BULBS > TULIPS
By KERSASP SHEKHDAR Kersasp Shekhdar, Gardener Kersie is a professional and vocational writer who learnt the basics of gardening as a toddler, courtesy of his grandfather. He is an active gardener with a preference for flowering plants. Roy Nicol, MHort (RHS), MCIHort - Horticulturist Roy is a Professional Gardener and Horticultural Consultant, specialising in large garden year-round maintenance and garden development. He is an RHS Master of Horticulture and uses his research in the application of no-dig methods in ornamental garden settings. Roy has been a Professional Gardener for more than six years and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, Professional Gardener's Guild and Association of Professional Landscapers (Professional Gardener). BULBi BULBi is an online supplier of a huge array (more than 170 varieties) of bulbs and tubers here in the UK. Clive Nichols - Garden Photographer With over 25 years' experience, Clive Nichols has been hailed by Canon as 'Britain’s Best Garden Photographer'. His past accomplishments include winning The Gordon Rae Photographer of the Year Award and his images have appeared in countless digital and print publications. Clive has published a number of well-renowned books and regularly tutors workshops for the RHS in flower and garden photography. Lora Avedian - Textile Artist & Designer Lora Avedian is a Textile Artist & Designer based in London, who uses flowers and other aspects of nature as a source of inspiration. She graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2017 and has since worked with the V&A, the Barbican Centre and The Royal Academy. In 2021, she published her first book about hand embroidery, titled ‘Stitch in Bloom’.
Reviewed By ROY NICOL 
Contributions From BULBi 
IN THIS GUIDE
- Overview
- How To Grow Tulips
- Plant Care
- Digging Up Tulip Bulbs
- Overwintering
- Division
- Common Problems
- References
TULIP GUIDES
Container Growing
DeadheadingVarieties
Which flower is supremely popular, comes in a diverse array of forms, and has a storied history? Answer: the tulip.
This bulbous perennial plant was at the centre of that famous Dutch mania.
“I love tulips and always try to plant a load of them in my garden so I have something to look forward to,” shares Lora Avedian, a Floral Artist.
“The joy and freshness of bulbs pushing through the earth after winter is really just the best.”
Tulips are mainstays in bouquets for the adored one or a family member, and though they are renowned for their rich hues, their forms are just as diverse and eye-catching.
“With their versatility, ease of growth, and range of colours, tulips are the perfect addition to any outdoor space,” says the team at BULBi – a large online nursery for bulbous plants based in Bath, UK.
Overview
| Botanical Name | Tulipa |
| Common Name(s) | Tulips |
| Plant Type | Perennial Bulbs |
| Native Area | South-East Europe / Northern Africa / Russia / Central Asia |
| Hardiness Rating | Typically H6 |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Flowers | Goblet-shaped flowers in a wide range of colours |
| When To Plant | October, November |
| Flowering Months | March, April, May |
Sunlight
Preferred
Full Sun
Exposure
Sheltered
Size
Height
0.5 – 1M
Spread
0 – 0.1M
Bloom Time
March – May
Soil
Preferred
Clay, loam, sand
Moisture
Well drained
pH
Any
One of the reasons for this flower’s magnetic appeal is surely the upright stance and demure appearance of the ‘classic’ Tulip with its just-barely-open petals; another reason would be the vibrant and radiant hues in the warm band of the colour spectrum.
And surely yet another reason is the way these plants usher in spring with row after row of gorgeous goblet-shaped blooms in rich colours.
“Tulips are one of my favourite plants to photograph – I love them,” shares Garden Photographer Clive Nichols.
“Of course, you only have a small window to take the images of them in flower, but I love how beautifully shaped they are. They make for good compositions.”
As is commonly known, Tulips come in all hues and tones from white to near-black, except blue.
Two or three varieties produce blooms in a medium bluish-violet, though.
Not only are their colours versatile, but the team at BULBi say that tulips can also vary in shape and size, so there’s a perfect tulip for every garden display.
Tulips are not plants as commonly understood; they are bulbs that put out a few leaves and a flowering stem.
The leaves are flat and strap-like similar to those of lilies, and this is hardly surprising because Tulips belong to the Lily Family.1Christenhusz, M. J. M., Govaerts, R., David, J. R., Hall, T., Borland, K., Roberts, P. S., Tuomisto, A., Buerki, S., Chase, M. W., & Fay, M. F. (2013). Tiptoe through the tulips – cultural history, molecular phylogenetics and classification ofTulipa(Liliaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 172(3), 280–328. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12061
Though Tulips are so strongly identified with the Netherlands that one might almost say “As Dutch as a Tulip”, they are not native to the Netherlands – they are relatively recent imports but have truly been adopted by the Dutch.
Today, the Netherlands is the world’s Tulip capital.2Statista Research Department. (2022c, September 27). Netherlands: value import and export tulip bulbs 2021. Statista. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/581482/value-of-the-import-and-export-of-tulip-bulbs-in-the-netherlands/
Habitat & Growing Conditions
Species Tulips are found in the steppes and hillsides of Iran, Turkey, and Central and East Asia; they also grow wild in fields and meadows.3Trinklein, D. (2016, October 10). Tulip: A Brief History. Integrated Pest Management. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2016/10/Tulip_A_Brief_History/
Most species are indigenous to temperate regions but some species are native to cold climatic zones.
In the main, species Tulip habitats are dry and cool; they do not thrive in damp conditions or waterlogged soils.
Cultivars are more tolerant of damp soil.
Most Tulips are hardy to H6 meaning they can be grown as perennials here in the UK.
“Only certain tulips will flower reliably after the first year – species tulips when grown in the right conditions, many of the cultivars in the early tulip groups and certain other named cultivars such as ‘Ballerina’ and ‘Spring Green’,” shares Roy Nicol, a Horticultural Consultant.
“My advice would be to research this if repeat flowering is important to you.”
How To Grow Tulips
Choosing Bulbs
Choose bulbs that are firm and intact without tears, and are the largest ones.
Discard those that have a compromised wrapper or outer coating, that are soft anywhere, that are dry and shrivelled, or that are small.
See if you can get your hands on ‘dealer’ or ‘pro’ top-size bulbs.
Buy bulbs in late summer and store them in a brown paper bag or a wrapping of cotton mesh in the crisper in the fridge, though not with vegetables or fruits (particularly bulb-killing apples and pears).
They can also be stored in a well-ventilated cool place such as a basem*nt.
If so, care should be taken to protect the bulbs from mice and other pests.
Where To Plant
Tulips differ greatly in the shape and form of the bloom, its size, the height of the stem, and the colour and also in the colours – plural.
As a result, where they can be planted and how they are best shown varies quite widely.
Most Tulips make excellent bedding plants, both in a single variety to multiply the effect of some intense variety, or in suitably mixed varieties.
For example, 30-40 ‘Violet Beauty’ or ‘Abu Hassan’ bulbs would produce a sensational effect.
In contrast, a ‘Monsella’ or ‘Groenland’ (one of the perfect Viridifloras) may be displayed in a decorative pot as a single specimen.
Height (plus personal taste) are good discriminators by which to choose Tulip varieties for borders and rock gardens; medium-height varieties, preferably Singles or Doubles for the former, and short varieties in unusual forms or Division 15 species for the latter.
You could use your imagination in ‘painting’ your garden with Tulips.
How about a two-colour design created with ‘Catherina Single’ and ‘Queen of the Night’? Both are Single Lates.
You can, of course, also mix and match Tulips with other spring flowers in harmonious or complementary colours and to set off floral forms.
How To Plant
Bulbs are best planted in late autumn, specifically when the soil temperature is 5-10°C.
Bulbs should be planted 10-18cm deep and 10-12 cm apart.
A good rule of thumb is to plant a bulb at twice to thrice the depth of its length (or height).
Plant bulbs so that they are ‘pointing’ upwards – give them a good watering after planting.
Now, over the winter, the bulbs will develop stores of energy to draw upon come spring, when the bulbs start to flower.
During this period roots and leaves begin to develop inside the bulbs.
Plant Care
The ideal soil for Tulips in general is a loose loam that includes sand, gravel, and compost – the soil should drain very well.
Feel free to mix in a little 5-10-10 fertiliser into the soil.
Digging Up Tulip Bulbs
You will usually read that Tulip bulbs should be treated as ‘annuals’ and that they must be dug up and discarded after a year, and new bulbs planted.
I personally feel that the fragility of Tulip bulbs is rather exaggerated.
That stated, the unfortunate truth is that Planned Obsolescence is affecting, not just the Tulip Trade, but, the Floricultural Industry as a whole.
Only rank-and-file gardeners, the ultimate consumers, can bring about a change by demanding and buying reliable perennial bulbs (and non-sterile seed varieties for other plants).
If you purchased a healthy, good-quality bulb, planted it correctly in good soil, and even fed it, it will continue producing flowers for years.
This is especially true for certain Divisions, for example 1, 4, 5, 14 and 15.
Admittedly, the same may not prove true for other Divisions, for example 7 and 10.
Though you may – or ought to – deadhead flowers, do not cut off a Tulip’s (or, in general, any bulb’s) leaves until they are totally withered and browned.
Overwintering
In regions that fall in USDA Zone 5 and above Tulip bulbs can be left in the ground through winter.
Almost the entirety of the United Kingdom falls in USDA Zone 7 and no region falls in Zone 5 or lower.
If you leave your bulbs in the ground over winter, just be sure that the soil is well-draining, spread leaf mulch thinly on the soil before winter sets in, and if there is a prolonged dry spell water the bulbs weekly.
If you anticipate very cold weather or frost, spread horticultural fleece over the soil.
In mid-March, feed the bulbs with a slow-release 5-10-5 and start to water again.
If you leave your bulbs in the ground through the winter, you will reap a bonus.
Division
Each year, the bulbs will have grown offsets, which you can divide and replant as new bulbs.
These small bulbs can take a couple of years to flower.
After two years, either re-work the soil or shift the bulb so that it is about 20cm away, both from its own previous position and from other bulbs’ positions.
Common Problems
Tulips are, relatively speaking, very resistant to pests and are disease-free.
Stem-And-Bulb Eelworm
Unfortunately, the one pest that they are susceptible to is one of the nastiest and most damaging of all, stem-and-bulb eelworm.
If you suspect an eelworm infestation you may even have to dig up a few bulbs and cut them open for inspection as to whether or not the problem is in fact eelworm.
As a stem-and-bulb eelworm infestation persists in the soil and is difficult to eradicate, this pest needs to be discovered and treated early by qualified professionals.
Other than that, Tulips may be attacked by aphids and slugs.
Tulip bulbs are prone to bulb rot but this is a disease that can be forestalled by planting them in the right type of soil that drains well.
“The Tulip Fire fungus is also a common problem and shows as scorched leaves and flowers which rot,” adds Roy.
“It can be avoided by planting as late as possible (November) and not planting tulips in infected ground for at least three years.”
- 1
Christenhusz, M. J. M., Govaerts, R., David, J. R., Hall, T., Borland, K., Roberts, P. S., Tuomisto, A., Buerki, S., Chase, M. W., & Fay, M. F. (2013). Tiptoe through the tulips – cultural history, molecular phylogenetics and classification ofTulipa(Liliaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 172(3), 280–328. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12061
- 2
Statista Research Department. (2022c, September 27). Netherlands: value import and export tulip bulbs 2021. Statista. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/581482/value-of-the-import-and-export-of-tulip-bulbs-in-the-netherlands/
- 3
Trinklein, D. (2016, October 10). Tulip: A Brief History. Integrated Pest Management. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2016/10/Tulip_A_Brief_History/
