Tulips are some of the most beautiful and colourful flowers you can add to your garden. The blooming of tulip bulbs has long symbolised the dawning of spring. Despite their reputation for being difficult to grow in Australia, these stunning flowers can become the focal point of any spring-flowering garden. In this guide, we will cover everything about how to grow tulips, no matter where you live in the country.
Before Planting: The Art of Chilling Tulip Bulbs
Tulips are native to Central Asia, a mountainous part of the world where winters are colder than perhaps we’re used to over here. As a result, their development from bulbs into fabulous flowers is closely tied to temperature, and they rely on the shift from cold winter to mild spring to perform.
With climate change, Australian winters are becoming increasingly mild, which poses a risk to tulips’ normal development. Chilling your bulbs, therefore, is a good way to ensure your tulips receive the cold period they need to stimulate stem, leaf, and floral bud growth.
To give your tulips the best chance of thriving, put them in the fridge during the autumn before planting. This ‘false winter’ is an easy way to reduce the risk of your flowers being stunted.
How to Grow Tulips: The Key Steps
Successfully growing tulips comes down to knowing when and how to plant them, so here is our essential 4-step guide.
Step 1: Buying and Preparing Your Tulips
In preparation for their autumn/winter planting, purchase your tulip bulbs in December or January and chill them in the fridge. Place them in a paper bag and store them in a cool location for 6 to 8 weeks.
Step 2: When to Plant Tulips
As the weather cools and autumn arrives, the time to plant your tulips approaches, but the exact time to do this will depend on the zone of Australia you live in.
Across the southern, cooler states, plant your tulip bulbs in April or May when the soil first starts to cool. In warmer states, like Queensland or northern New South Wales, aim to plant between May and June.
Step 3: How to Plant Tulips
Two options are available for planting your tulips: in pots or directly sowing into the garden.
For pot planting, select a large pot with drainage holes. Fill the pot with quality soil mix and plant your bulbs so that they are pointing skyward. Position them approximately 2cm apart. When it comes to how deep to plant a tulip bulb in a pot, aim for 10-15cm.
In the garden, select a sunny area with well-drained soil. Plant your bulbs approximately twice their width apart and at least two times their height deep. Again, plant with the pointy end up. To improve the chances of your tulips succeeding, prepare the soil by adding leaf mould, manure, and making a compost heap.
Step 4: After Your Tulips Have Flowered
Once your tulips have successfully flowered, it’s essential to monitor them to sustain their healthy growth. A key part of this process is deadheading, which involves removing dead flowers from your tulips to encourage newer, healthier flowers to bloom in their place.
Optimising the bloom of your tulips is important, as the temperate winters of Australia mean most tulips will not get the drop in temperature they need to be perennial flowers.
How to Look After Tulips: From Sprouting to Flowering
Caring for your tulip bulbs is essential to their healthy growth. Here are the key things to consider:
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Water: Be sure to water your tulips immediately after planting. This helps the soil settle and gets rid of air pockets. Throughout autumn, water once per week, though take care to avoid overwatering.
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Food: To boost growth, feed your tulip bulbs with organic compost or slow-release fertiliser. Provide feed while the tulip leaves remain green and stop when they begin to turn yellow.
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Pests: To protect your tulip bulbs from rodents and insects, consider using chicken wire to deter digging or planting deterrents around your bulbs, such as garlic.
Our Top Tulip Picks for a Stunning Display
Now that you know everything you need to grow stunning tulips, it’s time to pick out some beautiful varieties for your garden. At Mr Fothergill’s, we have a wide range of tulip bulbs for you to choose from, but here are some of our top picks!
Negrita Tulip Bulbs
Dazzling with their pretty lilac bloom, Negrita tulips are a spectacle to behold in any garden. Standing on tall, sturdy stems, these tulips enjoy a mid- to late flowering season, bringing lasting colour to your garden.
Silentia Tulip Bulbs
Originally from Turkey and Iran but famous for making their home across Holland in the 16th century, the Silentia Tulip bulbs glisten in elegant white. Plant them in well-prepared, good-draining soil to bring a royal flavour to your garden.
Barcelona Tulip Bulbs
Bright and beautiful, Barcelona Tulip bulbs flower into stunning cups of vibrant pink. Not only are they a delightful addition to any garden, but they also make for great cut flowers.
Continental Tulip Bulbs
Bringing an almost gothic flair to your garden, Continental Tulip bulbs bloom in deep maroon-purple. Accentuated by their dark stems, these tulips are genuinely stunning.
Grown Your Own Tulips Today at Mr Fothergill’s
Growing a beautiful tulip garden doesn’t need to be difficult. With proper planning (and a chilled start), you can grow tulips with confidence no matter where you live in Australia.
Ready to fill your garden with stunning tulips? Discover our extensive range of tulip bulbs and embark on a journey to a vibrant and flourishing garden. To learn more about planting tulips, be sure to check out our spring flowering guide and summer planting guide. If you have any questions about our products, please don't hesitate to contact us.
