Planting tulip bulbs

Planting Tulip Bulbs

It is now autumn and we are demonstrating how to plant tulips in a trench. The best time to do this is early November, when the soil temperature drops to around 8°C; narcissus bulbs can be planted earlier, at the end of September.

Step-by-step guide to preparing a bed for planting

1. Measure out a 50cm-wide strip of grass.
2. Cut off the long grass and add it to the compost.
3. Use a turf cutter to undercut the top layer of turf.
4. Roll up the undercut layer and add it to the compost heap.
5. Dig up a trench to a depth of 25cm and width of 50cm.
6. Prepare the soil; if it's a clay soil, add a layer of sand; if you have a mice problem, line the trench with chicken wire.
7. Add sharp sand to improve drainage and top it with a layer of climate compost inoculum or well-rotted manure.

Planting bulbs

1. Place the bulbs on top of the compost, spacing them 5 cm apart; this would enable you to plant 100 bulbs in a 50cm² area.
2. Cover the bulbs with a thin layer of soil.
3. If the summer has been hot and the soil is very dry, water it well before topping up the trench with more soil.

Our advice:

• Avoid walking over the planting area; compacting the soil destroys its structure.
• Do not use bulbs that have gone soft.
• To avoid tulip fever, don't keep perennial bulbs in the same planting space; rotate them around the garden.
• Plant any left-over bulbs in pots.
• Experiment with tulip varieties; parrot tulips are particularly suitable for indoor displays.
• Sow field beans in the autumn over the tulip planting area.
• Buying tulips from wholesalers reduces cost.
• Remember to label the planted bulb varieties.

Recommended tulip varieties

• 'Apricot Pride'
• 'Queen of the Night'
• 'Spring Green'
• 'Estella Rynveld'
• 'Van Eijk'

Glossary

Climate compost - an inoculum abundant in naturally occurring soil microbes, developed by The Land Gardeners to help improve soil health

Field beans - an overwintering green manure

Tulip fever - a fungal disease of tulips caused by Botrytis tulipae

Tulip Bulb Suppliers

Farmer Gracy

Peter Nyssen

J. Parkers

Sarah Raven