Frequently Asked Questions

For full planting instructions along with tips and tricks, see our growing guide.

Plant these bulbs in the fall months--September, October, November for optimum results. As a guideline, tell yourself to get them planted by Thanksgiving.  If you should realize that you forgot to them by that time it is okay to plant them later, even into february.  They will bloom later than they would normally of course but you will still be able to enjoy them.  Do not hold bulbs over until the next fall that you forgot to plant as they will not survive that long.  

After the bulbs have bloomed you will need to wait 6 to 8 weeks before you should dig the bulbs. The foliage needs to have yellowed and has died back before digging. Until the foliage turns yellow it is working to send nutrients back to the bulb to help form next year's flower. By digging too early you could jeopardize having a flower for the following season. These bulbs do not need to be dug every year unless you want to remove or relocate them.  Another reason to dig your bulbs is to divide them as they multiply, (every 3 to 5 years). The signal that this should be done is that you will notice you are getting a lot of foliage compared to the amount of flowers thus meaning that they are crowded and need to have the smaller bulbs separated off of the mother bulbs. The bulbs go into a dormant period about 8 to 10 weeks after

We recommend fertilizing with something like a 5-10-10 fertilizer at the time of planting.  These bulbs are heavy feeders so fertilizing is definitely an advantage. Some gardeners swear by just bone meal and while that is a good start, a full spectrum fertilizer is also necessary for the long term. It is also recommended that you fertilize them every year if you don’t dig them. Fertilize in the fall and/or right after they finish blooming.

Tulip bulbs grow to a blooming size, 10 to 12cm, but then after blooming the bulb divides into multiple small bulbs, of which few if any are then big enough to produce a flower (or even foliage) until they grow for a few more years.  Thus, they multiply much differently than daffodil bulbs, which always have a blooming mother bulb and produce daughter bulbs.  For those reasons it is best to replace or replant tulip bulbs every year to be assured that you get that big blast of color like you had the first year. you planted them. Also, tulip bulbs are edible and rodents have a knack for finding them in your yard so your bulbs will disappear this way as well.

The planting depth is determined by how cold your winters are. Here in the Northwest, planting bulbs 5 to 6 inches deep is adequate. Climates that have much colder winters must plant deeper.  If you mulch over the top of your plantings you can plant shallower.

The foliage and leaves are very important to the future flower production of the plant. Do not cut it off right after the flowers fade, instead, let it continue to grow until it begins to turn yellow and die back down. Sometimes, if it is unruly, you may fold it out of your way, but do not remove it until it has yellowed or dried up. 

Yes! They do very well in containers and are even easier to manage after blooming. But...remember they are more susceptible to cold weather freezing in a pot rather than in the ground. So take the necessary precautions to protect your pots. Also, they must have adequate drainage- make sure that you have holes in the bottom of your containers and do not use the saucers underneath the pots if you have set them out where Mother Nature waters them frequently as they will hold too much water. These bulbs do not like soggy wet feet. 

They like both. They can handle either. All shade will make them bloom just a little later.

It depends on your space and budget. They look best if planted in clumps of at least 5 or 10 bulbs each and planted about 2 - 4 inches apart. 

Top size bulbs, which are the most expensive bulbs, will give you the largest, strongest flowers. They will also multiply more quickly. Daffodil bulbs of top size will normally have two flowers or more per bulb. Often bulk bulb specials offer a smaller size bulb that will create a single flower per bulb. A benefit of this smaller size is that once planted, it will usually be 5 years before they need to be dug and divided. This is the size usually chosen for larger mass plantings and naturalizing. Tulips always have only one flower per bulb, (unless they are the multi-flower types).