Helpful information
Timing: October-November (planting bulbs)
Where to do it: Outdoors
Garden space: Large garden, small garden, balcony
Tulips are hugely popular flowers. In this guide, we look at how to plant bulbs so you can enjoy spring blooms.
- Planting tulip bulbs can provide physical activity, through the act of digging holes and placing bulbs
- When you plant bulbs in autumn, this creates hope and anticipation for the future
- Seeing the first green tulip shoots emerge in spring, followed by beautiful flower colour, can lift the spirits
Tulip bulbs and shoots
Tulips bring great joy when we them popping up in the spring. If you would like to grow tulips, a good way is to plant bulbs in autumn.
You can usually find a wide variety of tulip bulbs from garden centres or online.
One advantage of bulbs is their size. Individual bulbs are fairly big. This can make planting bulbs easier than sowing small seeds, particularly if you have challenges with grip or visual impairment.
When to plant tulip bulbs
The best time to plant tulip bulbs is from mid-October to November. This helps reduce risk of a fungal disease called tulip fire. This disease is typically wiped out in colder weather.
What to do with spare bulbs
If you've bought too many bulbs, or forgotten to plant them, you can try saving them. Store the bulbs in a paper bag or net in a cool, dry place, like in a garage. You can plant them the following autumn. The chance of them growing successfully may be a little bit lower, but bulbs can often last for a year if stored properly.
Gardening tip
Too late for bulb planting? You might still be able to enjoy tulips in your garden. You can often find potted bulbs in garden centres from mid-winter. These have been grown from a bulb to first shoots already. They are a bit more expensive than bulbs, but are a way to guarantee flowers!
Tulip flowering time
Most tulips flower in spring. Different varieties start flowering at different times. Some flower as early as March, others not until May. The bulb packet should tell you the flowering time.
If you would like to enjoy tulips for months, you could plant varieties with a mix of flowering times.
Tulips are perennials. This means, once planted, your bulb should keep producing flowers year after year. In reality, you may find your tulips only flower well for a year or two. You may decide to add more bulbs each year where you have gaps.
Tulips growing in a long container
There are a few different places you could plant your tulip bulbs. There are also lots of options for how you combine them with other plants.
Ideally, tulips like somewhere sunny. Most will still flower if they are somewhere with a little bit of shade.
1. In beds or borders
Plant bulbs directly in the ground in your beds and borders. You could have lots of tulips together, or you could add them around your other plants.
2. In containers and planters
Tulips are lovely in containers and planters. You could combine different spring-flowering bulbs, like daffodils and tulips, in the same pot.
Make it easier
Planting in containers - or raised beds if you have them - may be easier if you have challenges with bending or mobility. Our guide to container gardening has more advice.
Bright red parrot tulips
There are so many different varieties of tulip. The question is really, what do you like! You can find every colour from white to dark purple, shorter ones, taller ones and varieties with ruffled or fringed petals.
Make it easier
If you have any visual impairment, you may find tulips in bright shades of yellow, orange or red easier to see.
These are some of the more popular varieties of tulip:
- Parrot tulips. Just like the birds, you can find some flamboyant colour parrot tulips with amazing, fringed petals.
- Tulip Ballerina. An elegant tulip with fluted petals.
- Tulip Sylvestris. A wild yellow tulip, which grows naturally in woodlands. It will naturalise in your garden, meaning spread on its own over time and make itself at home!
- Tulip Angelique. A big, flouncy, pale pink tulip that could be mistaken for a peony.
- Tulip Spring Green. An ivory-white colour tulip with a green stripe across the petals. One that lasts until near the end of spring.
Take care
Be aware, tulips – especially the bulbs - are poisonous if eaten. If you have curious pets, keep them clear of bulbs.
Essential items
- Tulip bulbs
- Trowel
- Watering can
Optional items
- Multi-purpose compost
- Plant labels and marker pens
Tools to make it easier
- Bulb planter
- Kneeler with handles
Follow these steps to plant tulip bulbs with ease.
Step 1: Gather what you need
Bring all the items you need to wherever you will be planting.
If you are planting smaller pots or containers, you could do this seated at a table.
Step 2: Check for healthy bulbs
Open your bulb packet. You may need scissors to help with this. It is recommended to put gardening gloves on at this stage too, as you will be touching the bulbs.
If any bulbs look unhealthy (e.g. damaged or mouldy) add them to your compost or garden waste.
Step 3: Dig your planting hole
Dig a hole around 20cm deep for each bulb you are planning to plant.
It is generally easier to dig all the holes you need before adding bulbs. This should make it easier to keep track of where you are putting your bulbs!
Make it easier
A bulb planter is a really helpful tool. It makes it easier to create a hole the correct width and depth. It also takes less energy to use than a trowel. You can find long-handled versions if you want to avoid bending.
If you are planting at ground level, a kneeler seat with handles is useful. It offers knee protection and helps you get back up again.
Step 4: Place bulbs in the hole
Put the bulbs in the hole with the pointed tip facing upwards.
Gardening tip
If you accidentally put the bulbs in the wrong way round, it doesn’t usually matter. They should still grow anyway. It might just take them a bit longer to get there.
Step 5: Fill hole with soil
Backfill the hole with the soil you dug out. You could also choose to add some fresh multi-purpose compost to fill the hole.
Step 6: Water well
Give the bulbs a good water.
Step 7: Add plant labels (optional)
It can be easy to forget exactly where bulbs have been planted once they are covered in soil. You may find it helpful to add a plant label. This is a bit easier to do in containers than in the ground.
There is very little you need to do now. Because the bulbs live deep in the soil, they will happily sit during the winter, then start growing as soon as the timing is right. Just wait patiently and enjoy watching for signs of growth in spring!
What to do after flowering
Once your tulips have finished flowering, cut off the spent flower heads. This helps them put energy into forming bulbs for the next spring.
Don’t cut off the stems and foliage. Let them die down naturally.
Some gardeners choose to lift tulip bulbs out of the ground, store them and then re-plant in autumn. It’s not generally something you need to do. But it can sometimes help if your tulips are not flowering so well anymore.
Related content
Bulbs to plant in autumn
Gardeners love thinking about what will grow and change. When you plant bulbs in autumn, you can then wait for the excitement of the first shoots in spring.
