How to Plant Tulip Bulbs

Introduce a whole new life to your cut flower garden when you plant your very own tulip bulbs. Tulips truly are a sign that sunny days are on their way, making them an even more welcome addition to your outdoor space. These vibrant beauties can be grown in a stunning selection of colours and are perfect for your Spring flower garden. 

So whether you’re looking to spruce up your garden or are keen to grow your very own flowers to cut and display in your home, tulips are the perfect option to match the peppy vibes of springtime! Take a look at our selection of flower bulbs & tubers and let’s get to gardening.

You can create the perfect environment for growing tulip bulbs by preparing your soil. Start by digging in an organic matter like compost or manure to ready the soil with valuable nutrients. Come springtime, you can even add fertiliser to support the growth of your tulips - making sure that they grow strong and bright, just how we like them.

Ready to get your hands dirty? Keep reading to find out how to plant tulip bulbs.

When to plant tulip bulbs?

As spring-flowering plants, tulip bulbs are best planted in the autumn months, between September and November. You want to make sure that you give that summer soil plenty of time to cool off before planting your tulip bulbs! 

How deep to plant tulip bulbs?

Let’s get into the specifics! We know you want to get your flowers growing just right, so let’s talk about how deep to plant tulip bulbs. 

Before planting your tulips, dig holes in the ground that are around twice the width of a bulb apart, with a depth of about two to three times the height of a tulip bulb. Important tip: make sure that the pointed end of the bulb is pointing upwards - we don’t want your tulips growing deeper and deeper into the soil!

Your part in the growing journey doesn’t start and finish with planting, oh no, there’s a long way to go yet! Taking care of your tulips for the months leading up to flowering is extremely important for seeing the best results for your flowers. 

When it comes to watering your tulips, they can be fairly self-sufficient when the weather is keeping the ground nice and damp. You only really need to water them during extended dry periods of around two to three weeks - which are few and far between in the UK’s autumn and winter!

If you’re looking to go all out, you might want to consider feeding your tulips. Not only can feeding support the health and growth of a bulb, but it can also have an impact on reflowering the following season, setting your plant up with the foundations to grow and grow year after year. From around March, introduce your plant to a potassium-rich liquid fertiliser.

What to do with tulips after flowering?

Once your tulips are standing tall in all their colourful glory, it’s important to keep a close eye on them to maintain their gorgeous shape and overall wellbeing. After flowering, they may develop seedheads, which should be deadheaded by cutting off the stalk just above the leaves. 

As for pruning, however, tulips don’t need to be pruned. You can tidy up your garden by removing withered stems, which tend to pull away easily without the need for cutting.

If you want to bring the outdoors, indoors and beautify your living space with some home-grown flowers, find yourself the prettiest vase and head back out into the garden. Cut the stems of your tulips quite short - you should expect them to keep growing when inside the vase! If you’re wondering how to stop tulips drooping, take a look at our blog with plenty of tips to keep those heads held high!

What are you waiting for? Your growing journey starts right here at Mr Fothergill’s! Shop our tulip bulbs today and let us help get your family garden growing.

If you have any further questions about how to grow tulips, when to plant tulip bulbs or have any curiosities about any of our other products, don’t hesitate to contact us or take a deeper dive into our gardening blog!