Planting Tulips and Other Spring Bulbs in Warmer Climates

Planting Tulips and Other Spring Bulbs in Warmer Climates by Mike McG.

For many folks, Spring hasn't truly arrived until the first
tulips and daffodils have begun to bloom. But despite the
early springs in growing zones 7 and warmer, many spring bulbs
don't do well in warmer climates without a bit of special care.

Tulips are native to Central Asia, although these days many
tulip bulbs originate in The Netherlands. The long, cool
springs in Central Asia and The Netherlands allow the tulip
foliage to linger for a long time and provide the bulb with
the energy it needs to grow larger and bloom again the next
year. But in warmer climates, the heat causes the foliage to
die back before the bulb can store enough energy to continue.
Tulip and daffodil bulbs also both need to undergo a winter
chilling period before they will produce their beautiful spring
displays.

In Zones 7b and warmer, tulips and hyacinths generally don't get
enough of a chilling period to bloom well. Daffodils will
perform well through Zone 8 but not so well in the southern
growing zones of 9 and 10. Interestingly, daffodils do better
in the western Zone 9 areas.

In those climates with mild winters, most spring-flowering bulbs
will bloom for just one spring and should be treated as annuals.

Tulips and many other spring bulbs can be tricked into thinking
they've gone through a cold winter by storing them in a
refrigerator for 8-10 weeks prior to planting them out. The
bulbs should be kept dry in the refrigerator and given plenty of
air circulation. A mesh bag is ideal. Start this pre chilling
process in early October and plant the bulbs in December.

The general rule of thumb when planting bulbs is to plant them
to a depth that is three times the height of the bulb. Plant
your bulbs where they will receive at last six hours of sunlight
each day. Avoid planting them near trees that will leaf out and
shade the bulbs later in the spring. Bulbs can be lightly
fertilized with a low-nitrogen fertilizer as soon as the shoots
emerge in early spring.

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