How to Prolong Tulip Life

After spending hours in the fall planting bulbs, there is nothing more disappointing than not seeing those beautiful flowers because the bulbs died. Of course it is equally disappointing to only have one year of blooming flowers because the bulbs were not planted in order to ensure a long life span. The best way to ensure a healthy bulb is to plant it correctly first and then keep the bulbs healthy.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Tulip bulbs
• Dirt
• Bulb planters, or hand spade
• Water

1. Purchase tulip bulbs that are large, at least 12 cm in diameter. Avoid bulbs that are soft or have mold growing on them.
2. Pick a location in your yard that will get plenty of sun during the day so that the soil drains water evenly. By making sure the soil does not stay extremely wet this will ensure your bulb does not get bulb rot
3. Map out where to plant the bulbs in your garden. The bulbs need to be about 4 inches from each other.
4. Plant the bulbs about 8 inches into the ground. That means the top of the bulb to the top of the ground, including mulch or other forms of ground cover, is 8 inches. A bulb planter will have the inches measured on it to determine the depth of the hole.
5. Water the ground after you have covered the bulbs. By watering the bulbs right away you are helping the bulb to begin to grow a strong root structure.
6. Remove the top couple of inches off the stem, including the pistil after the tulip has bloomed in the early spring. This helps the flower focus on growing a strong root structure and healthy bulb instead of trying to grow new blooms even though the blooming season is over.

Tips & Warnings

• Once the leaves have turned brown completely, usually by mid-summer, you can cut away all the foliage to prepare the area for the next spring.

• Try not to water the tulips during the late summer when the flowers have gone dormant, which will help prevent bulb rot.