How to Plant Tulips in the Northeast

Tulips, with their cheerfully colored blooms, are one of the earliest harbingers of spring -- even in the cold Northeast. Hardy and reliable, they are a standard in many home gardens. Plant tulips in the fall for spring blooming well before the first frost and when the soil is colder than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. In the Northeast, this usually means tulip bulbs should be planted in September or early October.

Organic compost
Trowel or bulb planter
Bulb fertilizer
Watering tool
Straw or pine mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Find a location that sits in full sunlight and has rich, well-draining soil. Tulips grow best in full sun, and standing water or overly wet soil causes the bulbs to rot.
- 2
  Amend heavy clay soil by working 2 to 3 inches of organic compost into the top 8 inches of planting bed soil.
- 3
  Dig a hole slightly wider than the tulip bulb and deep enough so that there are at least 4 inches between the top of the bulb -- where it comes to a point -- and the soil surface. If you live in the northernmost parts of the Northeast, plant them 6 inches deep. Use a trowel or bulb planter for best results.
- 4
  Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. bulb fertilizer into the bottom of the hole, and place the bulb, broad side down, into the hole. Fill it with soil and tamp it down gently.
- 5
  Water thoroughly, but do not water again until new growth appears in the spring.
- 6
  Cover the planting site with 2 to 4 inches of mulch such as straw or pine needles. Do this after the ground freezes. The mulch stifles weed growth and helps protect the bulbs.

Can You Move Daffodils After They Flower?

Jonquil Information

Bulbs