
- Purple, pink, and lilac petals adorn the cracker tulip, which blooms in the middle of spring.
- “Ile de France” has deep red blooms on stems up to 20 inches tall and is a midseason bloomer.
- Calgary is a mid-spring bloomer with white petals and blue-green foliage. ‘Calgary’
- Tulips are commonly thought of as annuals, but Darwin Hybrid tulips are known to last for several years after being planted.
Beautiful varieties of tulips can be found all over the country and the world. Check out gardening catalogs and get creative in your own backyard!
Wisdom and Humor
- The tulip bulb that you plant in the fall is not the same bulb that you find in the middle of the summer. The person she’s talking to is her daughter. The bulb divides for the next generation even as the tulip blooms.
- You can extend their vase life by cutting the tulip stems diagonally and then putting a funnel of newspaper over the upper two thirds of the stems and putting them in cool water for an hour or two. The tulips will last for at least a week if the stems are recut.
- The new tulip was such a rage and fashion in 17th-century Holland that a handful of bulbs was worth approximately $44,000.
- Tulips in red are said to be a symbol of love.
