7 Secrets to Growing Tulips That Never Die (No Matter What You Do), by Gardening with Ruth on YouTube. 22 min 29 s.
- Video length
- 22 min 29 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour for 100 bulbs
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Wait until the soil is cool, roughly below 60°F (15°C), usually late October to November in cold zones. Planting too early in warm soil invites rot and disease.
Choose varieties that naturalize, such as species tulips or Darwin hybrids. Skip one-season bedding hybrids if you want blooms to return year after year.
Dig a hole 8 to 12 inches deep for each bulb. Deeper planting keeps bulbs cooler, hides them from squirrels and protects them from frost heave.
Loosen heavy clay soil and mix in compost so water drains away. Tulip bulbs rot in soggy ground that stays wet through winter.
Set each bulb in the hole with the pointed end up. Space bulbs about 4 to 6 inches apart so they have room to grow.
Cover the bulbs with soil and firm it gently. Water once after planting to settle the soil, then leave them alone.
Lay chicken wire or mesh over the bed if squirrels dig. Bury the edges so animals cannot push under it.
In spring, let the leaves die back naturally for about six weeks after blooming. Do not cut green foliage, because the leaves feed next year's bulb.
Fertilize once when shoots appear in spring and again after blooming. Use a bulb fertilizer and follow the package dose.
Tips and common mistakes
In zone 8 or warmer, chill bulbs in the fridge for 6 to 8 weeks before planting, since mild winters may not give them enough cold.
Plant 100 bulbs faster with a long-handled bulb planter instead of bending over a trowel all afternoon.
Deer often eat tulips, so plant them near the house or behind a fence if deer visit your garden.
Mix early, mid and late blooming tulips to get six to eight weeks of color instead of one short flush.
Questions
Why did my tulips not come back this year?
Most tulips fade because of the variety, shallow planting or wet soil. Choose perennializing types, plant 8 to 12 inches deep and make sure the ground drains well.
Can I grow tulips in a warm climate?
Yes, but you usually need to pre-chill the bulbs in a fridge for 6 to 8 weeks. Plant them in late autumn or grow them in containers you can keep cool.
Should I cut the leaves after tulips bloom?
No. Leave the leaves until they turn yellow and dry, about six weeks. They make the food that lets the bulb bloom again next spring.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
