Tomorrow, May 13, is Tulip Day. So in honor of Tulip Day, we thought we’d give you some facts about tulips and some tips for growing them in containers.
7 Facts About Tulips
- Right now, there are approximately 75 wild tulip species and a total of 150 with more than 3,000 varieties.
- Tulips live for over 2 years. However, they only bloom in spring for 3 to 7 days.
- Since they are native to mountainous areas, they need vernalization, which is cold dormancy. Therefore, you want to plant them in autumn. They thrive the best in climates that have dry summers and cool springs.
- Tulips usually have sweet scents. They can grow anywhere from several inches to more than two feet in height. they come in many shapes and the majority of colors, though there aren’t any that are pure blue.
- Usually, a tulip has one flower on each stem. However, there are a few that can have as many as four flowers to a stem.
- They are related to lilies.
- They are native to the central part of Asia and made their way eventually to Turkey. However, it became prominent when it first was cultivated in the Netherlands.
Tips for Planting Tulips in Containers
Here are some tips for planting tulips in containers.
- Drill a hole in the bottom of the container.
- Use 2” of pea or stone gravel to give good drainage.
- Fill ½ of your container with potting soil
- Add a handful of lime and a good bulb booster.
- Level your soil and moisten it.
- Plant your bulbs 1” to 1 ½” apart from one another.
- Be certain your bulbs are an inch from the outer perimeter to protect from frost.
- Add the rest of your soil to your container.
- Water your soil gently.
- When the weather’s cold, add some plastic to the container’s outside, not the bottom or top.
- Top your container using hardy pansies. You will have winter color and your tulips will come up through the pansies.
- For an extended bloom time, water the tulips when they’re blooming.
- Water close to your soil, so you don’t disturb your flower petals.
We hope that you enjoyed this blog post about tulips. Take some time tomorrow and go out and enjoy these beautiful flowers! If you are interested, we offer plant health care services. Take a look and see what we have to offer.
