How to Reuse a Tulip Bulb

Tulips are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring signifying that the season has arrived. Tulips are perennials, so they will bloom year after year if properly cared for. You can reuse and protect the tulips bulbs after the bloom period by digging them up and storing them until the fall when they will need to be replanted. Removing the bulbs from the garden will protect them from squirrels or other pests that may dig up and eat the tulip bulbs during their dormant time in the summer months.

Spading fork
Peat moss or vermiculite
Storage container
Compost

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the dead foliage and spent blooms from the tulip plants in the beginning of summer. Dig up the bulbs with a spading fork.
- 2
  Wash the soil off of the bulbs. Place the clean tulip bulbs in a shaded area to dry. Throw away any diseased or undersized bulbs.
- 3
  Spread peat moss or vermiculite in a container big enough to fit all of the tulip bulbs. Set the bulbs in the container.
- 4
  Place the container in an area such as a basement, garage or garden shed, avoiding temperatures below 50 degrees or above 70 degrees, according to University of Illinois Extension. The ideal temperature is 60 to 65 degrees with no humidity.
- 5
  Select the area where you are going to replant the tulip bulbs in the fall six to eight weeks before the first hard frost and when the ground temperature is below 60 degrees.
- 6
  Loosen the soil with a garden fork 12 to 15 inches deep and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.
- 7
  Place the bulbs in 6-inch-deep holes, spacing each hole 6 inches apart. Make sure the bulbs are planted with the pointy end up. Cover firmly with soil and water the planting bed thoroughly.

Tulip Fungus

How to Take Care of Tulips in the House Once They Have Bloomed

Growing Tulips