How to Dig Up Tulip Bulbs
With care and maintenance, tulip bulbs will stay healthy. While many gardeners remove and discard these bulbs, you may not want to waste money by replacing them every season. By gently removing the bulbs at the end of their blooming season and replanting them in the fall, you can make your tulips reproduce for a few years. Digging them up is easy with the use of a few simple tools. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Cut off the seed heads when the tulips have finished blooming. This will direct the energy to the stems and bulbs.
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Use the hand claw rake to loosen the soil around the plants. Start this process at least 4 inches away from the plant base.
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Dig straight down into the soil rather than digging at an angle using the spade to avoid cutting into the bulbs. Loosen the dirt completely all the way around the plants.
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Wrap your hand around the stem base and gently pull the bulbs from the soil. If you meet with resistance, loosen the soil again, since you may not have dug deep enough to loosen the roots and bulbs.
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Shake the bulbs gently to free them of soil. The roots will still be attached to the bulbs. Store the bulbs in a container until you are ready to replant them in the fall.
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Cut the leaves away from the tulips when they become brown while storing.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant annuals in place of the tulips until you are ready to replant the bulbs. Tulip bulbs can be planted in shaded areas without extensive soil preparation.
Tulip bulbs tend to lose their vigor after the first season.
