The Best Way to Keep a Tulip Alive

Wear gloves to protect your hands. Select an area that receives full sun and has well-draining soil. Plant your tulip bulbs in October or November. Choose a time at least one month before the first frost. Dig a trench in the ground three times as deep as the height of the tulip bulbs.

Spread a layer of compost in the bottom of the trench. Mix the compost into the soil with your hands. Place the tulip bulbs in the bottom of the trench in rows or clusters with their pointed ends facing upward. Space the bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart from one another.

Cover the bulbs with soil, tamping it down gently but firmly. Spread a 10-10-10 all-purpose fertilizer over the planting area at a rate of 2 lbs. per 100 square feet. Mix the fertilizer into the top 1 to 2 inches of soil with a rake. Water the area thoroughly with a garden hose.

Spread a 3-inch layer of mulch over the ground where your tulip bulbs are planted once the top 2-inches of soil are exposed to frost. Spread the mulch evenly over the area with a rake.

Remove the layer of mulch in the spring after the last frost. Apply a 10-10-10 all-purpose fertilizer over the area at a rate of 2 lbs. per 100 square feet. Mix the fertilizer into the soil and water it in.

Cut the tulip blooms once their petals begin to droop and fall off. Use a pair of pruning shears to cut the flowers off at the base of their stems. Remove the tulip's foliage once it turns yellow and becomes limp.

Do not water your tulips during the summer months. The bulbs are dormant during this period and water may cause them to rot.

Dig your tulip bulbs up every three to five years to divide them. Dig up the bulbs as the foliage is dying down in the early summer. Pull apart the bulbs carefully. Discard bulbs that are soft or discolored. Replant the bulbs, spacing them 4 to 6 inches apart.