Plant Tulips for March-to-May Blooms
Learn the basics of growing these favorite spring bulbs
Marianne Lipanovich
August 27, 2017
Houzz Contributor. I'm a California-based writer and editor. While most of my projects are garden-based, you might also find me writing about home projects and classical music. Away from the computer, I'm found in the garden (naturally), on my bike, or ice-skating outdoors (yes, that is possible in California). I'm also willing to taste-test anything that's chocolate.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a California-based writer and editor. While most of my projects... More
Tulips are a staple of spring gardens, thanks to their tall flowers in bright, cheery “winter’s over” colors. With some judicious planning, hybrid tulips can provide color throughout the spring, even though their individual bloom period is shorter. These somewhat less familiar species will add unexpected interest to a spring bulb garden.
Though tulips are technically perennials, you’ll need to grow them as annuals in warm-winter climates. Even in cold-winter climates, their bloom tends to be less vigorous after a few years, so many gardeners in those areas treat them as annuals or short-lived perennials.
Though tulips are technically perennials, you’ll need to grow them as annuals in warm-winter climates. Even in cold-winter climates, their bloom tends to be less vigorous after a few years, so many gardeners in those areas treat them as annuals or short-lived perennials.
Botanical name: Tulipa spp.
Common name: Tulip
Origin: Native to Central and West Asia
Bloom season: Spring
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 10; find your zone); you’ll need to chill bulbs if you’re growing them in warmer climates.
Water requirement: Regular when growing and blooming
Light requirement: Full sun when blooming; provide partial shade after bloom in hot climates.
Benefits and tolerances: Thanks to the range of flowering times, you can have tulips blooming throughout spring; they’re also repeat bloomers in cold-winter climates, although they may start to fade after a few years.
When to plant: September through December, depending on your climate zone
Fun fact: “Tulip mania” swept The Netherlands in the 1600s and almost caused the Dutch economy to crash in 1637, thanks to the high prices for tulip bulbs.
Common name: Tulip
Origin: Native to Central and West Asia
Bloom season: Spring
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 10; find your zone); you’ll need to chill bulbs if you’re growing them in warmer climates.
Water requirement: Regular when growing and blooming
Light requirement: Full sun when blooming; provide partial shade after bloom in hot climates.
Benefits and tolerances: Thanks to the range of flowering times, you can have tulips blooming throughout spring; they’re also repeat bloomers in cold-winter climates, although they may start to fade after a few years.
When to plant: September through December, depending on your climate zone
Fun fact: “Tulip mania” swept The Netherlands in the 1600s and almost caused the Dutch economy to crash in 1637, thanks to the high prices for tulip bulbs.
Tulip basics. Tulips come in a surprising array of colors, from white to almost black. If you want something a little different, look for tulips with streaked or bicolored flowers.
You can also find a surprising number of flower types. It’s hard to go wrong with the familiar single cuplike shape, but you’re also likely to find ones with lily-like blooms, fringes, ruffles and double flowers, which resemble peonies.
You can also find a surprising number of flower types. It’s hard to go wrong with the familiar single cuplike shape, but you’re also likely to find ones with lily-like blooms, fringes, ruffles and double flowers, which resemble peonies.
‘Princess Irene’ tulip (early single tulip)
The number of tulip options is staggering. The familiar hybrid tulips are generally divided into broad categories, depending on when they bloom. Early tulips are as they sound — the first to appear in early spring, generally in March. You’ll find early tulip hybrids with both single and double blooms.
Midseason tulips, appearing around April, include the Triumph tulips, with their single solid-color flowers, and Darwin tulips, which are good garden standbys reaching 2 feet tall or more and generally found in shades of reds and oranges.
The late tulips include both single and double tulips, lily-flowered tulips, the uniquely colored Rembrandt and Viridiflora tulips and the fringed tulips, including Parrot tulips.
The number of tulip options is staggering. The familiar hybrid tulips are generally divided into broad categories, depending on when they bloom. Early tulips are as they sound — the first to appear in early spring, generally in March. You’ll find early tulip hybrids with both single and double blooms.
Midseason tulips, appearing around April, include the Triumph tulips, with their single solid-color flowers, and Darwin tulips, which are good garden standbys reaching 2 feet tall or more and generally found in shades of reds and oranges.
The late tulips include both single and double tulips, lily-flowered tulips, the uniquely colored Rembrandt and Viridiflora tulips and the fringed tulips, including Parrot tulips.
‘Little Beauty’ and ‘Little Princess’ species tulips (T. humilis)
Species tulips are generally, though not always, shorter and more open than the familiar hybrids. Some of the more popular species tulips include the fosteriana tulip (T. Fosteriana), known for its large blooms, the midseason greigii tulip (T. greigii) and kaufmanniana (T. kaufmanniana), or waterlily tulip, which blooms in early spring. You’ll also find a wealth of other tulip species from specialty growers.
Species tulips are generally, though not always, shorter and more open than the familiar hybrids. Some of the more popular species tulips include the fosteriana tulip (T. Fosteriana), known for its large blooms, the midseason greigii tulip (T. greigii) and kaufmanniana (T. kaufmanniana), or waterlily tulip, which blooms in early spring. You’ll also find a wealth of other tulip species from specialty growers.
How to use it. Tulips are quite at home in formal gardens, thanks to their upright habit, and look stunning when used in mass plantings or as a border to a sidewalk or path. For a more casual look, scatter them randomly throughout your landscape or intersperse them with other spring blooms in garden beds. Species tulips are a lovely addition to a rock garden.
Tulips are also a great choice for containers. You can put them on display when they’re at their peak bloom without worrying about messy foliage before and after.
Tulips are also a great choice for containers. You can put them on display when they’re at their peak bloom without worrying about messy foliage before and after.
When to plant. Ideally, you’ll plant bulbs as soon as you purchase them, unless you’re in a climate where you’ll need to prechill them. (See “The chill factor,” which follows.) If you buy them early to get the best selection, store them in a dry area out of direct sunlight and where they’ll get good air circulation. If you buy online, reputable growers will wait to ship bulbs, which are often prechilled, until the ideal planting time for your area.
Planting times depend on where you live, but in all cases you’ll want to wait until the soil temperature cools to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or 15.6 degrees Celsius. Gardeners in the coldest climates can usually start planting in late September, while those in the warmest climates won’t be putting bulbs into the soil until November, December or even early January. The general guideline is to plant about six to eight weeks before the first hard frost.
Planting times depend on where you live, but in all cases you’ll want to wait until the soil temperature cools to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or 15.6 degrees Celsius. Gardeners in the coldest climates can usually start planting in late September, while those in the warmest climates won’t be putting bulbs into the soil until November, December or even early January. The general guideline is to plant about six to eight weeks before the first hard frost.
- Zones 3 to 5: September to early October
- Zones 6 to 7: October to early November
- Zones 8 to 9: November to early December
- Zone 10: Late December to January
The chill factor. Most tulips demand cold weather to do their best. Gardeners in warmer-winter climates will need to chill their bulbs for six to eight weeks before planting, unless the online resource does it for you. The best spot is the chiller drawer of a refrigerator (not a freezer), but keep bulbs away from apples and bananas, which emit ethylene gasses that will damage or kill the flower inside the bulb. You may also want to chill your bulbs if your winters aren’t predictably cold.
See similar stone pots and planters
See similar stone pots and planters
Choosing bulbs. Look for bulbs that are firm and plump, with their papery cover still in place. You’ll find them in nurseries or garden centers beginning in August or September. For more options, whether you’re looking for specific colors or unusual species, check online sources. Some good choices are Brent and Becky’s Bulbs and White Flower Farm.
Planting notes. Tulips originated in areas with very cold winters and hot, dry summers, so replicating those conditions is ideal. Choose a spot with bright sunlight for when they bloom, as tulips will lean toward the light. They want good, well-draining soil, as they can rot if the bulb remains wet. They also don’t do well if tulips have been planted in that spot previously.
For the best growth, dig out the soil about a foot deep or even slightly deeper and add new amended soil. If burrowing animals, such as voles and gophers, are a problem, either line the bed with wire mesh or put a wire-mesh basket around each bulb. Set the bulbs in the soil about three times as deep as they are wide, generally at around 6 to 8 inches, with the pointed end up. For a mass planting, space bulbs about 4 to 6 inches apart or slightly farther for very large tulips.
If you’re planning for repeat blooms, add a 5-10-15 or 5-10-10 granular fertilizer around the bulbs at this point. Cover the bulbs with soil, and water thoroughly. If you’re in zones 7 through 10, add a layer of mulch at this time; add mulch in about a month’s time in zones 3 through 6. Keep the bulbs safe from burrowing animals, such as squirrels, by laying chicken wire on top. Remove it when the bulbs start sending up leaves in spring.
Water in spring and fall during dry spells. Provide regular water once growth starts in spring, but don’t let the soil get soggy, which can lead to mold and rot. The most common pests are aphids, slugs and snails, along with such critters as squirrels, rabbits, mice, voles and gophers.
Cut back flower stems after the blooms fade. If you’re planning on repeat blooms, leave the foliage in place until it yellows and provide regular water during that time; otherwise, you can discard the plants. To encourage increased blooms, divide hybrids after several years during the late summer and then replant when you would plant new bulbs.
For the best growth, dig out the soil about a foot deep or even slightly deeper and add new amended soil. If burrowing animals, such as voles and gophers, are a problem, either line the bed with wire mesh or put a wire-mesh basket around each bulb. Set the bulbs in the soil about three times as deep as they are wide, generally at around 6 to 8 inches, with the pointed end up. For a mass planting, space bulbs about 4 to 6 inches apart or slightly farther for very large tulips.
If you’re planning for repeat blooms, add a 5-10-15 or 5-10-10 granular fertilizer around the bulbs at this point. Cover the bulbs with soil, and water thoroughly. If you’re in zones 7 through 10, add a layer of mulch at this time; add mulch in about a month’s time in zones 3 through 6. Keep the bulbs safe from burrowing animals, such as squirrels, by laying chicken wire on top. Remove it when the bulbs start sending up leaves in spring.
Water in spring and fall during dry spells. Provide regular water once growth starts in spring, but don’t let the soil get soggy, which can lead to mold and rot. The most common pests are aphids, slugs and snails, along with such critters as squirrels, rabbits, mice, voles and gophers.
Cut back flower stems after the blooms fade. If you’re planning on repeat blooms, leave the foliage in place until it yellows and provide regular water during that time; otherwise, you can discard the plants. To encourage increased blooms, divide hybrids after several years during the late summer and then replant when you would plant new bulbs.
Container culture. In some ways, growing tulips in containers is a better choice than growing them in the ground. You can keep them tucked away when they’re resting and during their first growth and bring them out and put them on display wherever you want when they’re blooming (even if it isn’t an ideal location). Tulips don’t do well as repeat bloomers when they’re in containers, so you’ll need to treat them as annuals and discard them after blooming.
You’ll need a large container, generally at least 15 inches tall and 18 inches in diameter. Add enough soil so the bulbs will sit at a depth of about three times their width, then place the bulbs in the container. You’ll want to space them tightly together to get the best display. Cover with soil, and water thoroughly.
Gardeners in warm-winter climates, zones 8 through 10, can leave containers outdoors in a sunny spot throughout the winter. (Cover the tops with chicken wire so critters won’t dig for the bulbs.) In colder climates, you’ll want to keep the pots out of temperature extremes. An unheated garage is ideal, but any place that is dry and gets winter daylight will work. Water thoroughly before bringing indoors, then start watering again in early spring. Bring them out once temperatures are more stable.
More
Take a Tour of an Enchanting Bulb Garden in the Netherlands
Why Fall Is the Best Time for Planting
You’ll need a large container, generally at least 15 inches tall and 18 inches in diameter. Add enough soil so the bulbs will sit at a depth of about three times their width, then place the bulbs in the container. You’ll want to space them tightly together to get the best display. Cover with soil, and water thoroughly.
Gardeners in warm-winter climates, zones 8 through 10, can leave containers outdoors in a sunny spot throughout the winter. (Cover the tops with chicken wire so critters won’t dig for the bulbs.) In colder climates, you’ll want to keep the pots out of temperature extremes. An unheated garage is ideal, but any place that is dry and gets winter daylight will work. Water thoroughly before bringing indoors, then start watering again in early spring. Bring them out once temperatures are more stable.
More
Take a Tour of an Enchanting Bulb Garden in the Netherlands
Why Fall Is the Best Time for Planting
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see how blooming tulips in Kalmykia
I'm trying a new approach this winter - at teh suggestion of the people from Sheridan nurseries. I have two big pots in the garage, layered with potting soil and three kinds of tulips ( early, mid, late, and crocus - all things the squirrels can't resist. Then I cover the pots with a sheet of wood, and leave them in the garage until spring - we'll see how that goes!
We've just redone our landscaping. I've just spent a little fortune on lots of bulbs (tulips, daffodils, allium) and planted most of them a few days ago. Well the damn squirrels got busy and dug up most of them and ate them! Even bulbs they don't like eating (presumably) they dig up, bite them and dump them! All ruined!
Too late to think about how to protect them. Now I bought some garden netting ... but I'll have to replant more bulbs first. I also heard that squirrels won't go near moth balls. Had I known this before planting ....