How to Care for Tulips

The start of spring means the abundance of beautiful blooms, especially colorful tulips that appear everywhere from gardens and parks to florist shops and grocery stores. If you’re looking to take advantage of peak tulip season or want to get ahead for next year’s crop, take note of these guidelines for caring for tulips in a vase, in a pot, and in the ground.

Tulip Bouquets

1. Choose tulips that are closed and tight.

“To achieve maximum vase life, buy tulips at an ‘early’ cut stage or ‘closed’ stage,” says Callie Bladow, a former production director at BloomThat, an on-demand flower service (which was acquired by FTD florists in 2018). “The tulips will have a limited vase life once they reach the ‘open’ stage.”

2. Choose the right vase.

“A good rule of thumb is to choose a vase that covers at least half the height of the tulip stems,” Bladow says. “Tulips love to stretch out and will typically grow upwards of 2 inches in height during their vase life—so it’s best to let them stretch out in the vase and don’t clump them on top of each other, which will reduce petal loss.”

Tulips can tend to droop—and if that’s not the look you’re going for, consider a tall, narrow vase that can help keep your tulip stems supported.

3. Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle.

When you’re cutting the stems, be mindful that tulips grow after they’re in the vase. Bladow suggests holding the bouquet to the side of the vase first before cutting to make sure the blooms are the exact length you prefer. “Cut them on a bias (a 45-degree angle)—this creates a ‘straw-like effect’ and allows the stems to soak up the fresh water,” she says.

4. Provide plenty of water.

“Tulips love water,” says Bladow. “Cold, fresh water is best. When you bring your tulips home and pick out your favorite vase, fill it about three-quarters of the way, as tulips drink a lot of water. We suggest changing the water every other day and giving the stems a fresh cut.” To keep your blooms happy, you can also add flower food, or add lemon juice or half a teaspoon of regular cane sugar.

5. Avoid overexposure to sunlight.

Since tulips are “photosensitive,” meaning they grow and open based on sunlight, avoid placing the vase in direct sunlight or heat, as they’ll wilt faster once the blooms open up. A little bending at the stems is natural for tulips as they “stretch” towards the sunlight, but the stem shouldn’t look “floppy.”

6. Be selective when adding other flowers.

If you want to include other flowers in your arrangement, be mindful that tulips are very sensitive to other flowers. “Some common flowers that affect the tulip life cycle are daffodils or narcissus—they emit a substance that will make tulips wilt faster,” she says. “We never have issues when we include tulips in our floral arrangements with roses, kale, and hydrangea.”

Tulips in Flower Beds

1. Plant them in the fall or winter.

“The best time for planting tulips depends mostly on where you live,” says Carmen Johnston, a garden lifestyle expert. “If you live up north, you can begin planting as early as late September. But down south it is better to wait until December. Check your planting zone prior to planting—the general rule is to plant six to eight weeks before the ground freezes.”

2. Dig the right size hole and plant.

Johnston recommends using a drill with a bulb auger drill bit for easy planting. Dig a hole about three times the size of the tulip bulbs and plant them (pointed side up) 6 to 8 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart. Place them in sandy, well-drained soil. And “if you have an area that gets a dose of morning sun with lots of afternoon shade, that is where your tulips will flourish,” Johnston says.

3. Cover with mulch during the off-season.

Johnston recommends covering your bulbs with 1 to 2 inches of mulch and fertilizing your perennial bulbs in the fall with a slow-release bulb fertilizer. “The tulip is a pretty independent flower, and its bulb takes care of most of its maintenance itself,” she says. “However, if you want to give your bulb an extra boost, try giving it a shot of liquid fertilizer three to four weeks after planting and then once again at the beginning of spring.”

4. Go light on watering.

Tulips rarely need water. Johnston suggests one good soaking after planting and then again when they first start to sprout green leaves.

5. Clean up when they bloom.

This is the exciting part: Once tulips bloom, you can use them to create beautiful arrangements. “You want to cut at the base of the stem, leaving as much of the foliage on the plant as you can,” Johnston says. “Then immediately place it in water so that it can start hydrating.” If your tulips are annuals (and most of them are), meaning they only bloom once, throw out the bulbs when they’re dead. If you have perennial tulips, Johnston recommends cutting and disposing of the foliage once the plant has yellowed and leaving the bulb in the ground for the next year.

6. Try companion planting.

Planting certain plants near each other can not only make for a more beautiful garden when your tulips are in bloom, but it can also hide the faded stems afterward. A few options to consider:

• Forget me nots These tiny blue blooms look beautiful as a backdrop to your garden star tulips—and since they last longer than tulips, they’ll help keep your garden looking beautiful while you wait for your summer flowers to blossom.
• Daffodils The other most popular spring bulb, daffodils will be perfect side by side with your tulips in the spring.
• Daylilies Looking for something to add wow to your garden once your tulips die back? Daylilies will be growing up just as your tulips wither.
• Spring phlox Another bright and beautiful ground cover, this will add a sea of blooms as a backdrop to your tulips.
• Hostas These big and bold-leafed plants really start to take off just as your tulips may be fading.

Potted Tulips

1. Choose the right pot.

“Make sure your planter or container has proper drainage,” Johnston says. “If your bulbs have to sit in water, they are more likely to rot. Avoid this by using bark to create extra drainage.” Place the bark at the bottom of the container, which will allow air to flow under the soil and prevent rotting.

2. Plant the bulbs an inch apart, then fertilize.

Since a grouping of tulips in a pot is more eye-catching than a single flower, plant the bulbs as close to each other as you can—that’s at least an inch apart. “You can also incorporate a different type of bulb, such as a daffodil or a crocus, between your tulips as well,” she says. For care, the method is the same as in-ground tulips: Don’t overwater them, add a bit of fertilizer, and make sure they have the same amount of sun exposure. After they bloom, follow the same guidelines to clean up the bulbs and foliage.

3. Don’t overwater and provide adequate sunlight.

Johnston has two recommendations for indoor tulips: Be careful not to overwater and keep them next to a sunny window.

Tulip Bulbs

1. Consider whether you need to dig up your tulip bulbs.

In order to keep your tulips coming back year after year, they need to have some time to chill. In the northern parts of the U.S., leaving them out in your garden year-round provides those cool temps that will let them thrive again the following spring. But if you’re in USDA growing zones 8 and above, it may not get cool enough to get you gorgeous blooms the following year.

2. Dig up the bulbs when the plants wither.

If you do need to dig up your tulip bulbs, you need to be patient. Let the tulips bloom and fade, then wait until the plant withers and turns yellow before you dig up the tulip bulb. That post-bloom time is key to giving your bulbs enough energy to rebloom.

Dig them up using a small hand trowel, and carefully use your hands to pull the tulip bulbs out of the ground.

3. Prep the tulip bulbs.

Cut off any remaining foliage and brush off any excess soil. Then leave them out on a few layers of paper towels or newspapers to dry out. That will ensure that your bulbs are nice and dry to reduce the risk of mold or other diseases.

4. Store in a cool, dark place.

You can store them in your refrigerator, a cool basement, or another spot where they can literally chill out at temps in the 40s for a few months.

5. Replant in the fall.

Replant your tulips at the same time of year you would plant new bulbs. (And maybe even throw in a few new bulbs for good measure!)