How to grow Tulips in the UK
Plant bulbs in late autumn for a burst of colour in spring.
- DifficultyEasy peasy
- WhereBeds or Pots
- Sunfull sun
- Grows to40cm
- Spacing10cm
- Time to first pickabout 20 weeks
- Typebulb
When to sow, plant and harvest tulips
| Plant | mid October to mid December |
|---|---|
| In flower | early April to mid May |
Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.
Planting it
- Dig a hole to a depth of 15cm (three times as deep as the bulb is tall)
- Set each one in with the pointy end (or the shoots) facing up
- Space them 10cm apart each way
- Cover with soil, press down gently and water well
- Push in a label so you don't dig them up by mistake
Top tips for growing tulips
- Plant them late - November is perfect.
- Squirrels dig them up: lay chicken wire over the top until shoots appear.
Looking after tulips
- At planting: Check your tulips - if squirrels have dug any up, push them back in and lay chicken wire or twiggy sticks over the top
Soil and feeding
Poor soil - really!. Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil. Feed them and you get all leaves and no flowers.
Pests and problems
- Squirrels: dig up bulbs and steal cobs and berries
- Lay chicken wire over where you planted them until the shoots come up
Harvesting and eating tulips
Cut them for a vase when the buds are coloured but still closed.
Saving your own tulips seed
They come back every year.
- Leave the leaves to die back naturally - they feed next year's flowers
- Bulbs slowly multiply underground. Every few years, dig up crowded clumps after the leaves die and replant them spread out
Where to buy tulips plants
Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon
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Tulips questions
When do I plant out tulips?
Plant tulips out from mid October to mid December.
When can I enjoy tulips?
Tulips is ready from early April to mid May. Cut them for a vase when the buds are coloured but still closed.
How long do tulips take to grow?
Roughly 20 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.
Are tulips easy to grow?
Tulips are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.
Plan your own garden: it tells you what to do and when, for your postcode.
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