- You can plant the tulip bulbs in October or November, when the leaves fall from the trees.
- Plant the bulbs on time: the soil should be cold, no warmer than 10°C. Tulips need a cold period of 9 weeks.
- Location: sun or open shade. The tulips will also flower if in full shade, but they will not come back the following year.
- Soil type: well-drained, not acidic
- Planting depth: 3x the height of the bulb. Loosen the soil sufficiently so that the roots can find their way immediately.
- Press down on the soil after planting. Soil that is too loose will act like a sponge.
- Tulips bloom well in pots, but you should regard them as annuals.
- Give the tulips extra nutrition on two occasions: when they rise above ground and when the buds become visible. Organic manure, pink grain or tomato fertiliser are good.
- Give the tulips a nitrogen & potassium-rich feed during the period during or immediately after flowering.
After flowering
- Remove the seed pods: cut off the flowering stem just above the top leaves. Seed formation takes energy away from forming the bulbs for the next season.
- Leaves must have a chance to die off so that the plant has energy to form a good bulb. Once the leaves are completely brown, remove the bulb from the ground.
- It is best not to leave a tulip bulb in the ground because it will become just a little too cold. Often, the ground will also be too moist, which can cause the bulb to go mouldy or rot.
- Store the flower bulbs in a dry and dark in a well-ventilated place that is no warmer than 17°C.