How to Store Tulip Bulbs Indoors
Tulips bloom in early spring, brightening the landscape with a flash of color. These hardy perennials reproduce via underground bulbs and thrive for years with little care. Bulbs are typically purchased in early fall and planted before the soil freezes for the next spring's blooms. But for those times when you simply must move the bulbs midseason, they can be kept inside the home until planting time. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Dig the bulbs, and allow the soil to dry before you bring them inside. Once the soil is dry, brush it from the bulbs.
-
2
Remove foliage from tulips once it has yellowed and died back. Because the bulb depends on the foliage to produce its store of food for next spring's blooms, cutting back foliage before it has yellowed may result in lack of blooms the next year.
-
-
3
Place a 3- to 4-inch layer of peat moss into a box or crate.
-
4
Lay the tulip bulbs on the peat moss, and cover them with another 2 to 4 inches of peat moss.
-
5
Store the bulbs in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area until planting time in the fall. Ron Cornwell, University of Illinois Extension educator, recommends temperatures for the storage area between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity level as low as possible.
-
6
Check bulbs periodically for signs of mold or mildew. Discard any affected bulbs. If bulbs begin to shrivel, spray the peat moss lightly with water.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Plant tulips in a sunny location that receives six to eight hours of sun a day.
Tulips prefer well-draining soil.
Plant tulips that bloom at varying times to extend the blooming season.
Group tulips in cluster of three or five to give the appearance they have sprung from nature.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
