The earlier you can plant them this month, the better. While November and October are still good, December and January are approaching too late for positive outcomes.
Keep in mind the general rule of thumb for planting depth: three times the size of the bulbs. This means that while smaller bulbs like Dutch iris and scilla are buried only two to three inches deep, larger trumpet daffodils are buried four to six inches deep.
In California, when should I plant tulip bulbs?
The planting zones in California actually span from 5a to 10b, however we’ll divide the state into Northern California and Southern California. Northern California has its first fall frost around the end of November. Southern California can occasionally experience frosty conditions. If you are unable to identify a frost period, pay attention to your local weather and record when it begins to get cooler. Take advantage of your soil thermometer in this situation!
In all of California, chill your tulip bulbs before planting. The cooler soil temperatures in this region can be adapted to by chilling bulbs in the refrigerator. Before planting, bulbs should be chilled in the refrigerator for four to six weeks.
In Northern California, you should ideally plant tulip bulbs between the months of September and December.
Plant bulbs in Southern California between the middle of December and the first few weeks of January.
When do you plant bulbs in Southern California?
No Discounts There are deals and ways to spend your money in the name of economy, whether you buy bulbs from a local seller, a mail-order catalog, or an internet retailer. Waiting until they go on sale before buying bulbs is a waste for two reasons: 1. Because they have been kept in store displays for too long at too high temperatures, bulbs have been gradually losing vitality. 2. Ignored bulbs by prior purchasers are smaller and less robust. These will deliver results that are at best average, even at low prices. Better to spend less on high-quality products and achieve fantastic results!
Which is best? The greatest nourishment is stored in huge, plump bulbs, which will also yield the biggest, most numerous flowers over the longest length of time. They are a little more expensive, but when they blossom, they will bring much more joy. Athene, Allure, Demeter, Excelsior, Golden Wave, Mirabel, Pink Westlind, Snowdon, and Welkin are some cultivars of freesia that have very strong fragrances. Chionodoxa, eranthis, muscari, ornithogalum, and puschkinia are suitable for naturalizing if you enjoy having blossoms in your lawn, and the maturing foliage that follows bloom won’t prevent you from mowing the lawn. Remember to get some bulbs specifically for indoor color forcing from Thanksgiving through January. Amaryllis, crocus, freesias, lilies-of-the-valley, paperwhites, and tulips are all suitable options.
To Relax or Not to Relax? Prior to planting, keep the bulbs in a cool, well-ventilated space. Crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, narcissus, and tulip bulbs should be refrigerated for six to eight weeks in a paper bag on the lowest level of the refrigerator, at a temperature of about 40 degrees. Because the bulbs need to breathe and are living, use a paper bag instead of a plastic one. Avoid putting cooling bulbs near ripening fruit like bananas and apples since the ethylene gas emitted during ripening can kill the hormones responsible for flower development.
Planting Compost, bone meal, granite dust, or wood ashes should be added to the soil where the bulbs will be planted to improve it (but not from charcoal briquettes used in the barbecue, which contain harmful chemicals). As nitrogen is quickly rinsed from the soil by winter rains (hopefully! ), add some as well. Bulbs require a little but consistent supply of nitrogen throughout the winter for vigorous growth of the foliage and the bloomstalk. Plant some early, mid-season, and late-blooming bulbs every other week through mid-December, and once more starting in late January for a durable spring display. When the bulbs bloom is also influenced by planting depth. Plantings placed deeper will blossom sooner. Plantings buried deeper will bloom later. Plant the bulbs at the same time and depth if you want them to all bloom at once for a beautiful display. Plant bulbs at intervals of a few weeks if you want color to last for several months, and change the planting depth each time. They are hence ideal for container gardening.
Plant saffron crocuses, which bloom in the fall, right away. The three small red filaments in each bloom, which make up one to three blossoms per corm, are enough saffron for one cooking or baking recipe from roughly six corms.
Two Superb Online Resources There are two fantastic online resources for bulbs whose native temperatures don’t need special cooling care because they are more similar to our own:
How are tulips planted in Los Angeles?
In her Virginia garden, my grandma used to raise tulips. I really like them and would like to plant them in my garden, but I’ve heard Southern California doesn’t get cold enough. Ist das so?
Answer: There are two parts to the response to your query. It is true that the temperatures around here don’t drop low enough for tulips to establish a root system and return year after year like they did in your grandmother’s garden.
The key is to consider them as a “annual bulb” and pre-chill them in your refrigerator before planting. Tulip bulbs can be chilled in the refrigerator to simulate the chilly evenings of tulip-growing regions like Holland.
Tulip bulbs must be cooled. The ensuing flowers won’t be as tall and full without freezing.
Tulips rarely come back for longer than a year or two due to our warm winters. Despite the fact that some gardeners attempt to dig the bulbs up and refrigerate them, experts claim that this normally isn’t very successful.
Tulip bulbs, which ought to be showing up in nurseries, are a wonderful time to start purchasing them right now. Purchasing now ensures that you get the finest selection even though they will be available throughout the following two or three months.
Depending on the kind, tulips can bloom from March to May each spring. For the longest season of color, try planting early, mid-season, and late kinds of tulips because their bloom is famously short-lived. Tulips of the same variety planted at different periods won’t often produce a longer show because each type is bred to bloom at a given time, regardless of when it is planted.
* To keep tulip bulbs chilled for at least six weeks, put them in a paper or plastic bag that has been hole-punched. Avoid placing bulbs close to apples because they release ethylene gas, which rots bulbs.
* From late November to the beginning of January, the bulbs can be planted. Just be careful to keep them chilled until you’re ready to plant them since after they’ve been out of the cold, they tend to weaken and mold.
* Offer superb drainage. Tulips won’t survive in muddy soil. Before planting, it’s crucial to generously amend your soil with perlite or pumice and handmade or bagged compost. Gypsum is also advised if your soil is heavy clay.
* Use high-quality potting soil with plenty of perlite or pumice, or mix some into the soil to make it lighter. Tulips thrive in containers, where they frequently create gorgeous displays, and do particularly well.
Tulip bulbs should be planted in the earth 5 to 6 inches deep and 5 inches apart, pointy end facing up.
Tulips can be grown in large numbers in pots. They can be positioned in pots such that they are an inch apart and touching. Place bulbs against the pot’s edge and work your way inside in a circle until you reach the middle.
Can you grow tulips in Southern California?
Tulips can be grown in southern California. If you want to succeed, planting tulips in Southern California requires knowledge of the local geography. The weather and soil temperature have an impact on tulip (Tulipa) bulbs, and Southern California experiences a wide range of temperatures from the desert to the mountains.
How deep should tulip bulbs be planted?
- Use chicken wire to cover planting holes, a fence, repellant spray, or container gardening to keep animals away.
Is there anything happier than a large tulip field blooming in the spring? The profusion of vibrant blossoms is a sight for sore eyes after a protracted winter of cold and snow. You may build and enjoy a robust tulip show in your own yard with these tactics and pointers.
How to Choose Tulips
Hybrid tulips make up the majority of the tulips you see in landscape plantings, as well as those offered for sale at garden centers and home improvement shops. For the greatest impact, hybrid tulips normally need to be replaced every year. (We’ll cover how to persuade them to return below.) When given the proper growing circumstances, species tulips will return year after year in zones 4 to 7. These have smaller flowers and pointier petals than hybrid tulips, and they are shorter.
Individual tulips don’t flower for very long, especially the hybrids. However, there are types that bloom in the early, mid, and late seasons at various periods. When buying, choose a couple cultivars from each bloom time category for a long-lasting display.
Where to Plant Tulips
For the best show, tulips need full sun, which entails at least six hours every day of bright, direct sunlight. They are also great additions to rock gardens since they favor quick-draining soil.
When to Plant Tulips
Fall is the best time to plant tulip bulbs. Prior to planting, the soil must have cooled from the summer growing season, which could occur in September in cold regions (zones 3 to 5), October in transitional temperatures (zones 6 to 7), and November or December in warm areas (zones 8 to 9). Use a soil thermometer to measure the soil’s temperature, and plant when it reaches 60 degrees F at a depth of 6 inches.
For tulips to bloom, they need to be chilled. Buy pre-cooled bulbs and plant them in December if you intend to grow tulips where the soil temperature won’t fall below 60 degrees for at least 12 weeks.
How to Prepare the Soil for Planting Tulips
Use Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Flowers to prepare the planting space for tulips by incorporating 3 inches of garden soil into the top 6 to 8 inches of native soil. Tulips will develop a strong root system in the fall thanks to the nutrients provided by the soil, which is necessary for a significant spring bloom. However, to get the best results from your tulips, you must combine the strength of excellent soil with just the appropriate plant food. For details on what and when to feed tulips, see “How to Feed Tulips” below.
How to Plant Tulips
Tulips should be planted in bunches of 10 or more for the best display. The pointed end should be facing up as you plant each bulb 8 inches deep (measure from the bottom of the bulb and add the depth of any mulch on top of the soil in your measurement). It is possible to place bulbs close to one another. Thoroughly water.
How to Grow Tulips in a Pot
In pots, tulips are simple to grow. The bulbs should be buried at least 8 inches deep, much like with in-ground plantings, so measure from the top of the container to a depth of about 9 inches, then fill the pot up to that point with Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Put the pointy end of the bulbs in the pot (you can pack them tightly together). After thoroughly watering, cover with the potting mix. Move the container to a cool, dry spot that stays at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter before the first frost in your area. Bring the container outside to a sunny area when you notice tulips budding. Water the soil there. Once you notice green growth, start watering often.
How to Water Tulips
When you plant tulips, make sure to thoroughly water each planting space. After planting, give the plants one watering each week for the first month. Then, leave them alone until spring. When the leaves come out in the spring, start watering once more.
How to Feed Tulips
Apply Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Rose & Bloom Plant Food in accordance with the instructions on the package once the flowers have faded. In order for the bulb to conserve nutrients for the following growing season, this will aid in promoting leaf growth. Every year in the late fall, feed for the final time (around the same time as you would plant new bulbs).
How to Cut Tulips to Enjoy Indoors
When the buds are still tightly closed, cut tulips. You should be able to identify the hue of the blooms despite the petals’ possible greenish tint. Put inside a spotless vase with room temperature water. Once cut and brought indoors, tulips will continue to “grow” (the stems extend). Simply trim a few inches from the bottom of the stems every few days if they start to get unruly. If you mix Miracle-Gro for Fresh Cut Flowers into the water and replace the water every few days, cut tulips will stay longer (compared to water only).
What to Do After Tulips Bloom
The best tulip flower display will typically occur in gardens in the spring that immediately follows the fall when the bulbs are planted. Once the petals have faded, trim the flower stalk back to the plant’s base to encourage species tulips to return year after year. After the bulbs have gone dormant, cease feeding them as previously mentioned, stop watering them, and trim back the foliage once it has completely turned brown. Simply pluck up the bulbs from hybrid varieties (which are not perennial) and compost them.
How to Protect Tulips from Deer and Other Pests
Preventing deer from eating tulip blooms is the biggest obstacle in tulip gardening, closely followed by preventing chipmunks and squirrels from digging up the bulbs. Planting holes or trenches should have chicken wire surrounding them on all sides to prevent bulbs from being dug up. (If you’re planting large sweeps of bulbs, which is how to get the best show from tulips, this is most useful.)
Deer are another matter. Installing a long (8 feet or more) fence is the greatest approach to keep deer out of the garden, but most people cannot afford to do this. Daffodil and Crown Imperial bulbs are not consumed by deer, so interplanting tulips with these varieties may help deter them. Alternatively, you may try misting a deer repellent on bulb foliage. In light of this, it is preferable to grow tulips in pots on a screened-in porch if deer are a significant issue where you live. This way, the deer can’t access to the flowers.
Ready to start tulip gardening? To learn more about a product, to buy it online, or to locate a retailer near you, click on any of the product links above.