I live in North Texas. When should I plant tulips so they will bloom this spring?

Question

I was given a large box of tulips (100 bulbs) from a well intending friend. I know nothing about tulips other than the fact that they are very pretty when planted in close, large groups. I need any help you can give on successful tulip growing!

Answer 1

if the ground is not frozen, plant them immediately. they will not likely bloom in the spring because they havent had a long enough chilling period. they should send up leaves though, even if they dont bloom. its very important to let the leaves remain on the plant until they wither and turn brown and dry up. The leaves gather energy from the sun and store it in the bulb so that it will bloom nicely the next year. they need at least 16 weeks of dormant chill in order to bloom to their best potential. So the latest they should ever be planted is around Dec.1. but since the ground is usually frozen solid at this time, its best to plant them in Oct. or early Nov. (depending on your climate). if you live in a mild winter climate then they could bloom as early as late Feb. if you live in a cold winter zone, then they may not bloom til May. since the leaves of tulips look rather shabby after the blooms are gone and the leaves start dying, its best to plant them amongst other perrenials that will cover the dying tulip leaves as they grow.If you want the tulips to bloom for several years, you must leave the leaves intact until they are dry and brown, then you may remove them. remove by cutting with sharp trimmers--dont pull on the leaves or you may damage the bulbs. some people buy new bulbs every fall for flowers the following spring because they dont like the look of the dying leaves and cut them off before the bulb has a chance to replenish itself via the leaves. plant the tulip bulbs amongst some perennials that grow about 1 foot tall and have thick foilage to hide the tulip leaves. You may cut off the stem of the tulip flower right to the ground, but no leaves. Remember too, that tulip bulbs like to dry out as they are ripening after blooming, so try to plant them amongst perennials that dont require a lot of watering. if the bulbs get over watered, they may rot.
PS: plant the bulbs about 3 times as deep as they are big (so if the bulb is 2 inches high, you will plant it in a 6 inch deep hole and there will be 4 inches of soil over the bulb). plant the bulbs about 6 inches apart in groupings of at least 7. if you have 100 bulbs, then plant them in loose drifts or several large groupings.

Answer 2

NOW! Should have gone in the ground last fall, Sept-early November. Live in OK. My daffodills are already coming up, even through our recent ice storm. Go ahead and dig up the area you want to plant them in, and plant about 3-4 inches apart. If you like, buy a bag of bone meal and work in the soil you are planting them in, bone meal works wonders for bulbs-- I have over 600 of just one variety, hundreds of others as well and they are relatively carefree, just dig up and thin out every few years. Since it is so late, a lot of your bulbs will likely be dried up. These won't grow, just plant the ones that still show some sign of life. While many will not bloom this year, some probably will rush around and bloom a little later than normal, and get back into their normal cycle starting next winter. I had some I'd dug up to move, then "hid" from myself and planted in late March-still got a few blooms but the next year the survivors were fine. Good luck. Oh- and leave the leaves on until they dry up, and use a liquid fertilizer on them after they come up.

Answer 3

They need to be planted in fall so they can bloom in spring. You can plant them this spring, but they probably won't bloom until next year.

Answer 4

Last fall..!!