How Can I Plant My Tulips?

Tulips are excellent for mass plantings and provide a dash of vibrant color.

Tulips are upright flowers with a single, colorful flower topping a firm, green stem. They come in a wide variety of colors. Plant tulips in a single row or in bunches. Tulips grow from bulbs and may be dug up every year and replanted in the spring. The process for planting tulips is the same for planting new bulbs or replanting old ones.

Things You'll Need

• Soil thermometer
• Tulip bulbs
• Trowel

Instructions

1. Choose a location that has full sun with well-drained soil. Tulips do best in drier conditions and suffer in soils with too much moisture.

2. Plant tulips in the fall. In USDA hardiness zones 4 and 5, plant in September or early October. In hardiness zones 6 and 7, plant in October and November, and in zones 8 and 9, plant in November or early December.

3. Measure the soil temperature. For optimum growth, plant tulips when the soil temperature falls below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Dig a hole about 6 inches deep for each tulip bulb, using a trowel. If the soil is sandy or light, dig the hole about 8 inches deep.

5. Space holes 5 inches apart.

6. Place each tulip end up into the holes and cover with the loose dirt, patting down the soil firmly.

7. Water the planted bulbs thoroughly. Do not water them again until you see leaves in the spring.

Tips & Warnings

• In USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10, keep your tulip bulbs in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 weeks before you plant them.

• If you live in a colder area, like USDA hardiness zones 3 through 6, place straw mulch around the bulbs to protect them about one month after planting.

References

• Gardening With Kids: Planting Tulips
• University of Missouri Extension: October Is the Ideal Time to Plant Tulips for Next Spring