A bulb lasagne - part 4: tulips

A Bulb Lasagne - Part 4: Tulips

Arthur runs you through the first layer of his bulb lasagna, tulips. In this lesson, you learn about Arthur's favourite varieties of tulips and how to plant them up to ensure consistent flowering in Spring.

As long as a bulb has drainage, it will grow and flower. Tulips in pots need to be purchased every year. The heat in the pot causes the bulbs to create baby bulbs, which consume all the energy of the mother bulb.

Other bulbs like hyacinths, crocuses and irises are worth keeping each year and replanting.

Tulip Bulbs

Arthur plants seven 'Brown Sugar' tulips. When planting tulips, it's best to plant an odd number. He gets his 'Brown Sugar' tulips from Sarah Raven, where they've been grown for almost three years, which is why they're so expensive.

He buys his bulbs from a variety of sources. It is well worth shopping around and not limiting yourself to one bulb catalogue. Normally, bulbs have a point and a flat bottom, with the flat representing the bottom and the point representing the top.

Like 'Brown Sugar', 'Cairo' is centred, giving a nice height. He adds seven 'Cairo' and 'Black Parrot' bulbs.

Spacing Bulbs

You do not want your bulbs to touch, because a single bad bulb can spread viral and fungal diseases to the entire crop if it touches another bulb. Once you get home from the garden centre, squeeze all your bulbs and store them in a dry area.

You want to place two to three layers of compost on top of the tulips, and then add your layer of hyacinths.

Plant Directory

Tulips

• 'Black Hero'
• 'Black Parrot'
• 'Brown Sugar'
• 'Cairo'
• 'Jan Reus'
• 'Palmyra'
• 'Rococo'