How to care for Tulip bulbs:
First plant them in wet soil.
Instructions
Things You'll Need
* Fertilizer
* Bark mulch
* Shears
* Plant marker
* Straw mulch
Suggest Edits
1.
* 1
Fertilize the tulip bed in spring as soon as the first shoots emerge. Apply 1 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer to every 100 square feet of tulip bed. Apply it to the soil around the plants, taking care not to get the fertilizer directly on the foliage, as it can cause burning.
* 2
Water tulips as needed to keep the soil moist to a 6 inch depth, beginning when the ground freezes and continuing until the foliage dies back. Lay 2 inches of bark mulch over the bed to preserve the moisture in the soil.
* 3
Cut the flowers off the the tulips as soon as they are finished blooming, using a pair of shears. Remove both the flower and the swollen area right behind it where the seed is forming. Leave the foliage in place until it yellows and dies back naturally, then cut it off at soil level.
* 4
Mark the location of the bulbs if you are dividing them in fall, using a plant marker. Divide tulips when they become overcrowded or stop flowering well, usually every three to five years.
* 5
Dig up bulbs in the fall if you are dividing them, about six weeks before the first expected frost. Twist apart the attached bulbs so they snap apart. Replant the bulbs 6 inches deep and space them 4 to 6 inches apart in clusters of five or more bulbs.
* 6
Apply 1/2 lb. of 5-10-5 fertilizer to every 100 square feet of tulip bed in fall, either immediately after dividing or six weeks before the first expected frost. Water the be thoroughly afterward so the fertilizer leeches down to the root zone of the tulips.
* 7
Lay 3 inches of straw mulch over the bed once the ground begins to freeze. Straw mulch helps prevent winter frost damage. Remove the mulch in spring once the tulips begin sending up leaves.
Tips & Warnings
*
Use a bulb fertilizer, following package application rates, instead of general purpose fertilizer.
*
Tulips can also be divided in spring once the foliage dies back, if you prefer not to wait until it fall.
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Deer, squirrels and other pests may dig up and eat tulip bulbs. Protect the bulbs with bulb cages, available at garden centers.