How to Grow Tulips

Tulips are bulbous perennial plants that are a distinctive and much-loved spring bloom. Tulips have become an essential garden flower for many of us, produced in a wide range of form and colour to create a visually dramatic display. They are best suited to flower beds, borders and containers. Some smaller species are even good for alpine rockeries. You can expect to see Tulips grow to an approximate height and spread of 30-50cm (12-20”) Please take care when handling Tulips, as they can cause irritation to the skin.

Tulip bulbs should be planted on fertile, well-draining soil in full sun during September. Plant the bulbs at least twice the depth of their height, if not more. For a really dense display plant them 5-10cm (2-4”) apart. For a free-flowing display, plant bulbs 12cm (5”) apart. Avoid wet and acidic soil conditions, growing them in pots if you can. For containers grown bulbs, make sure that there is some compost below the base of the bulb to enrich the planting area.

Tulips need little care after planting. Once the flowering period is over you should deadhead them. They will only need watering during prolonged periods of drought. After flowering, allow the foliage to die back naturally to enrich the bulb. Some cultivars don’t perform well in the subsequent year and might even revert. In this case, it might be worth replanting with new bulbs in the autumn.

It is possible to propagate Tulips by lifting and separating offsets.