SOIL PREPARATION

PREPARING THE SOIL. A rich, loamy soil ensures seed, bulb and plant success. Dig soil to a depth of at least 8"-12" and remove all weeds and other debris. Add in generous proportions of organic matter, such as compost, leaf mold, peat moss, or well~rotted manure. The organic matter loosens the soil, adds essential nitrogen and improves the soils water holding capacity. Once your soil is amended, rake the area smooth to settle the soil.

SEED STARTING. If you're starting flower seeds indoors before your area's last frost, simply use any good quality potting mix. Pre~moisten the mix before filling flats and trays. You can avoid messy mixing by simply opening the bag of potting mix and adding water directly to the bag. Stir with a trowel or stick to totally saturate the soil.

CONSISTENT MOISTURE. Soil moisture swells and cracks the hard seedcoat, enabling the tiny plant inside to push itself out into the ground. Always saturate garden soil thoroughly before sowing seed directly into the ground or laying out flower mats. Water frequently after the seed is sown, using a fine spray from your hose nozzle or the rosette tip of a watering can. Maintaining an even moisture in the soil or potting mix is crucial. Soggy soils will rot the seed; dry soils disrupt seed sprouting.Consistent moisture and humidity can be maintained indoors by covering planted flats with clear plastic covers.

TULIPS. Choose a site which receives at least 4-6 hours of sunlight each day and is well-drained. Water frequently in spring. Cover with mulch in winter. Peat moss, pine needles, leaves, straw or grass cuttings are good materials to use. Plant the bulbs 5 inches deep and 4 -6 inches apart.After Bloom: After flowering, do not cut back the foliage until after it has browned naturally. Regular watering will prevent it from dieing back too early. Don't over water your tulips, though. They tend to rot in wet areas. For next year's flower production, the foliage must produce enough food to replace the strength lost in flowering. If you decide to cut the flowers, use a sharp knife and take only one or two leaves from each plant. Any more than this will weaken the bulbs. If your flowers start growing smaller and fewer, it may be time to divide and replant the bulbs. Dig up the clumps in spring and replant them right away, or if holding them until fall, place in a well-ventilated area.

WATERING. Plants rely on water to fuel their cell growth. The root tips absorb moisture from the soil and send it upwards to the top of the plant. There are many ways to deliver water to the plant's root zone: hoses, automatic sprinklers, drip irrigation. No matter how you irrigate, the important thing to know is: Less frequent but deeper watering produces the best plant growth. Of course, young plants and recent transplants will need watering more often until their roots establish. Even so called "drought tolerant" plants must be nurtured along with regular waterings in their first year. Where and when you deliver water to your plants will also impact their health. Aim water at the root zone area, not at the leaves or top part of the plant. This will prevent disease problems. Water earlier in the day, for the same reason. Plants left damp overnight attract fungus spores, causing diseases such as mildew, rust and gray mold.

PLANTING AND CULTIVATION

There are few bulbous plants easier to bring into flower than tulips. The only real problem to watch out for is poor drainage. Without proper drainage, tulip bulbs cannot root properly and may even rot over the winter. In this case, even if shoots emerge, they are weakened and very susceptible to disease. If possible, it is advisable not to plant tulips in the same location in the garden year after year. A sunny location is desirable but a certain amount of shadiness is tolerated. Tall cultivars must be planted in a somewhat sheltered location. Depending on the climatic zone, tulips should be planted from late September to late November.

Flower color: red, yellow, pink, lavender, white, orange, violet, purple (and countless colors in between). Many cultivars have two colors (bicolors).

Flowering period: March-May, depending on the cultivar and the climatic zone. Within their horticultural classification, tulips are referred to as early-flowering, flowering in mid-season, or late-flowering in regard to entire flowering season for tulips.

Average plant height: 5-24 inches (12.5-60 cm.), depending on the cultivar and climatic zone

Planting depth to base of bulb: 8 inches (20 cm.) for large bulbs; 5 inches (12.5 cm.) for small bulbs

Spacing between bulbs: 2-4 inches (5-10 cm.)

Light requirements: full sun to partial shade

Landscape uses: beds, borders, rock gardens, containers, and as cut flowers

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Tips for Growing Tulips and other Bulbs in Warm Weather Gardens
U.S.D.A. Zones 9 & 10

If you think tulips can't take the heat of your garden, then get into the kitchen. By following a few simple tips, warm weather gardeners too can have success with tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs.

U.S.D.A. Zones 9 and 10 can be excellent locales for growing tulips if they are treated as annuals and given some extra consideration. Many other wonderful bulbs thrive in gardens in areas with mild winters. See also: U.S. Bulb Regions

Most bulbs in mild winter areas are planted in the coolest part of the year, in December or early January.

The trick to growing tulips, crocus, and hyacinths is giving them a "cold treatment" to fool them into thinking they've gone through a cold winter underground. This can be done quite easily in your kitchen refrigerator (though if you're planning to store a large quantity, and still plan on eating, it might work better if you have an old, spare fridge handy).

Narcissi are the surprise exception: no chilling is needed for successful growing of narcissi and daffodils in the warmer climates. Just store them in a cool, dry place until you are ready to plant.

Choose cultivars which have proven to do well in warm climates.

Place bulbs in a ventilated bag (best choices: paper bags, mesh bulb bags, or new hole-y vegetable baggies) in a refrigerator at the usual fridge temperature of 40° F to 45° F for a minimum of six to eight weeks. Don't worry if you bought the bulbs early in the season and need to store them for several months before planting: keep them chilling — even up to 12 to 16 weeks if necessary, until it is time to plant.

Remove any fruit (especially apples) in the refrigerator, for the ethylene gas given off by all ripening fruit will kill the flower inside bulbs.

Keep bulbs in the refrigerator until planting. Take them directly from the fridge to your planting site.

Plant bulbs six to eight inches deep. A two-inch thick layer of mulch is optional to help retain moisture and keep the bulbs cool.

Choose planting areas that drain well, as standing water can rot bulbs.

Water the garden after planting to help the tulips establish root growth. If you live in a dry area, be sure to water the garden as needed.

Best Tulips for Warmer Climes

Among the tulips that will do best in warm climates are the long-stemmed Single Late Tulips.

Suggested Single Late cultivars include: 'Halcro' (vibrant red); 'Queen of Night' (deep dark maroon); 'Renown' (rose-pink); 'Menton' (apricot-pink with inside of poppy red); 'Maureen' (pure white); 'Makeup' (ivory white with red edge); 'Temple of Beauty' salmon-rose); 'Blushing Beauty' (pink with white edges); 'Blue Aimable' (lilac-blue); 'Hocus Pocus' (yellow tipped pink); and 'Black Diamond' (deep dark maroon).

In the Single Early category, 'Apricot Beauty' (salmon) is tops. In the Triumph category, excellent choices are 'New Design' (light pink with darker edges).

For the different look of Parrot Tulips, try 'Estella Rijnveld' (white streaked with red); 'Orange Favourite' (orange with green blotches, yellow base); 'Texas Gold' (deep yellow, narrow red edge) and 'Flaming Parrot' (yellow flamed with red).

In double late tulips (peony flowered), the top performers are 'Angelique' (blush pink) and 'Mount Tacoma' (white).

Most Darwin Hybrid tulips will do well in warmer climates with pre-cooling. Try: 'Apeldoorn' (red); 'Golden Apeldoorn' (yellow); 'Big Chief' (rosy-salmon); 'Olympic Flame' (red streaked with yellow); 'Parade' (dark red with black base edged yellow); 'Pink Impression' (pink); and 'Daydream' (orange and yellow).

For Lily-Flowered Tulips, good choices include: 'White Triumphator' (white); 'Red Shine' (red); 'Mona Lisa' (red and white); and 'Marilyn' (white streaked rosy-pink). Among botanical tulips, try 'Linifolia' (red); 'Tarda' (yellow and white); 'Saxatilis' (lavender with yellow) and Bakeri 'Lilac Wonder' (violet-pink and yellow). These generally can be grown without pre-cooling and will even naturalize.