Tulip Care During Planting Season

One very important aspect of tulip care is to make sure that you provide for them after you plant them. This will help encourage root formation during the fall and winder months.

Unless you are in a situation where it has just rained and the soil is still completely moist, you will need to water your tulip bulbs after you plant them. Then, for the rest of the fall season, the rain will supply the rest of the amount of water needed. The exception to this is if you live in a dry climate or experience an unusually dry spell in your area. In this case you may have to water them at least once a month until you receive rain again.

If your tulips receive adequate amounts of water during the fall months your flowers are more likely to take stronger root. You also may need to water them in the spring as well, unless it rains quite a bit. When your bulbs begin to transform into leaves and flowers, it is recommended that you supply your tulips with one inch of water per week.

Another aspect of plant care for your tulips during the growing season is to properly maintain the growing areas. For example, you can add mulch and compost mixtures to your tulip bed. One of the most expensive mixtures of compost is shredded fall leaves and left over decomposed vegetable and fruit scraps, and other leftover organic food materials.

Using mulch, otherwise known as compost, insulates your flower beds during the winter months and helps keep temperatures down in the summer. The mulch layer that you provide for your tulips should be approximately 2 to 3 inches deep, which is about half of the recommended planting depth for a tulip bulb. (Plant tulips 6 inches deep.)

Another aspect tulip care during growing season is to make sure they receive the proper nutrients. The major nutritional requirements for plants include nitrogen (N), which is for chlorophyll production (what gives plant leaves and stems their green pigment),  Phosphorous (P) for the development of the roots, and Potassium (K) which is for the general vigor of the plant. Plants also need about a dozen other nutrients for successful growth as well.

One tip to remember when fertilizing your tulips is to make sure that you add it as early as possible. The best time would be right after the bulbs are planted. Also, you will need to remember never to over fertilize your plants, because you could burn them out. Along with that, you need to remember never to add high-Nitrogen fertilizers right after flowering, because your tulips could contract a fungal disease.