Tulips 101- planting, growing, enjoying

Thanks for the planting tips Kelly..I have 2 pots of tulips now waiting to begin the planting process in the future!

Fabulous tips, Kelly! LOVE what I’m learning at MSH!

Thanks so much! I just adore tulips and these tips were so helpful- especially about mixing with other plants and poking a hole in the stem- no more holding up droopy heads with ribbons

Cheers

Great tips! I love tulips!

Thank you so much for this wonderful tips. I love tulips, I have them in vases all over the house right now! I cannot wait to apply your tips!!

I received a potted plant of tulips. How do I care for them? I want to keep them forever. They were given to me by my youngest son on Mother’s Day. First time ever he has done something like this on his own.

Debra – Welcome to My Soulful Home!! Your gift is certainly a special one, so let’s see how you can keep those tulips given with love forever! To give you the best advice, I need to know how cold it gets where you live. That will determine whether you can leave the bulbs in the ground or will need to dig them up & store in the fridge until it is cold enough ( below 60 to plant again ) You can plant your potted tulips in the ground now or keep them in the pot until the flowers fade & the foliage wilts. In either case water sparingly. If you do the latter, when the the pot is all faded & wilted dig out the bulbs, clean off, bag & store in the fridge until it gets below 60 in the fall then plant. Good luck & I will email you too incase you don;t check back here. You are a lucky mom to have such a thoughtful son!

Living in central Wisconsin. Almost half of my tulip bulbs did not bloom this spring. Any idea why? I didn’t think it was a terribly rough winter. Bulbs are all 2 or more years old and previously bloomed well. I was so disappointed as I just love tulips! Thank you

Hi Nancy, Welcome to My Soulful Home! Was it a wet winter? They may have rotted or maybe your bulbs were dug up or eaten by something under ground:( So sorry – it is disappointing when the spring flowers don’t come back. Hope you come back here!

Sometimes plans change.

I planned to share something else with you today.

Then I popped a pic on IG with a quick tip. It got a bit of a reaction and my plans changed.

Give the people what they want – seems everyone wants to talk tulips!

Want to know the tip that turned my day around? Read on…

Tulips 101 – planting, growing, enjoying

Planting Tulips

Tulips are grown from bulbs. They are planted in the Fall and blossom in the Spring.

Cold winters & dry summers are the ticket for healthy happy tulips.

They prefer full sun, sandy soil & little moisture.

Dig holes, or a trench 8 inches deep, spacing the bulbs 4 – 6 inches apart. Plant tips up, cover, pat & water.

After the initial water do not water again.

The bulbs are perennials, coming back year after year in colder climates.

Where it gets cold plant the bulbs 6 weeks before the hard frost. If treating them as perennials feed when you plant.

In warmer climates tulip bulbs need to be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks before planting to give them the cold snap they need. Then plant when it is below 60 degrees.

Plant lots & lots of tulips in the Fall, so you have plenty for Spring bouquets.

Growing Tulips

Like most bulbs if planted correctly tulips will , well, …just grow! See how easy that is !

Once the flowers have faded deadhead.

Let the foliage yellow for about 6 weeks after the flower has faded. Then you can clear it away.

Water sparingly throughout the growing season. Tulips dislike too much moisture.

If you live where it is cold just leave the tulips in the garden.

In warmer climates you can dig up the bulbs & store in a cool dry place until a few weeks before planting. At that time pop them back in the fridge until temps are below 60, then plant. Or just start again with new bulbs in the Fall.

Enjoying Tulips Indoors

Tulips are a perfect cut flower.

To have your bouquets look their best & last longer follow my tips:

re cut the stems under water & place immediately in cool water – not ice water

cut the stem on a diagonal so more of the opening is exposed to the water

don’t mix with daffodils or other narcissus flowers, as they give off a sap tulips dislike

rotate your vase if it is near light

Here’s the tip people liked on Instagram…

pierce through each stem with a pin at the top close to the petals

Why?

To make your tulips stand up straight.

You see, tulips have hollow stems so when you plunge the stems in water an air bubble forms & blocks the water from getting to the flower.

Piercing a hole through the stem at the top releases the air allowing the water to get to the flower.

Tulips are extraordinary cut flowers in that they continue to grow once cut. Up to an inch or more!

They are also, “phototropic”. This means they bend toward the light. Hence, rotate your vase.

I think I am phototropic too, are you?

** Kelly **

Original article and pictures take http://mysoulfulhome.com/tulips-101-planting-growing-enjoying/ site