How to Make Tulips Blossom

Wait until just before or slightly after the first frost to plant tulip bulbs. Do not to get them into the ground too early, as an unusually warm fall day may cause the bulbs to sprout. The experts at Michigan State University suggest planting them away from the house where the soil remains cooler.

Prepare the tulip bed by determining if your soil contains too much clay or too much sand. If you have clay soil, add 3 to 4 inches of vermiculite or coarse sand and blend it into the top 8 inches of soil. Sandy soil requires the addition of an amendment to slow down the drainage. Use 3 to 4 inches of a chunky compost, blended into the top 8 inches of soil.

Dig one hole per bulb or dig one wide hole for a number of bulbs. The hole should be deep enough so that the bulbs are covered with 6 inches of soil. Place the bulbs 4 inches apart, cover with soil and water the area to a depth of 8 inches.

Cover the bulb bed with a 3-inch layer of mulch after the first hard frost. Use leaves, straw or other organic materials.

Peek under the mulch in spring to check the bulbs' shoots. When the shoots reach 1 inch in height, pull back the mulch.

Fertilize the tulips if you grow them as perennials. Wait until the second season to apply a low-nitrogen formula at planting. Rotted manure or compost or bulb-starter fertilizer, applied at the rate listed on the label, works well.

Cut the tulip flowers as soon as they fade. This stops the plant from producing seed and encourages it to put more energy into storing food in the bulb. Don't cut the foliage -- allow it to die back naturally to further supply energy to the bulb.