Wisley Surrey. Bridgewater Greater Manchester. Environmentally friendly gardening. Plant health. Take part in our research. Meet the team. Shop plants rhsplants. Shopping with the RHS. RHS Christmas gifts. Help us achieve our goals Make a donation. Join the RHS today and support our charity Join now. Save to My scrapbook. Display of tulips. Quick facts. Cultivation of tulips Whether used in formal or informal beds and borders, tulips make ideal bedding plants combined with annual or biennial planting.
Propagation Tulip bulbs can be increased by two methods: Division: Separate offsets when bulbs are lifted to be stored dry in a tray over summer.
Cultivar Selection Choosing tulips Tulips are divided into 15 divisions chiefly defined by their flower characteristics and sometimes referred to in bulb catalogues. Amongst the most popular for bedding, borders or containers: White flowers: Tulipa biflora : from late winter, produces fragrant, star-shaped flowers in ones or twos with white petals which are golden-yellow at the base and flushed grey on the undersides. Purple-black or violet-blue flowers: T.
Pink flowers: T. Yellow flowers: T. Apricot, crimson or red flowers: T. For the more rare and unusual species and cultivars from the Miscellaneous Group try: T. Group 1, Single Early tulips. Single-flowered, cm in tall, flowering late March to early April.
This is Tulipa 'Apricot Beauty'. Problems Failure to flower: Small bulbs or bulbs growing in poor soil may not flower. Pests and diseases: Grey squirrels can often dig up bulbs after planting.
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Tulips. By Catherine Boeckmann. When to Plant Tulips Plant tulip bulbs in the fall, 6 to 8 weeks before a hard, ground-freezing frost is expected. The bulbs need time to establish themselves. Planting too early leads to disease problems. See local frost dates. A good rule of thumb is to plant bulbs when the average nighttime temperatures in your area are in the to degree range. In colder northern climates, plant in September or October.
In warmer climates, plant bulbs in December or even later. To find the best dates, consult our fall bulb planting chart. In southern climates with mild winters, plant bulbs in late November or December. The bulbs will need to be chilled in the refrigerator for about 12 weeks before planting. Bulb suppliers often offer pre-chilled bulbs for sale, too.
Even if you find an unplanted sack of tulips or daffodils in January or February, plant them and take your chances. See more about planting tulips in winter. Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site Tulips prefer a site with full or afternoon sun. Soil must be well-draining, neutral to slightly acidic, fertile, and dry or sandy.
All tulips dislike areas with excessive moisture. Tall varieties should be sheltered from strong winds. Prepare the garden bed by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost. How to Plant Tulips Plant bulbs fairly deep—6 to 8 inches deep, or about three times the height of the bulb.
Dig a hole deeper than that in order to loosen the soil and allow for drainage. In clay soils, plant 3 to 6 inches deep instead. Set the bulb in the hole with the pointy end up. Cover with soil and press soil firmly. Water bulbs right after planting. Bulbs are their own complete storage system and contain all of the nutrients they need for one year.
Use organic material, compost, or a balanced time-release bulb food. To deter mice and moles —if they have been a problem—put holly or any other thorny leaves in the planting holes. Some gardeners use kitty litter or crushed gravel. If ravenous voles and rodents are a real problem, you may need to take stronger measures, such as planting bulbs in buried wire cages. How to Grow Tulips If it rains weekly, do not water.
However, if there is a dry spell and it does not rain, you should water the bulbs weekly until the ground freezes. Rainy summers, irrigation systems, and wet soil are death to tulips. Never deliberately water a bulb bed unless in a drought.
Wet soil leads to fungus and disease and can rot bulbs. Add shredded pine bark, sand, or any other rough material to the soil to foster swift drainage. Apply compost annually to provide nutrients needed for future blooms. In the spring, when leaves emerge, feed your tulip the same bulb food or bone meal which you used at planting time.
Water well. Deadhead tulips as soon as they go by, but do not remove the leaves! Allow the leaves to remain on the plants for about 6 weeks after flowering.
After the foliage turns yellow and dies back, it can be pruned off. Large varieties may need replanting every few years; small types usually multiply and spread on their own. Gray mold Slugs Snails Aphids Nematodes Bulb rot Squirrels , rabbits, mice , and voles are especially fond of tulip bulbs. Tulip flowers may be single, double, ruffled, fringed, or lily-shaped, depending on the variety.
Though tulips tend be planted as annuals, the Darwin Hybrid tulips are known to act as perennials, blooming for several years. There are so many beautiful varieties of tulips. Explore catalogs and experiment in your garden! Even while the tulip is blossoming, the bulb is dividing for the next generation.
To get the longest vase life, cut tulip stems diagonally, then wrap the upper two-thirds of the flowers in a funnel of newspaper and stand them in cool water for an hour or two. As the tepals begin to fade and drop, you can cut the flower stems down to the base. If you are growing them as annuals, you can pull the bulbs from the ground at this time, before the withering foliage becomes unsightly.
For perennials, cut the flowerless stems all the way down if you wish, but do not remove the foliage. It is essential that the leaves remain to feed the bulb for next year.
Let them wither undisturbed. Tulips reward our best efforts with incredible colors, shapes, textures, and sizes for fabulous garden displays. If you are growing them as annuals, plant new bulbs each fall, and lift them out after they have finished blooming in the spring. They only maintenance they need is an optional application of bone meal and fertilizer at planting time as discussed above, watering at planting time, and providing adequate moisture throughout the growing season in the absence of rain.
After the foliage dies, you can clear it away or leave it to decay naturally and break down into the soil. Avoid watering garden areas where you have planted bulbs that are now dormant, to prevent them from rotting.
Every few years, you can divide clumps of bulbs in the fall. Immediately plant them elsewhere, so they can establish roots before winter dormancy. When spring returns, apply bone meal and fertilizer again, working it into the soil around the bulbs.
If you choose to apply mulch for a neat appearance in the garden, be careful not to cause the ground below to become oversaturated, as this may promote rotting.
You can also add a one-inch layer of a fine mulch like coconut coir to well-draining containers to help with moisture retention. This can be beneficial in warmer regions. As mentioned, there are botanical species as well cultivated varieties available. Some flower early in the spring , others at midseason, and still others as spring yields to summer. All of them can be grown for one season and lifted after blooming. Some are especially well-suited to perennial cultivation. Be sure to read product descriptions carefully and make your choice accordingly.
The following is a list of tulip categories that help distinguish one type from another, and provide a framework for exploring the thousands of varieties available to the home gardener. Each type has its own unique characteristics, and in some circumstances, these categories overlap. For example, there are double late fringed varieties. Learn more about the different types of tulips in our full guide.
This is an outstanding example of a Darwin Hybrid, a showy flower that is highly recommended for perennial growing, as it remains vigorous year after year. Darwins have classic blooms that are slightly wider at the base and narrower at the top, like a pyramid. Stems average 20 to 24 inches, with spread of about 6 inches. Bulbs are 4. This is an excellent choice for beds and borders. Tall varieties benefit from planting in locations sheltered from damaging winds. Find bags containing 10, 20, 50, or bulbs available from Eden Brothers.
This fringed variety is white and satiny like the finest bridal attire. The flowers are cup-shaped. Heights range from 12 to 16 inches with a spread of about 6 inches. Fringed types add textural interest to the garden, and the white flowers make a bold statement in a monochromatic landscape design, or as a neutral companion to mixed pastel varieties. Find bags of 10 bulbs now from Burpee. Parrot tulips are ruffled beauties.
This softly scented selection embodies the essence of spring in an alluring combination of pink, green, and cream. Heights are between 18 and 20 inches tall and the spread is about 6 inches. Give them a circular garden all of their own in the front yard, or plant them in tall, stylish containers that flank the front door.
Find bags with 10, 20, 50, or bulbs now at Eden Brothers. As you shop, be sure to note the height of your favorites, as this is an important factor to consider as you design your landscape. Medium-height fringed varieties mingle well with other plants of similar stature, and feature nicely in the middle position of a display with both taller and shorter plants.
And tiny, 4-inch botanical species show to best advantage in rockeries and front-of-bed positions. Starting with quality bulbs is the best way to get off on the right foot when it comes to managing pests and disease.
Order from reputable dealers, and when hand-selecting, choose the firmest, least-blemished ones with the paper coating intact. Provide good drainage to prevent water pooling that may lead to insect infestation, fungal growth, and rotting. Even with best practices in place, there may still be issues that crop up.
Catalog Quick Order Home » bulbs life of. Planting Time The tulip bulbs are going to be planted. Most important: plant them twice as deep as the bulb is high. They have no roots at this stage. November Making Roots The roots start growing out of the base.
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