How to Plant Tulip Bulbs: When, How Deep, and Whether They Come Back

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At a glance

When to plant tulip bulbs (timing by USDA zone)

Tulips need fall planting because the bulbs must go through a long cold period in the ground before they will flower. Clemson Cooperative Extension uses soil temperature as the cue: plant once soil at planting depth stays below 60°F. University of Minnesota Extension notes that fall planting lets the bulbs grow roots before the ground freezes.

Planting a bit late is safer than planting early. Per University of Minnesota Extension, tulips can go in as late as you can still get them into the soil, and University of Illinois Extension notes most bulbs can be planted until the ground is frozen. To limit tulip fire, a fungal disease, the Royal Horticultural Society advises spacing bulbs well, choosing a spot with good air circulation, and not replanting tulips where the disease occurred for at least three years (see botrytis blight on tulips).

These windows are approximate, derived from the Extension rules above. Your own first-frost date is a better guide than a calendar: look yours up with the frost date lookup and aim to finish planting a few weeks after the first frost, before the soil freezes. For the rest of the fall planting calendar, see the fall planting guide by zone.

Warm climates: pre-chilling

Where winters are too mild to chill bulbs naturally (roughly zones 8–10), LSU AgCenter recommends refrigerating tulip bulbs for at least 6–8 weeks and planting them in late December or early January. Clemson HGIC advises keeping them refrigerated from purchase until planting and keeping fruit out of the same refrigerator: ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which can prevent blooming. In these zones, plan on replacing tulips every year.

How to plant tulip bulbs, step by step

1. Choose firm, heavy bulbs. Skip any that are soft, moldy or shriveled. Larger bulbs carry more stored energy and produce larger first-year flowers.
2. Pick a sunny, well-drained spot. Tulips want full sun. The most important requirement is drainage: Penn State Extension notes bulbs rot in soggy soil. Avoid low spots where water stands after rain. If you're not sure, do a simple drainage (perc) test first.
3. Loosen and amend the soil. Loosen the soil well below planting depth and mix in compost. Penn State Extension gives a target pH of 6–7. Heavy clay needs organic matter or a raised bed; add compost generously before planting.
4. Dig to the right depth. Make each hole 6–8 inches deep, measured to the base of the bulb. That is about 2½–3 times the bulb's height, per Penn State Extension. Missouri Botanical Garden recommends the deeper end: 8-inch holes, measured from the base of the bulb. You can plant individual holes or dig out a whole bed and set the bulbs on its floor, which is faster for 25 or more bulbs.
5. Set bulbs pointed end up, 4–6 inches apart. The flat basal plate, where roots emerge, goes down. If you can't tell which end is which, plant the bulb on its side and the shoot will find its way up. Groups look better than single rows.
6. Backfill and water thoroughly. One deep watering settles the soil around the bulbs and starts root growth. After that, fall rain is usually enough unless the season is very dry.
7. Protect against digging animals. Squirrels and voles dig up freshly planted bulbs. Clean up the papery skins and debris that attract them, and lay chicken wire or hardware cloth over the bed (under the mulch) until spring.
8. Mulch the bed. University of Illinois Extension recommends covering bulb beds with 2–3 inches of mulch, which helps keep soil temperatures even. Missouri Botanical Garden notes that mulch counts toward planting depth.

The same depth-to-height rule applies to daffodils, hyacinths and alliums. For a side-by-side table of all the common spring bulbs, see how to plant spring bulbs in fall.

How deep to plant tulip bulbs (and why depth matters)

Most bags say 6 inches. Missouri Botanical Garden recommends about 8 inches to the base of the bulb. Both are within the normal range. NC State Extension's rule is three times the depth of the bulb, and the RHS advises planting deeper where winters are very cold. Planting too shallow is the more common mistake: the RHS lists shallow planting as a cause of tulips failing to flower, and shallow bulbs are easier for squirrels to find. University of Minnesota Extension suggests going 1–2 inches deeper in sandy soil and 1–2 inches shallower in heavy clay.

Planting tulips in pots

Tulips do well in containers, and pots help where deer are a problem because you can move them somewhere protected. Use a deep pot with drainage holes. Fill it partway with potting mix, set the bulbs pointed end up and close together, and cover them with mix.

Potted bulbs need the same long cold period as bulbs in the ground, but soil in a pot freezes harder than garden soil. In cold-winter areas, keep the pots over winter in an unheated garage or shed, or sink them into the ground. Water lightly whenever the mix dries out. Bring the pots into the sun when shoots appear in late winter.

Do tulips come back every year?

Species tulips often return; most large hybrids fade. Per Cornell Cooperative Extension, most modern tulip varieties bloom well for only three or four years, and NC State Extension notes that performance usually declines from the second year on. Missouri Botanical Garden's bulb factsheet suggests discarding declining plantings and starting over. After flowering, the mother bulb splits into several smaller daughter bulbs. Many of those are too small to bloom, so you get more leaves and fewer flowers each year.

Three things improve the odds:

• Pick types that perennialize. Missouri Botanical Garden says species (botanical) tulips and their hybrids return year after year, and recommends Darwin hybrids such as 'Apeldoorn' for naturalizing; Cornell also names Fosteriana tulips. The site's guide to tulip cultivars that come back year after year compares those groups.
• Give them sharp drainage and a dry summer. Per NC State Extension, tulips grow best where winters are cool and moist and summers are warm and dry. Beds that are irrigated all summer, or that sit wet, shorten tulip life.
• Let the leaves die back. Leaves feed next year's bulb. Cut off the spent flower, but leave the foliage until it yellows; Missouri Botanical Garden warns that cutting green foliage drastically reduces the next year's bloom. Yellowing leaves at that stage are normal; see tulip leaves turning yellow.

Missouri Botanical Garden also recommends feeding tulips in spring as foliage appears, with dried cow manure or a slow-release fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or a bulb formula.

Care after planting: winter to after bloom

Lifting and storing bulbs

You don't need to dig tulips up every year. If you do want to lift them, for example to move them or to replace a bed with summer annuals, wait until the foliage has yellowed. Then dig the bulbs, let them dry in the shade, and store them in a mesh bag somewhere cool, dry and well ventilated until fall. Keep stored bulbs away from ripening fruit. Replant only the largest, firmest ones.

Deer, squirrels and pets

Deer eat tulip flowers and buds (NC State Extension), and in heavily browsed areas a whole planting can disappear the week before it blooms. Your options are fencing, a repellent program started as soon as shoots emerge, pots on a deck, or bulbs that deer avoid. Daffodils and ornamental alliums are the usual substitutes. To confirm what is eating your bulbs, see animal damage ID.

Squirrels and voles mostly cause trouble right after planting and in winter. Covering the bed with wire mesh and cleaning up bulb skins are the most dependable fixes.

Pets: The ASPCA lists tulips as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The toxins are most concentrated in the bulb, and signs include vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea and drooling. Store unplanted bulbs out of reach, and watch dogs that like to dig.

Common mistakes

Frequently asked

Is it too late to plant tulip bulbs?

Usually not. University of Minnesota Extension says tulips can be planted as late as you can get them into the soil, and Cornell Cooperative Extension notes planting can continue into late November or early December if the ground isn't frozen. The RHS notes late planting can produce shorter stems. Bulbs left in a bag over winter dry out and won't keep until next fall, so planting late is better than not planting.

Can you plant tulip bulbs in the spring?

Bulbs that never got a winter chill rarely flower well when planted in spring. If you find unplanted bulbs in late winter, plant them as soon as the soil can be worked. Some may bloom late, and the rest put on leaves and may flower the following year. Pre-chilled bulbs and potted tulips in bud are a better option for spring color.

How deep do you plant tulip bulbs?

Plant them 6–8 inches deep, measured from the soil surface to the base of the bulb. That is about 2½–3 times the bulb's height, per Penn State Extension. Small species tulips go shallower, following the same 2–3 times rule.

How far apart should tulip bulbs be planted?

Space standard tulips 4–6 inches apart in the ground, per Clemson HGIC; Cornell Cooperative Extension suggests 6 inches. In containers, set bulbs close together for a fuller display. Groups look fuller than single rows.

Do tulip bulbs multiply?

Yes. After flowering, each bulb divides into several smaller daughter bulbs. With hybrid tulips those offsets are often too small to bloom, which is why plantings fade. Species tulips multiply more usefully and can naturalize in well-drained, sunny spots, per Missouri Botanical Garden.

What do you do with tulip bulbs after flowering?

Snap off the faded flower so the plant doesn't put energy into seed, but leave the stem and leaves until they turn yellow. Then you can remove the foliage and leave the bulbs in the ground, or dig, dry and store them somewhere cool, dry and ventilated until fall planting.

Are tulip bulbs poisonous to dogs?

Yes. The ASPCA lists tulips as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with the highest concentration of toxins in the bulb. Signs include vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea and drooling. Contact a veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center if a pet eats bulbs.

Do squirrels eat tulip bulbs?

Squirrels dig up and eat freshly planted tulip bulbs, and voles eat them underground. Clean up bulb skins after planting, and cover the bed with chicken wire or hardware cloth until shoots appear. Daffodils are generally left alone and can replace tulips where animal pressure is heavy.

Sources

1. Tulipa (Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox), NC State Extension
2. Are there any tulips that will come back year after year?, Missouri Botanical Garden
3. Flowering Bulbs (factsheet, PDF), Missouri Botanical Garden
4. Plant Bulbs in the Fall for a Spring Celebration, Penn State Extension
5. Planting bulbs, tubers and rhizomes, University of Minnesota Extension
6. Planting Bulbs, University of Illinois Extension
7. Planting Tulips, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County
8. Spring-Flowering Bulbs, Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC
9. How to grow tulips, Royal Horticultural Society
10. Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Tulip, ASPCA Animal Poison Control
11. It's time to plant tulips, hyacinths, LSU AgCenter
12. Tulip fire, Royal Horticultural Society

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