When to plant tulips?

[PlantNurse15]

Hello all,

I just got some tulips that are almost blooming and I am wondering if it is safe to plant them. The lowest the temperature will be at night is 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thank you!

 

[flowerbug]

Hello all,

I just got some tulips that are almost blooming and I am wondering if it is safe to plant them. The lowest the temperature will be at night is 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thank you!

are they in a pot?

if so i think it is best to keep treating them like a potted plant (keep watering if they might dry out too much) until they begin to die back. then let them dry out completely and keep them in mind for where you want to put them back this late summer/fall.

 

[PlantNurse15]

They are just in a very small plastic container. Would it kill them if I planted them in the ground this year?

 

[flowerbug]

They are just in a very small plastic container. Would it kill them if I planted them in the ground this year?

no, but it may interrupt their growing and by the time they get their roots going again it would then be time for them to start to die back. but if they are overcrowded and in a tiny container then i think you might be better off planting them. another problem is that it is very easy to break the leaves/stems.

depending upon how it goes they may not flower again the next year but may recover by the year after. all of these complications are why a lot of people just discard bulbs that are forced in pots. in my mind it's a good way to pick up some extra varieties if you aren't in a hurry.

 

[PlantNurse15]

Thank you flowerbug! I will have to think about all that a little.

 

[ducks4you]

As with ALL flowers, flowering shrubs and flowering trees, you should wait until the flowers have fallen off, and the tulip leaves have wilted. You CAN plant them now, but next spring they will not flower for you. Tulips and other Spring bulbs (and other bulbs, period) need to gather strength through their leaves and store it up in the bulb. BY planting you are essentially "transplanting" them from their home in the pot to another location.
Please make sure to put them in the ground. My neighbor was admiring my slew of tulip bulbs that I had dug up last September, when I cleaned up the front bed. I gave her the biggest bulbs, kept the small to medium ones to replant for 2019. She saved hers to force them. They dried out and died.
Lesson: Get them into the ground!!! They will be quite safe there and, unless you have a perpetual drought starting in the summer and through next winter, they will not dry out, but reward you with loveliness next Spring.

 

[PlantNurse15]

Ok, so just to clarify I should NOT plant them in the ground until they die? They are blooming right now. Will they survive in the container? There are 6 plants in it.

 

[flowerbug]

Ok, so just to clarify I should NOT plant them in the ground until they die? They are blooming right now. Will they survive in the container? There are 6 plants in it.

if they've been growing ok they're fine. keep them watered once in a while and in as much light as they can get.

when they start dying back then let them dry out, you can then plant them later in the summer or in the fall and they will start putting out roots for the following season once they get wet again.

remember them though and also where you plan to put them will need to be protected from herbivores.

 

[LoraMoser]

The best time to plant tulips is November-December. If the bulbs are planted earlier they will start to grow and this may result in frost damage to the shoots.

They will grow in any reasonable soil, as long as it does not get waterlogged, and they do best in full sun but tolerate some shade. Plant the bulbs 6-8ins deep, 4-8ins apart.

If planting in containers it is important to provide adequate drainage, and if the weather should become really cold, protect by wrapping with bubble wrap, cardboard etc. If the bulbs become frozen, they are likely to rot on defrosting. In pots, you can plant fairly close together for a good display but ensure the bulbs do not touch each other or the sides of the container. Plant with the flat side out.

Tulip bulbs can be lifted when the foliage has turned yellow. Store in a cool dry place and replant in November.

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

Hello all,

I just got some tulips that are almost blooming and I am wondering if it is safe to plant them. The lowest the temperature will be at night is 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thank you!

Wow!! Lucky you.. Every Season would be nice if your gonna ask me. they are very tough flowers... and they can be very beautiful if you move them in your property..