Planting Tulips

Tulips...Red, orange, yellow, pink...Swaying gently in the breeze. Transforming a place into something just short of paradise. Why not try your hand at planting tulips this spring? It's fairly easy if one knows the tricks to it and prepares beforehand. Follow these pointers and in no time you will be the owner of a perfect tulip garden.

Choosing Tulip Bulbs

The first thing to do when starting to plant tulips is to keep in mind the kind of bulbs you buy. Choose bulbs that are healthy and have no bruises or cuts on them. These will have a better chance to grow. Always go in for bulbs that are large. Smaller bulbs may lead to frailer plants, many of which will be too weak to survive. Larger bulbs will grow to become larger flowers. After buying the bulbs it is always best to plant them immediately. But if that cannot be done then store them properly in temperatures between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. They should be stored in a cool dark and dry place, away from direct sunlight.

The Perfect Spot and Soil

Always plant tulips in a place which gets more than 6 hours of direct sunlight. The bulbs need the sunlight to grow well. Sandy soil is the best kind of soil that can be used for the thriving of these bulbs. Do not plant them in soggy areas or areas which have wet leaks in them. Avoid planting any other plant once the bulbs have been planted because the digging around them can upset the setting. Never overcrowd the bulbs by planting too many at once. Planting them in a group of 6 is ideal.

How to Plant Tulips

1. Dig a hole that is 8-12 inches deep. This should be enough for 6-12 bulbs. Bulbs grow best when they are placed in bunches. So a spot should hold about 6-12 bulbs. If it is still confusing, go with the theory that the depth of the hole should be three times the length of the bulbs.
2. The space between each spot should be a minimum of 3-4 inches.
3. Place the bulbs sideways so that it does not lead to any confusion about which is the side that goes upwards and which is the one that goes down. If they are placed at their sides, they correct themselves on their own.
4. Make sure that each bunch is placed exactly at the same depth as the others so that all the flowers bloom at the same time.
5. Once planting the tulip bulbs is done, water the spot and cover with soil. The next watering should only be done once the plant gets leaves. This is because, excess watering can lead to rotting of roots or the plant might become prone to pests.
6. About a month later, a layer of mulch can be added on the soil. Mulch can be made up of dry leaves, manure, compost or bark compost. Adding this layer will prevent the soil from drying and also keep the soil cool to help the growth. Moreover, the mulch prevents the snow (if planted in the winter) from reaching the roots and freezing them.
7. There is no special need to add fertilizers to the soil because the bulbs are already treated. However once they have flowered and sometime has passed, one can treat them to a mixture of manure and compost. Now allow the bulbs to grow for 14-15 weeks for them to bloom.

Planting Potted Tulips

In case one wants to plant tulips in pots, one has to first buy a good pot and some bulbs. Make sure that the pot is deep enough. If you want to plant more bulbs, the pot has to be deeper. The same rule applies to planting tulips in the ground, i.e. the depth has to be 3 times that of the length of the bulbs. Keep these pots in a cool and shady area. Water it regularly because the soil in the pot will not contain moisture as much as ground soil does. Therefore it is important to water them to prevent the plants from shriveling up and dying. After the plants bloom, add fertilizer to the soil so that it gets its nutrients to continue to thrive. If some of the bulbs die, do not cut them off but allow them to dry and fall off on their own.

Replanting tulips is possible, but it can get difficult. This is because it is hard to preserve the bulbs. Once the blooming season is over, try to keep the plant in a shady area as long as possible. They thrive best in very cold winters. This will preserve the leaves longer so that the leaves can store the needed reserves in the bulbs. Once the leaves dry up, water the bulbs and keep them in, but make sure that they are well protected from rodents that love to feast on them. Once the winter season sets in again, one can dig up these bulbs and replant them.

Tulips are fairly easy to care for after the initial stage of planting. And the reward you get after planting tulips is like no other, with thousands of colors filling your garden. So, has this article tempted you enough to plant tulips this year?