When to Plant Tulip Bulbs

There are manys different ways for planting tulip bulbs and when to plant tulip bulbs from the thousands of tulip varieties that come in different colors, heights, and blooming seasons.

To make the most of these lovely flowers, its best to know when to plant tulip bulbs and how deep do you plant them.

Contrary to popular notion, tulips are not just the varieties so closely associated with the Dutch which is the holland tulip bulbs. In fact, there are over 150 varieties from Europe to Asia to Africa with the greatest diversity in surprisingly enough, Kazakhstan as well as the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains.

Generally speaking, the best varieties are the hybrids coming from Holland. You can choose from beautiful varieties like the Florentine and Red Emperor as well as the single and double blooming types. Of course, you will have to check with your local authorities for the best type of varieties since each one requires a specific set of environmental conditions. Just a tip: Always choose the biggest bulb with the quality brand name as size does matter when it comes to tulip bulbs and the resulting blooms.

Early in the fall is a good time to plan the design of the tulip bed. An ideal spot for growing tulips is a narrow strip of the garden along the border for everyone to see and enjoy the flower's beauty.

In the front of the garden bed, you can plant the short tulip types that bloom early in the spring. Toward the back of the tulip bed is an ideal space for the later blooming taller tulips. Plant several kinds in a wide variety of colors.

Take care to cluster two dozen or so matching bulbs together so the border will bloom with masses of color. Plant the bulbs in diagonal grouping so the colors blend with one another.

when to plant tulip bulbs

In most areas, the month of September is when to plant tulip bulbs. Before the bulbs go into the ground, some soil preparation is needed. If you have already added peat moss throughout your garden, then it should be sufficient efficient for the tulip bed.

You must look for the best soil. In this case, you should look for loose, sandy soil with good drainage that will ensure good growth for the tulips. When you are working on unprepared soil, dig two inches of peat moss into the top eight inches of soil. Then add ground bone meal, which is rich in phosphorous. The additional nutrients will help the plants develop a solid root system for the following spring.

Spread the bone meal at a rate of six pounds to 100 square feet, digging it into the soil along with the peat moss. Once the soil is prepared lay every bulb out on the soil in exactly the location it will be planted. This is the best way to be sure that your design translates from paper to the soil.

Using a bulb planter, plant the bulbs one at a time. Bulb planters are ingenious devices that twist through the soil to excavate a hole five or six inches deep. A good rule of thumb to follow when planting bulbs is to set them three times as deep as the bulb's greatest dimensions. In the case of most tulips, this means a depth of about 5 or 6 inches.

After setting the bulbs tip up in the planting hole, pour soil from the bulb planter back into the hole and then firm the soil.

Dress up your flower garden by planting your tulip bed at the entrance. Planting miniature species that are early bloomers and especially pretty at close range bring an eye catching and dramatic splash of color to the landscape. Other bulbs could be planted to add to the colorful mix such as snowdrops, Siberian squill, and glory-of-the-snow.

care of tulip plants and when to plant tulip bulbs

In the East, tulips are planted in mid-October to late November. In the northern states, in September. On the West Coast in October to November. Tulips will bloom in the springtime and are generally top quality for around three years.

# Plant the bulbs in a lightly shaded area such as under a tree. Just make sure that these bulbs will still get their fair amount of sunshine to balance the chill with the beneficial effects of the sun's rays.

# Make sure that sufficient water is provided to the bulbs. Sufficient in this case means once a month before blooming and then once a week after blooming has commenced. However, you should regularly check the ground for dryness. If it is dry, then provide water to the plants but only until moisture is restored. Keep in mind that bulbs can rot when the soils is waterlogged and sodden.

# Add a fertilizer rich in potassium, nitrogen and other plant feed but only before the tulip plants have bloomed. After blooming, stop feeding the fertilizer as fungal infections can ensue. # Always remove the weeds before these plants can reach an inch high. This way, the tulips are protected from pests, too.

# Prune the tulips and harvest the flowers with sharp pruning shears after the blooms have finished their cycle. This way, the plants can generate flowers next spring.

Rotate tulip plantings in your garden so that you plant them in the same place only once every three years. If tulips throw up one big leaf with no flower, this indicates overcrowding of the bulbs. Underground, new small bulbs are forming around the older ones. If your tulips are not flowering, dig them up and replant only the biggest bulbs.

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