January 2017 Articles

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It’s time to plant tulips, hyacinths

It’s time to plant tulips, hyacinths
By Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist at 225-578-2222 or dgill@agcenter.lsu.edu The next few weeks are an important time for planting tulips, hyacinths and other bulbs that have been previously stored in your refrigerator. (Won’t it be great to get the refrigerator space back?) Tulips and hyacinths are refrigerated because our Louisiana winters are not cold enough long enough to allow them to bloom properly without additional chilling. These bulbs should be refrigerated at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to planting, which means you need to have had tulip and hyacinth bulbs in the refrigerator since mid- to late Nov or before. It is too late to go out and purchase tulip and hyacinth bulbs from area nurseries and start refrigerating them now. Although businesses often put these bulbs on sale at reduced prices in late December and January, if the bulbs have not been previously refrigerated, you have little chance they will bloom properly. We generally find that best results are obtained when pre-chilled tulip & hyacinth bulbs are planted into the garden in late December or early January. For one thing, the soil may stay relatively warm until late December. Planting these pre-chilled bulbs in a soil that is still too warm can cancel the chilling process and lead to the bulbs blooming poorly. Also, bulbs planted earlier bloom earlier – as early as February – and the weather is so unsettled at that time that the flowers are more likely to be ruined by freezes and winter storms. Tulips and hyacinths planted over the next few weeks generally bloom in March and early April when the weather is more likely to be favorable. Remember that tulips and hyacinths, like most spring bulbs, look better when planted in masses or groups rather than single rows. Plantings are also generally more effective and dramatic when one or just a few colors are used. If several colors are used, they should be planted in small groups of individual colors within the larger planting. If you purchased your bulbs prepackaged in mixed colors, you don’t have any choice of the colors and will have no way to group individual colors. In the future, you may want to choose to purchase bulbs in single-color packages instead. Plant tulip & hyacinth bulbs in sunny to partly shaded areas that have good drainage. The bulbs should be planted into well-prepared beds that have been generously amended with organic matter & a light application of general-purpose fertilizer. Here in Louisiana we generally do not plant spring-flowering bulbs as deeply as is recommended for areas farther north. Tulips & hyacinths are planted about 5 in deep, spaced about 3 or 4 in apart. Once planted, you may plant over the bulbs with flowering cool season bedding plants such as alyssum, pansy or viola. Make sure the bulbs will grow taller than the bedding plants and that the colors of the bedding plants and bulbs will look good together when they are both in bloom. Planting spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips and hyacinths in containers is a wonderful way to grow them. When you grow them in containers, you can move the bulbs inside when they come into bloom. As delightful as they are in the landscape, spring bulbs are especially enjoyable indoors. Any size container with drainage holes may be used to grow spring bulbs. Plant the bulbs in pots using potting soil. The bulbs should be close together but not touching, and the tips of the bulbs should show just above the soil surface. There is a trick with tulips. Look carefully, & you will see that one side of the bulb is flattened. Plant the bulbs so that the flat side faces the outside edge of the pot. The first leaves the bulbs send up will all face the outside, creating a more attractive presentation. Place the planted container outside in a shady spot where it is cool. Move the pot to a sunny location when growth from the bulbs is about an inch tall. Only bring the container in on nights when temperatures are predicted to reach the mid-20s or below, and return the pot back outside when the severe cold is over. When the flower buds begin to show color, bring the pots inside for display. The flowers will last longer if they are kept cool. If you keep your house warm, move the pot to a cool room or outside at night if you can. Hyacinths are one of the easiest bulbs to bloom in containers and can even be grown in bowls without drainage holes filled with pebbles or stone chips. Plant the bulbs close together but not touching so that about half the bulb is covered by the pebbles, and add enough water to reach the bottom of the bulbs. Add water regularly to keep it at that level. Grow them as recommended above. Bulbs may also be grown just in water in special hyacinth vases shaped like hourglasses. As the hectic pace of the holidays slows, take some time to plant your bulbs. If you neglect to plant your bulbs for bloom this spring, you cannot hold them until December of next year.