How to grow tulips

Last Updated on September 3, 2025 by Thompson & Morgan Horticultural Team

One of the most spectacular spring-flowering bulbs, tulips dazzle the post-winter garden with their bright blooms. Plant these hardy bulbs in beds, borders and containers for a joyful burst of colour and fragrance come spring.

From delicate native varieties to scented giants, browse our full collection of tulip bulbs here. When you’ve made your choice, here’s everything you need to know about growing them.

When is the best time to plant tulip bulbs?

Traditionally, gardeners have waited until November to plant tulips. However, recent T&M trials prove that planting your tulip bulbs in late summer and early autumn leads to sturdier plants, better blooms and earlier flowers. Following several successful trials, our nursery manager Kris Collins now recommends planting tulip bulbs in staggered batches from late summer until early autumn. This allows them to establish strong root systems before the soil cools, giving you the best spring display. But don’t worry if you’re a bit late. You can keep planting tulip bulbs until the ground freezes solid.

Where to plant tulips for the best display

For the best display, tulip bulbs prefer lots of sun and well-drained soil. While paler varieties can tolerate partial shade, those that get at least six hours of direct sunlight a day will have stronger stems, more vibrant blooms and better long-term health.

Because tulip bulbs are susceptible to rot, they must be planted in well-drained soil. If you garden on heavy clay, improve the drainage by adding plenty of well-rotted organic matter first. Alternatively, plant your tulip bulbs in containers of good quality, peat-free compost mixed with grit for drainage.

Other tips for a great tulip display:

• Plant in groups: For maximum impact, plant tulips in groups of at least six. For a truly impressive show, plant 25 to 50 bulbs together.
• Choose clever companions: Plant your tulips behind later-flowering perennials. The emerging foliage of the perennials will help to hide the fading tulip leaves as they die back, keeping your border looking tidy.

How to plant tulip bulbs in the ground

If you’re planting tulip bulbs in the ground, here’s our step by step guide:

1. Dig the holes: For tulips, dig a hole approximately three times the depth of the bulb’s height. For most tulips, this is about 15-20cm deep. For a single bulb, a hand trowel or bulb planting tool is perfect. If you’re planting a group, it’s easier to dig a wider, shallow trench.
2. Place the bulbs the right way up: Tulips should be planted with the pointed end facing upwards. The flatter, broader end is where the roots will grow. Space the bulbs at least twice their own width apart for a natural-looking display. For more drama, you can plant them closer together, but this may reduce their longevity.
3. Cover the bulbs: Gently backfill the holes with soil. If you have heavy soil, mix it with some grit or compost to improve its texture. Lightly firm the soil with the back of your trowel or a rake, but avoid treading on it as this can damage the bulbs.
4. Water lightly: If the ground is very dry, give the area a light watering to help settle the soil around the bulbs. This is rarely necessary in the UK as autumn rains will take care of it. Don’t overwater, as this can rot the bulbs.
5. Wait patiently: Tulip bulbs are relatively low-maintenance once planted. They will spend the winter developing roots, ready to produce stunning flowers in the spring. Just keep an eye out for pests like squirrels, who can be tempted to dig them up. You can deter them by covering the area with a layer of chicken wire or a thorny branch.

How to plant tulip bulbs in containers

Tulips are the ideal flower for container gardening. And if you have heavy clay soil, it’s a good way to control the medium in which they grow. Here’s how to plant tulip bulbs in pots:

1. Choose a large container, at least 30cm wide, with drainage holes at the bottom. Tulips will rot if their roots are left in waterlogged soil.
2. Carefully prepare the potting mix. While a good quality multi-purpose compost is fine on its own, a mix of 3 parts compost to 1 part grit provides the well-drained conditions tulips love.
3. Fill the container with compost, leaving a space of about 20cm at the top.
4. Arrange the bulbs, pointed side up. Unlike those in the ground, you can nestle your bulbs a little closer together in a container, provided they’re not touching.
5. Top up the container with your potting mix, covering the bulbs with 10-15cm of compost. Gently firm the soil and water the container.
6. Place the container in a cool, sheltered spot for the winter. This prevents the bulbs from freezing solid, which can happen more easily in a pot than in the ground. A spot against a house wall, in an unheated greenhouse, or even in a shed is ideal. Then, in early spring when the shoots start to emerge, put them out in full sun.

What to do with tulips when they finish flowering

When your beautiful tulip display has finished flowering, you have several options:

• Treat them as annuals and discard them. This gives you the chance to try exciting new varieties and change your colour scheme each year.
• Leave them in the ground to naturalise. There are some perennial tulip varieties (like species tulips and Darwin hybrids) that will come back and flower for several years. If you want to try this, simply leave the bulbs in the ground after the petals have dropped, but don’t cut back the foliage until it has turned yellow and completely withered. The leaves help to replenish the bulbs for next year.
• Lift and store the bulbs for replanting. This is a good option if you want to reuse container-grown bulbs, or if you want to try and get another display from them next year.

How to save and store tulip bulbs for replanting next year

Lifting and storing tulip bulbs for replanting is a great way to ensure you have a beautiful display year after year. While many modern varieties are treated as annuals, lifting them is a reliable way to get them to re-flower as the process mimics the dry, warm summers they would experience in their native habitat. Here’s how to do it:

• • Deadhead the flowers. Cut off the spent flower head once the petals have fallen to divert the plant’s energy back into the bulb.
  • Wait for the foliage to die back. This happens about six weeks after the plant has finished flowering.
  • Gently lift the bulbs from the soil. Use a garden fork, taking care not to damage them.
  • Brush off excess soil. 
  • Spread the bulbs out to dry. Leave them for a few days until the skin turns dry and papery.
  • Inspect for damage. Discard any damaged or diseased bulbs.
  • Store in a paper bag or wooden tray. Keep them in a cool, dark and dry place until you’re ready to replant. Label each bag so you know which varieties you have.

Our hort team’s favourite tulip varieties

At Thompson & Morgan, we’re always on the lookout for special and unique plants. So which tulips do we love the most? Here are our favourite new varieties, along with top picks for scent, colour, size and indoor vases…

Three of the best new varieties

With over 140 tulip varieties for sale, 40 of which are new, this was a fiercely contested decision. After much debate, these are the three new tulips that came out on top…

• Tulip ‘Blushing Parrot’ has distinctive colouring and slightly frilly petals. The creamy white blooms feature a blush of pink and reach a height of 50cm.
• Tulip ‘Coral Ruffles’ is a peony-type bloom that delivers treble the petal power for an intense display. Each flower combines soft shades of pink, coral and apricot.
• Tulip ‘Dafeng’ is a strong growing Darwin variety. Forming a classic cup shape, the petals make a bold statement in fiery shades of orange, red and yellow.

Best three tulips for fragrance

Tulips are usually selected for spring colour rather than scent, but there are several varieties that offer both:

• Tulip ‘Angelique’ has a truly angelic fragrance. Growing up to 50cm tall, it boasts beautiful pink rosettes replete with elegant petals. Grow it in a sunny position that’s sheltered from high winds.
• Tulip ‘Secret Perfume’ takes its name from the delightful sugar-sweet scent of its large peony-like blooms. Why not give this opulent yellow tulip pride of place in borders and patio containers?
• Tulip ‘Brownie’ brings scent and drama. Featuring unusual toffee-coloured blooms,this tulip is perfect for mass planting in beds and borders.

Best three tulips miniature tulips

Miniature tulips look fabulous at the front of borders and around the edges of your container displays. Coming in a fantastic array of colours and shapes, they’re also less likely to be battered by wind or spring showers. Here are our top picks:

• Tulip ‘Red Riding Hood’ offers lovely mottled and striped foliage which gives way to striking and long-lasting red blooms. Growing to 20cm in height, this miniature tulip will thrive in your rockery, and makes a good cut flower too.
• Tulip ‘Ground Cover’ Mix provides excellent spring ground cover along with a dazzling display. An ensemble of varieties, this low-growing mix includes the ever-popular butter-yellow ‘Tulip Tarda’.
• Tulip ‘Murillo Mixed’ offers early colour, and excellent longevity, ensuring your borders are filled with action until the first of your summer blooms kicks in.

Best three tulips for cut flowers

Tulips are guaranteed to add extravagance to your spring cut flower displays, enriching your home and bringing their delightful early season scent indoors.

• ‘Tulip Magic Lavender’ and ‘Mango Charm’ collection is a professionally curated cut-flower combination to liven up any bouquet. Blooming simultaneously, the flamboyant deep mauve and complementary soft yellow-pink petals combine to bring harmony to your borders and vases.
• Tulip ‘Striped Mix’ combines three varieties that really pack a punch: Tulip ‘Slawa’, Tulip ‘Gavota’ and Tulip ‘Havran’. These extraordinary blooms perfectly blend mauves, corals and golds to give your vase the ‘wow’ factor.
• Tulip ‘Black Satin’ lends a stunning contrast to your cut flower arrangements. This deep maroon-black flower contrasts perfectly with soft pink. Alternatively, try combining it with rich reds for sultry bouquets that exude gothic chic.

For more information on growing tulips and other spring bulbs, visit our spring-flowering bulb hub page for tips. For pure inspiration, our top ten tulips is another great resource.