How to Plant Tulip Bulbs in Fall

Spring is the time for awakening, refreshing, and living again. After the cold harsh winter blows over, we begin to see new life sprouting from the earth. Halleluiah! There is color again! Amongst the trees budding, the grass popping through the soil, and birds chirping, you see beautiful spring bulbs blooming right before your eyes. Flowers always tend to brighten someone’s day. And oh, it feels so good to know that warm weather is coming.

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Beginning my small commercial flower business, I knew I wanted to grow products throughout all seasons. I wondered, what should I grow in Spring? Tulips, of course, were the absolute first thing that popped into my head. But then there was the challenge. Okay, so how do I even grow tulips?

After doing some research, I learned that if you want a plant to grow during a certain time, you must plan ahead. And I thought, how on earth do people plant tulips after the ground has thawed and the April showers start pouring? There’s no way I could ever plant any plants in that muddy time of the year. Then I understood the “plan ahead” part. Tulips, and many bulb spring plants, need to be planted in the fall time to enjoy the early blooms of spring.

Eureka! Simple! And simple it is! You see, when we plant our bulbs in the fall, we force the plant to go into a “dormant mode” or a “hibernation” under the ground. Being in a dark, cool space allows the bulb to come alive. At the dormant stage, the bulbs can store all their energy to produce a beautiful flower come spring.

Following my step-by-step process below for a full description of how I planted a mass row of spring bulbs in the fall! Your garden beds will be so filled with life!

Step 1: Plan your landscape area

• Find an area that is well-drained. Meaning, water does not stay stagnant in one area, but rather flows freely to the earth below.
• Choose an area that gets full to partial sun.
• Make sure you have a healthy growing median. You can get a soil sample to determine what extra nutrients you might need to improve your analysis
• Determine how large you like your area to be. Bulbs are fun as they can be planted thick in rows, spaced out randomly, or spaced in patterns. Make it your own canvas and have fun with it!

Step 2: Choose your bulb variety

• Bulbs are small and can be the size of your palm. Most of the time you can only produce one flower per bulb. So, ordering in mass quantities is best and can save a little money too. Again, we must remember we are planning a season ahead. To get the best deals and best varieties, you’ll need to order your bulbs in late summer. We want to make sure to have those bulbs ready to plant by fall.
• When I planted, I decided to choose from “Netherland Bulb Company” with the following varieties below. These worked well for zone 6a.
  • Tulip Hakuun
  • Tulipa Apricot Delight
  • Tulipa Triumph “Purple Passion Mixture”

Step 3: What Material will I need?

• Tulip bulbs
• Growing Median (planting soil)
  • For Sandy Soil add peat moss & leaf compost
  • For Clay based soil add coarse sand & peat moss
• Bulb-tone (all-natural organic fertilizer)
• Mulch
• Straw
• Tiller, garden hoe, or shovel

Step 4: Prepping for row Planting

• If planting in rows, start by tilling the ground to loosen your soil.
• To add additional amenities, mound your mixture and combine to at least 12” deep. (see preparing garden beds for more info)
• Create a “trench” in your mound where you will place your bulbs. The trench should be at least 6-8” deep.
• Condition your soil by sprinkling Bulb-tone fertilizer in the bottom of the trench and mixing lightly. (This slow-releasing fertilizer will allow the bulbs to feed and store energy to become a healthy bloom)

Step 5: How to plant bulbs

• Plant bulbs 4-6” deep, pointy side up and space them 4-6” apart for long stems. You can also plant them side by side for a more “full effect” looking like eggs in an egg carton.
• Cover the trench with the remaining soil and add at least 2” of mulch to keep warm during the winter time.
• Water your bulbs once right after planting to get established in their new home.
• If you live in an area with harsher winters, add an extra layer of straw for protection. Tulips need to experience a cold period between 10 and 16 weeks to bloom correctly. (at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit)

Step 6: Tulip Bulb Care

• Once tulips bloom you can leave them to enjoy in the garden or you can cut them at the base of their two leaves to enjoy inside or a gift to another.
• Water plants if the soil is very dry
• After bloom time in spring, bulbs can be either left in the ground or dug up and stored for next fall
• To Leave bulbs in the ground, simply let the tulip leaves stand till fall. Once fall arrives, cut leaves down to the soil surface so that the bulbs can start storing energy for the winter months. Add an extra layer of mulch or straw again for overwintering.
• If you prefer to dig your bulbs up for the summertime, gently dig up each bulb, cut the dead leaves off, rinse off debris, dry completely, and store them in a cool area like a basement or garage.
• Replant stored bulbs in the fall and enjoy another spring year filled with tulips!

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