How to Plant Tulip Bulbs in January

Determine the Type of Tulip to Plant

• 1

  Select a tulip bulb that suits your climate at planting time. If your ground is frozen in January and you cannot wait to plant, you will need to container plant and force your bulbs into bloom. Of the hundreds of varieties of tulip bulbs each have unique attributes that make them more or less suitable for each kind of planting. See Resources for a link describing bulb attributes and planting requirements and bloom appearance that will aid in your choosing a bulb.

• 2

  Dig a hole in the ground four to eight inches deep, depending on the bulb specifications. Place the bulb broad root side down and point side up in the hole and cover over with soil by lightly pressing. Leave a space of 5 to 6 inches between each bulb. Water in lightly. Tulip bulbs need from 10 to 16 weeks of temperatures below 55 degrees to trigger the bloom.

• 3

  Container plant bulbs by arranging them in a shallow bulb pan planter that is approximately six inches deep and maintain one inch between each bulb. Chill the bulb pan in the refrigerator, basement or outdoor shed to keep it below 55 degrees but above freezing. Keep the pan slightly moist but not wet. After approximately 10 weeks leaf shoots should begin to emerge.

• 4

  Place potted bulbs in a warm location in the path of natural light and keep soil moist but not wet. Tulips should bloom within four weeks. When the tulip flowers die back, cut off the stem but allow the leaf foliage to stay until it withers and loses its color. You can then easily pull it off with a just a gentle tug. This way all the nutrients that resided in the leaves before and after bloom transfer back into the bulb as stored energy for next year's bloom.