How to Care for Holland Flowers

Planting Tulips

• 1

  Loosen the top 12 to 18 inches of soil with a tiller or garden fork.

• 2

  Incorporate organic material, such as compost or aged manure, and add phosphorus fertilizer at the bottom of the planting bed.

• 3

  Press tulip bulbs into the soil 8 inches deep with the root plate pointing downward. Water immediately after planting.

• 4

  Cover the bed with 2 to 3 inches of mulch.

Tulip Bed Maintenance

• 5

  Apply 5 tbsp. of 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer and 2 cups of bonemeal per 10-square-foot area as soon as shoots begin to emerge in the spring.

• 6

  Water the bed as soon as shoots begin to appear and provide 1 inch of water per week until the foliage dies back at the end of the season. When watering, apply enough water to reach the bulbs at their 8-inch depth.

• 7

  Remove flowers as they begin to fade to prevent them from going to seed. Do not remove foliage until it turns brown, unless you are growing tulips as annuals. The foliage that remains after flowering finishes produces energy stores for the next year's blooms.

• 8

  Fertilize the soil with 5 tbsp. of 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer and 2 cups of bonemeal per 10 square foot area in the fall.

Digging Tulip Bulbs

• 9

  Dig tulip bulbs annually when the foliage turns brown and dies back, if you live in an area with mild winters. Tulips require an extended period of cold weather in order to produce blossoms the following spring. Use a garden fork to carefully lift the bulbs from the planting bed.

• 10

  Separate and sort the bulbs according to size. Larger bulbs produce longer stems. Flat bulbs will not flower the next season and need additional time to mature.

• 11

  Store bulbs in the refrigerator for at least six weeks. Keep bulbs spread flat in a cool, dry place when not refrigerated.

• 12

  Replant bulbs in the fall for blooms the following spring.