Choose Tulips Now for Spring Color!
September 23, 2013 | By webadmin
Dreaming about tiptoeing through the tulips next spring? Then now's the time to start thinking about choosing your color scheme and scheduling your planting. October is the best time to select your favorite varieties, before they sell out and are unavailable. Planting bulbs is a great way to add color and beauty to your garden at a time when most plants are still dormant. Most tulips are annuals in our area; they must be replanted each year but are always worth the effort!
Some beautiful and reliable varieties of tulips include 'Maureen', 'Menton', 'Blushing Beauty', 'Passionale' and 'Big Smile'. But there are many more to choose from. Tulips can be combined in any number of color combinations. If you want subtle and sophisticated, consider planting all white tulips with silver accents, such as dusty miller or artemesia. For a bold regal statement, combine red and purple tulips. Want a fun and classic spring combo? Try purple, yellow and pink together! Want to live on the edge a little? Try combining orange and purple, or orange and pink for a bold funky combination. The more colors you mix together, the more bulbs will need to be planted and spaced closer together.
When exactly is the right time to plant tulips? It's all about soil temperature. The optimal time to plant your bulbs is when the soil temperature reaches 50-54°F. If the soil is too warm, your bulbs may sprout foliage before they've put down adequate roots, resulting in major disappointment! Warm weather after planting is also a problem for tulips. The ideal time to plant tulips in the DFW area is usually mid-December. Proper planting is also a key factor in whether or not your tulips bloom properly; deeper is always better. Shallow planting, which exposes the bulbs to warmer temperatures, often results in "blasting"; a condition where tulips will bloom too early at the base of the stem.
If you want to combine tulips with pansies and violas, then it's best to wait until December to plant the tulips and then over-plant with pansies. In the mean-time, now is perfect for planting borders of fall color such as snapdragons, marigolds, mums, petunias, Iceland poppies, alyssum and much more. We can also border beds with pansies and violas now, then over plant your tulips in your landscape beds in December.
A common mistake when it comes to planting tulips is not planting enough! Plant tulips in large clumps so they make a big impact.
