Our Annual Tulip Bulb Giveaway has been so rewarding this year!

If you have a bag of bulbs or if this is your first time planting tulips, here are some tips for big, beautiful blooms next spring:

Site Selection

Choose an area that is sunny or slightly shaded, well drained, neutral to slightly acidic, fertile, dry or sandy, and where moles or voles are not foraging.  Poorly drained soil can cause root rot or bulb decay.

Soil Preparations

Shredded pine bark and sand can be amended or tilled into soil to help with swift drainage.  Phosphorus type fertilizer can be applied to help with root growth.

Bulb Inspections

Remove soft or rotten bulbs. Cut off the stem and spent flowers to help reduce the energy creating seeds and help feed next year’s bloom.

Planting

Helping to create cooler soil temperatures that perennial tulips need, plant at a depth of 8 to 9 inches.  Warmer springs and summers can shorten rejuvenation period. Place bulbs in their holes with the leaves or pointy stem pointing up.  Cover and firm soil.

Pests

If voles or moles could potentially be a problem in the selected area, use thorny leaves, kitty litter, or pea gravel to deter them.

After Planting

Water in lightly and only water during extended periods of dry weather while foliage remains.  Use organic matter, compost, or bulb fertilizer to feed in the fall.  Bulbs are their own complete storage system and contain all the nutrients they need for one year.

 

Good luck on your beautiful tulip garden!

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