Top Tips for Fool-Proof Tulips in Texas

October 30, 2018 | By webadmin

Getting a great show of tulip blooms can be a bit tricky in Texas. Our climate and seasonal temperatures can make tulip timing an artform. But, with our years of experience, we’ve developed a plan for fool-proof tulips in Texas!

Vernalization

Tulips need a vernalization, or a chilling time before they will develop a flower bud. Our winters are too short, too warm, or much too unpredictable to depend on Mother Nature to provide a good chilling period. Therefore, you must purchase bulbs that are pre-chilled. Tulip bulbs require exposure to consistent temperatures of 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 weeks. That means the soil in which they are planted would need to be that cool for that long...or the bulbs have to be chilled in a cooler. Because our soils rarely reach these temperatures for that duration, buy pre-chilled bulbs.

Tulip tip: You may have heard that you can chill small amounts of bulbs in your home fridge, but this is not the most ideal method due to the moisture & ethylene build up.

Tulip 'Maureen', 'Passionale' and 'Lightening Sun'

Timing

Once you have your pre-chilled bulbs, how do you know when to plant?  The answer is a bit like a line from the Goldilocks and Three Bears: don’t plant too early or too late. Timing must be just right. Soil temps should be below 50 F degrees otherwise your bulbs can sprout prematurely with weak blooms. Most years, North Texas soils reach the correct planting temperature around the 3rd week of December to Christmas. If you can’t get them in the ground exactly at Christmas, after Thanksgiving to before New Years is an acceptable time frame. Don’t wait until mid-January to plant, or bulbs may be exposed to temperatures that are too warm too soon.

Tulip Tip: Buy an affordable soil thermometer to keep track of soil temps.

Planting Depth

Tulips must be planted deep! And by deep we mean 8-10” deep in the soil. Tulips planted too close to the soil surface might try and bloom too early, or bloom too short, right at soil surface. The bulbs need to be planted deeper to stay cooler and properly develop roots and flower buds before they emerge. You also risk the blooms being frozen by following frosts if they emerge to early.

Tulip Tip: If you soil is hard to dig 8” deep, planting bulbs at 6” and add 2 or 3 inches of of mulch on top.

If you plant your tulip bulbs too shallow, they can be damaged by cold snaps.

Patterns and Spacing

If you have been less than impressed by your tulip show in the past, you may not have been planting enough bulbs. Never plant tulips in single rows. They will look sparse & wimpy once blooming. Instead, dig a large hole and dump in a dozen bulbs so you have a natural looking clump. Or, plant in large swaths for a field look. You can even mix multiple varieties of early and late blooming tulips in a single hole for an extended bloom.

If you plant a straight row of tulips, you'll be disappointed in the outcome.

How to choose?

Of course, there TONS of varieties of tulips, but not all do well in Texas. We prefer single-late tulips, Darwin hybrid tulips, and triumph tulips for planting in the landscape. Some of the more interesting flowers types (double-peony flowering parrot tulips) work best in containers. We suggest the following for in ground planting as they have proven time and time again to have the best show for our climate.

• ‘Apricot Beauty’—a single early peachy-apricot Darwin Hybrid
• ‘Big Smile’—giant yellow single late tulip
• ‘Lightening Sun’—intense orange Darwin hybrid
• ‘Maureen’ – THE single late season white to plant
• ‘Menton’—single late rose/pink edged in peachy-orange
• ‘Ollioules’—a Darwin hybrid rose pink beauty edged in white
• ‘Passionale’—lovely deep purple mid-season Triumph bloomer
• ‘Pink Impression’—gigantic flowered rose pink Darwin hybrid
• ‘World’s Favorite’—a large, show-stopping red Darwin Hybrid tulip edged in yellow
• ‘Temple of Beauty’—punchy orange single late bloomer

'Temple of Beauty' mixed with 'Dordogne'

For help with planning and planting your winter and spring color, along with a gorgeous tulip display, give us a call! We have the expertise to give you the perfect spring display.