Tulip Care
Tips on Tulip Care
Tulips are a beautiful spring flower and tulip care is easier than the care of almost any other flowering plant. The first step in tulip care is actually making sure you plant the tulip bulb properly so that it can grow to be a healthy, blooming plant. Tulips like to be planted where there is a lot of direct sunlight and just a little shade. Bulbs should be planted in the fall with expectation of spring blooms.
In the colder locations, planting should take place in September and October before there is a frost. The hole that you dig should be approximately three times bigger than your tulip bulb. You should actually dig a bit deeper than this (12-15 inches total) for good drainage and to add compost or fertilizer beneath the bulb. Just plant your tulip bulbs four to six inches apart with the pointed end facing upward. Keep the soil relatively loose around the bulb but pack down the top level of soil to discourage rodents from eating your tulip bulbs. Water your planted bulb--then all you need to do is wait for it to bloom from year to year. You will need to plant new bulbs every few years.
Some people, who like large flowers, dig up their tulip bulbs every year. They throw out the smaller ones and add new larger bulbs when they replant. This method will grow the largest tulips. The rule to remember is that the size of the bulb will determine the size of the tulip. Large bulbs produce large flowers and small ones produce small flowers.
If you live in a dry location, tulip care may include watering the plants from time to time. Tulips like cool weather and not much water so don’t overdue it. Tulips rot if over-watered. Tulips also don’t like soil that is too rich so be careful about fertilizing. The only thing tulips need at planting is a little bone meal added to the hole. After that, tulip care can involve adding compost once a year, usually in the spring. A synthetic fertilizer can be used sparingly but is not a necessity. After spring flowering of your tulips, it is good to cut off the dead flower stocks. The rest off the plant should be left to die back naturally.
Tulips can also be grown as potted plants, and for those tulip care is simple as well. If you want to grow indoor tulips, plant them in September or October, the same time as you would if planting outside. Because tulips do not like to be too wet, you will need a planter with a drainage hole on the bottom and a saucer to place under it to catch the excess water. Indoor tulips like to have a lot of bright light but not a lot of direct sunlight. The living room is a good spot for potted tulips. The best temperature for flowering tulips is sixty to seventy degrees and they can be stored in a cooler room during their dormant state.
Whether grown inside or outside, tulips make great cut flowers. Their nice colors--yellow, pink, white, red and more--all make for a colorful spring display. The flowers can also bring hope and positive thoughts because a blooming tulip means winter is over.