Planting Tulip Bulbs

Preparing to plant

By Nancy Bubel

When I first planted tulip bulbs in the front yard, I thought I had done the job once and for all. So I was surprised to see our neighbor, who has been gardening for 40 years, replanting his tulip bed. "Tulip bulbs don't last as long as daffodils; they tend to lose vitality as they age," he explained. To be sure of having a nice display, he replants his tulip bed every five or six years, or whenever he notices that the tulips are declining.

Well-prepared plantings tend to have a longer productive life than spot-plantings. The soil will be loose and the drainage better and the bulbs will be less likely to be surrounded by air pockets, which discourage growth. If you've been tucking tulip bulbs in here and there, using a dibber or trowel, you might want to try this planting method. Wait until the soil is cool before putting the bulbs in the ground. For most gardens, that's sometime between mid-October and mid-November. Pick a site with excellent drainage; never plant tulips in a waterlogged spot. Although many cultivars will bloom in light filtered shade, most perform best in full sun. (Bulbs that receive too little sun are not able to store enough energy to bloom a second year.) The blooms will last longer if the planting is sheltered from wind.

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