The blooms on tulips seem to last only a short while, especially if you only have a few of them emerging in your garden. I find that planting many bulbs from different varieties of tulips provides me with a burst of color that I can enjoy many fresh cut bouquets from before they are all gone. If you are thinking about raising tulips, then you can use these 5 tips on growing tulips for your gardening needs.
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Plant in Sandy Soil
Tulips do very well in sandy soil. They prefer to be planted in well-draining soil that won't become compacted and difficult to send roots through. If your soil isn't well-draining or rather hard, you can mix in some sand with the loosened soil before planting each tulip bulb.
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Dig a Hole That is 3 Times the Length of the Bulb
A healthy tulip bulb is rather large, so be prepared to dig a hole big enough for the bulb to fit into. If the bulb measures 4 inches in length, then the hole needs to be 12 inches deep. Placing the bulb too deep into the soil will cause the plant to not bloom as well as if it was placed a bit shallower. You might need to adjust the depth of your bulbs later in the fall if you notice a lack of normal-size blooms.
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Don’t over-crowd the Bulbs
Tulip bulbs will spread all on their own and crowding them together in the first place won't allow them to spread much. Over-crowding can also stunt the growth of your tulips as they fight one another for water and nutrients. Space each bulb at least 5 inches apart.
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Fertilize Right after Planting
Adding fertilizer to the soil while planting bulbs will help get them off to a good start. After this initial fertilization takes place, be sure to fertilize them every spring.
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Add Bone Meal and Wood Ashes to the Soil
If you have poor quality soil, you can increase the nutrient level by adding ashes or bone meal to the dirt as bulbs are being planted. Mix both of these ingredients right into the loose soil which will be placed around the bulb.
I wish you success in planting and raising tulips. They truly are a beautiful flower that makes wonderful bouquets and they look fantastic with other types of flowers from the garden as well. If you already have tulips in your garden, do you have any other growing tips that you'd like to pass on?
Top Photo Credit: Kıvanç Niş
