How to Grow Tulips

Tulips are brightly colored and upright flowers that usually bloom in early spring to early summer. Native to the foothills of the Himalayas and Eastern Türkiye, tulips thrive in cold and hot dry weather. This flower is relatively easy to grow into a garden or flower bush. Start with Step 1 below for detailed instructions on how to grow tulips.

Table of Contents

Plan and prepare

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Buy tulip bulbs. You can buy it at a nursery or bonsai store or at a reputable online company.

When choosing flower bulbs, you should choose bulbs that are firm and free from mold, bruises or cuts. The flower bulbs should be light brown and wrapped in a thin, onion-like skin.
In terms of quantity, each bulb will produce one to four stems and flowers, so you need to plan accordingly.
Choose bulbs by name for a unified look and growth pattern. Tulips arranged in a color group – such as “yellow tulips” – are usually a collection of tulip species of that color.
It is advisable to start planting flowers within a week of purchasing the bulbs, as they cannot remain in the ground for long periods of time.

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Decide when to plant flowers. Tulip bulbs should be planted in late autumn, before winter arrives. The flower bulbs will hibernate for several months, before growing and blooming in the spring. The specific planting time depends on the local climate.

Refrigerate bulbs before planting if winters in your area rarely drop below freezing. Seal tubers and paper bags and refrigerate for 6 to 8 weeks. You can also buy “pre-chilled” bulbs. It is recommended to buy from reputable suppliers that store flower bulbs in cold storage.
You can grow flowers without refrigeration if winter temperatures are freezing. Planting is done only when the soil temperature measured at a depth of 15 cm is below 12 degrees Celsius.

Planting tulip bulbs

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Planting tulip bulbs. Place the bulb in the ground at a depth of 15 to 20 cm from the underside of the flower bulb. The larger the flower bulb, the deeper you need to put it in the ground.

The standard depth for laying flower bulbs is 15 cm; but if the cold weather is not too extreme, you can put the tubers to a depth of 20 cm to keep them cold.
Place the tuber in the hole, pointed end facing up. Backfill with soil and gently press the ground to compact it.
Place the bulbs 12 cm apart. To create a tulip bed, you should place 5 bulbs in an area of 90 cm2. Plant the tulips at the same depth to ensure uniform blooms.

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Drive away rodents. If you have a problem with rats, you should use repellents such as holly leaves, cat urine, or place gravel in the hole. In case the repellent is not effective, you need to put up a net to protect the flower bed.

You can also spread a layer of geotextile on the ground to prevent weasels and other rodents from digging up tulip bulbs.

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Water thoroughly after planting bulbs. Do not continue watering until young shoots begin to grow. Although tulip bulbs don’t like much moisture, initial watering is a necessary step to trigger growth.

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Cover the flower bed with straw to keep the soil cold. In areas with little cold winters, you should add a layer of mulch immediately after planting flowers. If winters are harsh, you should wait 3 to 4 weeks after planting before adding mulch to allow the roots to grow before the soil freezes.

Planting tulips in pots

Taking care of tulips

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Wait for the flowers to bloom. Let the bulbs grow on their own during the winter months—no watering or fertilizing. When spring comes, they will bloom in unison with vibrant colors.

Tulips are perennial flowers, which means they will bloom again every year. However, in most of North America, weather and soil conditions prevent the bulbs from growing again, so they bloom only once a year and then stop.
If you are in an area where conditions allow tulips to bloom for many years (ideal areas are dry summers and cold winters), read the following guide.

Maggie Moran

Gardener

Maggie Moran is a professional gardener in Pennsylvania.

Maggie Moran
Gardener

Leave the tulips in the ground for them to grow on their own. Tulip bulbs can grow easily if left in the soil all year. If you want, you can replant new tulip bulbs where you want tulips.

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Make a consistent watering schedule. After the flower bulbs start to grow, you can start watering to prevent the soil from drying out. However, do not water too much because it will damage the flower bulbs.

Continue watering even if the plant stops blooming. Flower bulbs continue to grow underground for the next year. Let the leaves and stems continue to grow until they wilt and die.
Stop watering the bulbs after the leaves have fallen off and allow the ground to dry out. The plant is no longer able to nourish the bulb, and the tulip needs dry conditions during the summer months.

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Cut off the flower head. Cut the flowers off after three weeks of full bloom, before the petals fall. Petals that fall to the ground and get caught in the foliage can cause mold and kill the plant before they can nourish the flower bulbs that develop underground.

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Fertilize in the fall. If you want to grow perennial tulips, you will need to apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer in the fall, such as cow manure or a special fertilizer for flower bulbs.

In case you forget to fertilize in the fall, you can apply it in late winter/early spring, after the young shoots have developed. Use a high-nitrogen, quick-release fertilizer for best results. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Keep tulips fresh for a long time. To keep the flowers in the vase fresh for a long time, you should cut the stem diagonally, then use newspaper to wrap two-thirds of the flower head into a funnel shape.

Soak the stems in cool water for one to two hours, then remove the newspaper and prune the stems. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Flowers will stay fresh for about a week.

Advice

Place the bulbs of tulips and other flowers about 20cm deep into the ground to prevent the hamsters from eating them. This species of mouse usually burrows into the ground about 10 to 15 cm.
Dig up the soil for the bulbs after the plant dies and store it in a dark, dry place during the summer if you want to plant flowers for next year. This step is only necessary in case of high humidity in the summer or when planting flowers in a low-lying area.

Steps

Plan and prepare

Planting tulip bulbs

Planting tulips in pots

Taking care of tulips

Advice

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