How to Plant Tulips Successfully

Learning how to plant tulips does not have to be difficult. With articles such as this one you will be on your way to producing a healthy patch that will come up year after year.

To start off with, you may need a few simple tools. One tool used for tulip planting is called the trowel. This is a tiny hand-held shovel that you can use to plant bulbs in smaller areas that are more confined. Since you need your soil to be approximately 6 inches deep it is best to find a trowel that has a shovel blade that is about six inches long. The width of the trowel blade is usually only a couple of inches (2-3).

You may also need a garden fork or spade to help lift the soil. This would especially be useful if you are planting larger gardens and you have help. One person would insert the tool into the ground, and dig up the soil, and the second person would place the bulb in the ground with the pointed end up. After that the person digging would replace the dirt.

Another handy tool used by some gardeners is called the Dibble. This useful gardening instrument has a T-shaped handle with a pointed end that pokes holes into the ground. This tool works best in loose, sandy soil, which is the best type of soil in which to plant tulips anyway.

To plant with a Dibble, the user would insert the pointed end of the tool into the ground and then pull it out again. What is left is a bulb-sized hole in which you can place your tulip to be planted.

An additional Dibble usage technique would be to drill back and forth just slightly to make sure that the hole remains in tact when the instrument is pulled out again. If you have one of these types of gardening tools you will find it very useful for planting small gardens by yourself.

One of the other most important aspects of planting bulbs such as tulips would be to prepare the soil ahead of time. The soil in which you plant tulips should be well-drained. If you want to improve drainage of your garden’s soil you can turn the soil with a spade, or a special tool called a tulip auger (corkscrew-style extension that you would add to the end of a drill). In addition, you can add sand or compost to the mixture, or add a slow release fertilizer.

You can also plant your tulips on raised bed or create miniature ditches alongside your tulip beds. In some cases, you could even install a drainage pipe system which will help your tulips thrive year after year.

The other most important aspect of planting your tulips is to make sure that you realize they do not bloom if you plant them in the spring. That is because they need to chill for awhile. Either you need to plant them when the ground is 60 degrees or colder (as long as the soil is not frozen solid). Usually this is in the last part of September or Early October. In some climates you may have to wait until November, December, or January. Remember that before you plant. Make sure to practice tulip care during planting to ensure a spring blooming season.

The exact procedure for planting most tulips is very similar. If you have more questions about how to plant tulips you may want to consult expert gardeners or read more articles such as this one.