How to Grow Tulips Indoors

Container tulips will look just as colorful as garden-grown tulips.

Tulips provide an array of color in an outdoor garden, but for some early spring color indoors, plant the tulips in a container and keep it inside. Although tulips are commonly found outdoors and need little care to sprout and bloom, when growing them indoors, you will need to give your tulips proper care to force them to bloom. Tulips come in a huge array of colors, including yellow, pink, white, orange or red, and can brighten up your home after a long, dark winter.

Things You'll Need

• Container with drainage holes
• Gravel
• Commercial potting soil
• 5 tulip bulbs

Instructions

1. Place a thin layer of gravel in the bottom of a 5-inch-deep and -wide container with drainage holes.

2. Fill the container three-quarters full with commercial potting soil. Place five tulip bulbs in the container with the bulb points facing upward. Group the bulbs together, leaving a 1/2-inch space between bulbs. Add more potting soil to cover the bulbs, leaving the very point of the tulip bulbs exposed.

3. Water lightly just to dampen the soil. Continue to lightly water the bulbs to keep the soil damp. Do not allow the soil to dry out.

4. Place the container someplace where the temperatures are between 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 16 weeks. The rooms should be dark. During this time, tiny yellow sprouts will appear. When the sprouts appear, move the container to a room where the temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit with low to medium light levels for one week.

5. Move the container to a sunny window with indirect sunlight after one week when the sprouts turn green. At this time, start watering the plant more often to keep the soil moist as the buds start to form. Flowers will appear in two to three weeks. Temperatures in this room should be approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Turn the container on a daily basis to promote upright growing so that the stems and flowers do not bend toward the light source.

References

• Iowa State University: Forcing Tulip Bulbs Indoors
• Guide to Houseplants.com: Growing Tulips Indoors: Steps to Forcing Tulip Bulbs