Growing tulips in apartment?

Question

I don't know much about gardening, so this might be a stupid question. Is it possible to grow tulips in a pot in an apartment, say in southern California? If so, are there any special things one should do to take care of them and ensure they keep blooming every year? Also, are there any well-known places from which I could order good tulip bulbs online?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer 1

Yes, you can get them to grow in a pot, and this is about the *only* way to grow them here. But it is never easy to do this.

Get the biggest bulbs you can. Do NOT buy them from Michigan Bulb Company, Publisher's Clearinghouse, any Calfornia grower, or a large hardware store, they will be too small to properly bloom. That said, this year (at least as of few weeks ago, when I got mine) Costco had a great deal on 50 bulbs direct from Holland, all topsized and not at all moldy/wormy/or all shrivelled out by our heat, all of which are common hazards here, and all of which you need to watch out for.

Refrigerate them about a month first, making sure that they get a compartment by themselves, because ethylene from your veggies will warp the blooms. If you are lucky, you will be able to force them so that they bloom in January/February. (this is much easier in northern CA) If you are not and they are a daylight-sensitive cultivar, they will wait until April/May and they will get crisped by the heat. (If you will remember, this year we got June Gloom early, and so the tulips that survived the rot we got from our warm winter were glorious. The display at Cedars Sinai in Beverly Hills was gorgeous.)

Your apartment will likely be too hot for the early part of their growth, so if you have a balcony, set them out there 'til they stick their noses up. Then bring in one potfull per week.

Do NOT use most bulb foods, they have too much nitrogen. You will get lots of leaves and no blooms. Make sure that you use something that has a slow release and has root foods in it, like Dr. Earth brand does.

That said, I grew up in California, and no hybrid tulips of any kind grow well here. I was able to grow and repeat species tulips in northern CA with a little care. Even if you find species tulips, you will have a very hard time getting them to grow for more than a year in southern CA, it's just too warm and too wet here.

Me, I grow them until they bloom, then I pull them out and throw them away and grow other stuff in the vacated space, and buy more next year. If you think you'd like to try to grow them over from one year to the next, you will need deeper pots than standard as they need root-room and you will need to bury them to their proper depth. Otherwise, this doesn't matter.

If this kind of gardnening ruthlessness bothers you, there are a number of South African bulbs which can be as showy as tulips, but which are better adapted for our climate. Los Angeles Times does articles on them every once in awhile.

Pasadena has a nursery called Burkhard's that tends to carry tulips that are topsized, in good condition, and can take our climate.

Answer 2

Yes, it can be done. From Plant Ideas:

"For purposes of general information relative to house specimens, the bulbs are divided into two main sections hardy bulbs and tender bulbs. The hardy kinds are those which are grown out of doors throughout most of the United States. Among them are found such plants as glory-of-the snow (Chionodoxa), crocus, grape hyacinth (Muscari), hyacinth, iris, lily, tulip, etc."

They follow this up with instructions on planting and care. Read it carefully, as it is NOT just "plant and grow" type stuff! There are some issues to address. They also sell the bulbs.

Searching on "indoor tulip growing" will get you more sites for additional information.

Have fun with your new garden!!

Answer 3

Yes you can. Tulips need to be in very cold area for at least 8 weeks and they will sprout when brought into warmer temperatures. Keep them in the fridge for 8 weeks, plant them in planters indoors and water, you will have tulips. Keep the containers close to window, so they get lots of sun, move them in diffused light when flowers come out. This way the blooms will last longer.

Answer 4

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