What Kind of Soil Is Best for Tulips?

Soil pH

• Tulips prefer soil with a pH range between 6.0 and 7.0. If you have acidic soil, increase the pH with a liming agent or by working wood ashes into the soil. Gardeners with alkaline soil can lower the pH by amending the soil with peat moss, pine bark chips or conifer needles. Without the correct soil pH, your tulips will have difficulty taking in the necessary nutrients from the soil to thrive.

Soil Type

• The best soil type for tulips is a well-drained loam with plenty of organic matter. Tulip growers with clay soil will need to work in compost to their soil to loosen and fertilize it. If you don't have the time or energy to amend your soil, you can also grow tulips in containers filled with a good quality potting soil.

Soil Location

• Tulips don't like the heat, so avoid planting them in soil that is exposed to intense afternoon sun. Even after the foliage has died back for the season, tulip bulbs will do better if the location they are planted in doesn't receive full sun during the summer. Choose a spot for your tulips that receives full or partial sun in the spring and then is shaded in the summer, such as underneath deciduous trees.

Soil Depth

• Tulip bulbs need to be protected from summer heat and winter cold. Soil makes an excellent insulator, but only if bulbs are planted deeply. As a general rule of thumb, tulip bulbs should be planted to a depth four times the length of the bulb. For example, if you have a 2-inch long bulb, plant it 8 inches deep. Bulbs kept in containers don't have to be planted as deep, if you take care to protect the pot during weather extremes.