Tulips

Autumn is the perfect time to plant most spring blooming bulbs. Tulips, for example, are waiting to brighten your spring after a cold, dark winter.

While I was at a friend’s house helping with yard work, planting shrubs and summer blooming bulbs that had been in pots on the front porch, she also had me plant more tulips in one of her flower gardens in the front yard. Now, this bed in the spring is filled with a delightful arrangement of colors and flowers, but what I remember most every year is the abundant display of tulips. She says with her soggy soil they are one of the few bulbs that do extremely well.

Well, this got me thinking. Our tulips are probably in need of a bit of attention, mostly in the way of digging up and dividing, but also it might be helpful to prep the bed a little better this time. You see, when we transplanted them from one bed to another we just dug up the area, put them in bunches, added a few more types, then covered it all back up. We didn’t loosen the soil or amend it in any way, which is probably why they don’t do well in their current location. Okay, so it has been their current location for seven years. Still, a hefty dose of compost could go a long way in feeding these bulbs so they can produce a flurry of flowers in the spring. Then again, in their current location they probably don’t get enough sun, so if we want a showier display, we’d have to find a sunnier plot.

So, how do you choose a location for your tulips? First and foremost, full sun, as these bulbs require a lot of light. Anything else can be dealt with, such as poor soil can be amended with compost and dry soil can be amended with a moisture control potting mix. Yes, I know it says on the package for pots only, but whatever they use in there makes a difference when combined with the native soil to keep dry areas moister longer. The same moisture control potting mix will also work for extremely soggy soil too, keeping the dirt at the perfect moisture level. Then again, some people prefer to keep them in pots, which they do quite well in.

What I did in my friend’s yard was dug out a circle about 18 inches wide and 4 inches deep. I then filled it partially with compost and lightly mixed it in with a shovel. After that I planted a dozen bulbs, putting them in a circle around the inside base about 3 inches apart and the remainder in the center using the same measurements. Approximate here, there is no real need for accuracy. If they are spread too far apart it will look scarce but within a couple springs will fill in nicely, but if they are too close some may not bloom at all. Larger tulips will need to be spaced further apart than smaller ones, so keep that in mind as you plant them.

Tulips are not only pretty to look at outside, but make excellent cut flowers for inside as well. Just make sure they are cut in the morning before they open up all the way or right before they fully open to extend their vase life. They also will help reduce formaldehyde from the air. But alas, we have at least five to six months before the little beauties will bloom, so let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves!