How to Grow and Care for Tulips

Growing tulips at a glance:

• Select a range of early, mid, and late-season tulips for a longer blooming season.
• Plant tulip bulbs in a sunny location with excellent drainage.
• Plant tulip bulbs in fall for spring blooms.
• Prepare the soil by adding Miracle-Gro Garden Soil All Purpose or Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil.
• Plant tulips 6-8 inches deep in-ground or in containers with the pointy end up.
• Water tulips thoroughly at the time of planting and again in the spring when they begin to grow.
• Feed tulips with Miracle-Gro® Shake ‘n Feed® Rose & Bloom Plant Food after they flower.
• Keep animals at bay by lining planting holes with chicken wire, putting up a fence, spraying repellent, or planting in pots.
• Cut tulips while buds are still tight to enjoy indoors.

Is there anything more cheerful than a big display of tulips flowering in the spring? After a long winter of cold and snow, the masses of colorful blooms are a sight for sore eyes. These tips and tricks will help you create and enjoy a long-lasting tulip display in your own garden.

How to Choose Tulips

When choosing tulips, it's important to know the difference between species and hybrid varieties. Most of the tulips you see planted in the landscape and for sale at garden centers and home improvement stores are hybrid tulips. Many hybrid tulips are treated as annuals and usually have to be replaced each year for the biggest effect (although you can try to get them to come back—more on that below). Most species tulips—or the natural ancestors of modern hybrid tulips—are perennial in zones 4 to 7, and will come back year after year in the right growing conditions. 

Individual tulips—especially the hybrids—do not flower for very long. There are, however, varieties that bloom at different times: early-flowering varieties bloom from late March to early April, mid-season varieties from mid-April to early May, and late-flowering varieties from late April to May (this can vary by region and seasonal temperatures). For a long-lasting display of color, plant several varieties with different bloom times.

Tulips come in a variety of colors—including white, pink, yellow, red, and orange—and a variety of shapes and sizes. Most tulips have the characteristic bell or cup shape until they fully open, and there are even varieties with pointed or ruffly petals, known as parrot types. There are single tulips with one layer of petals and double tulips—also called peony tulips—with lush layers of petals. All tulips are stunning and have the same planting and care needs, so which ones you choose are a matter of personal preference.

Where to Plant Tulips

Tulips require full sun for the best display, which means at least 6 hours of bright, direct sunlight per day. They also prefer fast-draining soil. Species tulips, which are smaller and more compact than hybrids, make excellent additions to rock gardens. Tulips can be planted in in-ground gardens or in outdoor containers with drainage.

When to Plant Tulips

Tulip bulbs should be planted in the fall as they require a chilling period in order to bloom, which means leaving them in the ground over winter. Tulip plants also use this time to develop strong root systems that'll support growth and blooming in spring. The soil needs to have cooled off from the summer growing season before you plant, so check the soil temperature with a soil thermometer and plant when the temperature 6 inches deep in the soil drops to 50°F-60°F.

Typically, this means the best time to plant tulips is September in cold climates (zones 3 to 5), October in transitional climates (zones 6 to 7), or November or December in warm climates (zones 8 to 9). This can vary by year, so watch air temperatures to know when things are cooling down and check soil temperatures regularly. If you are planning to grow tulips in areas where the soil temperature does not drop below 55° for at least 12 weeks, buy pre-cooled bulbs and plant them in December.

How to Plant Tulips

Tulip Plant Care: Planting Tulips in-Ground

When planting tulips in-ground, you'll want to enrich the soil with Miracle-Gro Garden Soil All Purpose, or Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil for an organic option, before planting. The added nutrition is important for tulips bulbs to help them build a healthy root system in fall, which is essential for a big spring bloom.

1. Prepare the planting area for tulips with fresh organic garden soil, mixing 3 inches of garden soil into the top 6 to 8 inches of native soil. 
2. Plant each tulip bulb 6 to 8 inches deep—measure from the bottom of the bulb and include the depth of any mulch on top of the soil in your measurement—with the pointy end up. 
3. Bulbs can be planted quite close together. For the biggest show, plant larger tulip varieties in groups of 10 or more, and smaller tulips in groups of up to 25. 
4. Cover the bulbs with soil. 
5. Put down a layer of mulch (optional). 
6. Water thoroughly.

Tulip Plant Care: Planting Tulips in Outdoor Containers

Tulips are easy to grow in pots and can create quite a show! Remember that tulips need cold to bloom, so there's no need to bring your planted bulbs indoors during winter.

1. Select a pot that's at least 10 inches deep and has a hole for drainage.
2. As with in-ground plantings, you'll want the bulbs to be buried at least 6-8 inches deep. Start with at least an inch of Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix on the bottom of the container. 
3. Place the bulbs pointy end up in the pot. You can pack them tightly together. 
4. Cover the bulbs with more potting mix, then water well. 
5. Before your area's first frost, move the container to a cool, dry location that stays around 40°F during the winter. 
6. When you see tulips emerging in your in-ground beds, bring the container out into a sunny spot and water the soil. 

Let’s dive into how to care for tulips. 

How to Water Tulips

Water tulips when you plant them, giving each planting area or your container a thorough soak. Water once per week for the first month after planting, then leave the plants alone until springtime.

When leaves begin to appear in spring, it's time to start watering again. Tulips prefer drier soil, so only water in-ground tulips when there's a dry spell or you're in a drier climate without much rainfall. Containers can be watered when the top inch of soil dries out. Whether your tulips are in-ground or in containers, never leave them in standing water.

How to Feed Tulips

Hybrid tulips typically last just one season, but species tulips will come back if you treat them right. To help your species tulips come back next year, they need to store plenty of nutrients that'll help them bounce back when the temperatures warm up after winter. You don't need to fertilize tulips at planting time or during their blooming season. Once the flowers have faded, apply Miracle-Gro® Shake ‘n Feed® Rose & Bloom Plant Food, following the directions on the package. This will help promote leaf growth so the bulb can store nutrients for the next growing season. Your last feeding for the year should be in the late fall around the same time as you would plant new bulbs.

What to Do After Tulips Bloom

In most gardens, the best tulip flower display will be the spring following fall planting in which you plant the bulbs. To encourage species tulips to come back year after year, follow these steps:

1. Cut back the flower stalk to the base of the plant once the flower fades.
2. Leave healthy, green leaves alone! They're going to be storing nutrients over summer and early fall that'll support blooming next year. 
3. Feed the bulbs as described above. 
4. Cut back foliage once it has fully turned brown.
5. Stop watering once the bulbs have gone dormant in fall. 

If you have varieties that won't come back next year or it doesn't get cold enough during winter in your region, simply pull up the bulbs and compost them.

How to Protect Tulips from Deer and Other Pests

The number one challenge when growing tulips is preventing deer from eating the flowers, followed closely by keeping chipmunks and squirrels from digging up the bulbs. To prevent bulbs from being dug up, line planting holes or trenches on all sides with chicken wire. This is most practical if you're planting big sweeps of bulbs, which happens to be the way to get the best show with tulips.

Deer are a different story. The best way to keep deer out of the garden is to install a tall fence, but that is not practical for most people. Deer don't usually eat daffodil or Crown Imperial bulbs, so interplanting tulips with these flowers may help keep deer away. You can also try spraying bulb foliage with a deer repellent. That being said, if deer are a huge problem where you live, it's better to grow tulips in pots on a screened-in porch where the deer can't get to them.

While deer and digging pests are the biggest threat to your tulips, you may encounter these problems as well:

• Bulb Rot. Too much water can cause your tulip bulbs to rot. Worst case scenario is you lose the bulb and your tulips never come back. Follow our watering instructions above, and remember to never leave tulips in standing water.
• Tulips that aren't blooming. While some tulips are perennial, they still need the right conditions to bloom year after year. Too much water or a warm winter can prevent your tulips from blooming. You may want to check your spacing as well. While bulbs can be planted close together, they might crowd each other for nutritional resources if they're too close. Keep in mind that while some tulips may come back the following season, others might not.
• Late frosts. Typically, your tulips will be just fine if things get a little chilly after they've sprouted. They've even been known to survive light snow just fine! A hard freeze in early spring might mean no flowers this year, but perennial tulips will likely be back next year and ready to bloom. It's a good idea to go ahead and cover your newly sprouted tulip leaves if temperatures drop below 20°F.

How to Cut Tulips to Enjoy Indoors

Cut tulips when the buds are still tight. The petals may have a greenish tinge to them, but you should be able to tell what color the flowers are. Place in a clean vase filled with room-temperature water. Tulips will continue to "grow" (the stems elongate) once cut and brought indoors. If they become unruly, just cut a few inches off the bottom of the stems every couple of days. 

Ready to start growing tulips? Their flowers may be short-lived, but those blooms are a beautiful sight after a long winter! Follow this guide, and you'll be enjoying a colorful display next spring.

How to Cut Tulips to Enjoy Indoors

Cut tulips when the buds are still tight. The petals may have a greenish tinge to them, but you should be able to tell what color the flowers are. Place in a clean vase filled with room-temperature water. Tulips will continue to "grow" (the stems elongate) once cut and brought indoors. If they become unruly, just cut a few inches off the bottom of the stems every couple of days. Cut tulips will last longer (vs. water only) if you add Miracle-Gro® for Fresh Cut Flowers to the water, and change the water every couple days.

What to Do After Tulips Bloom

In most gardens, the best tulip flower display will be the spring directly following the fall in which you plant the bulbs. To encourage species tulips to come back year after year, cut back the flower stalk to the base of the plant once the flowers fade. Feed the bulbs as described above, stop watering once the bulbs have gone dormant, and cut back foliage once it has fully turned brown. With hybrid varieties (which are not perennial), simply pull up the bulbs and compost them.

How to Protect Tulips from Deer and Other Pests

The number one challenge when growing tulips is preventing deer from eating the flowers, followed closely by keeping chipmunks and squirrels from digging up the bulbs. To prevent bulbs from being dug up, line planting holes or trenches on all sides with chicken wire. (This is most practical if you're planting big sweeps of bulbs, which happens to be the way to get the best show with tulips.)

Deer are a different story. The best way to keep deer out of the garden is to install a tall (8 feet or more) fence, but that is not practical for most people. Deer do not eat daffodil or Crown Imperial bulbs, so interplanting tulips with these may help keep deer away. You can also try spraying bulb foliage with a deer repellent. That being said, if deer are a huge problem where you live, it's better to grow tulips in pots on a screened-in porch where the deer can't get to them.

Ready to start growing tulips? Click on any of the product links above for more information, to purchase the product online, or to find a retailer near you.