Tulip Care
Planting tulips
Generally they are planted so the bottom of the bulb is 3-5 inches deep. It doesn't really matter which side is"up" - the bulb will figure this out in the spring and it will be fine.
If you have a choice - plant the pointy end facing upwards. Those who plant thousands usually do not worry about this small detail.
Do not put fertilizer down the planting hole as it may very well burn tender emerging roots
Do add compost around the top of the soil after planting.
Tulip 'Beauty Queen'
After They Bloom
They do not have to be dug up once they are finished growing and the leaves fade. As long as you don't water them, they'll be quite happy in the ground.
Cut the flower stem to the base where you can see it when the flower fades and the petals start to fall.
This stops the flower from setting seed and instead it puts its efforts into building a big bulb for next year.
However, do not cut the leaves off the tulip until they start to fade and turn yellow.
This is extremely important if you want to see bulbs live from year to year. Those leaves are energy factories and the bulb needs the energy to grow and produce another flower.
If you find yourself still having tulip leaves when you want to plant annual flowers then switch to early varieties of tulips that will be finished when it is time to plant annuals.
Do Not Water
Do not water tulips during the hot summer months. They are genetically used to hot, dry summers and cool wet springs. If you irrigate them, you may cause them to rot.
And yes, this creates problems for those gardeners who plant annuals over top of the tulips and water the annuals. The tulips will not harden off properly and this is the primary cause of tulips only flowering for one or two seasons.
Unfortunately, there is no way around this. If you water your gardens, the tulips will suffer and won't rebloom.
You'll either have to plant tulips in areas you do not water or you'll have to treat your tulips as annual flowers.
Tulip 'Queen of Night'
Do Not Plant Tulips Too Early
Another important point in tulip care is to never plant them too early.
Try to time the planting so the bulbs are only in the ground for a few weeks before the big frost in your area.
If you plant them too early, they may start growing. Once they start growing in the fall, they will either die during the winter or they may live but not flower.
I like to plant them in mid to late October in my zone 4 garden.
How Long Does a Tulip Bulb last?
Good tulip care will keep your bulbs producing for 4-5 years. In practice, you'll likely lose a few every year; I plan on replacing tulips every 3-5 years although the small species tulips can be a bit of a nuisance as they self-sow when happy.
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