If you didn't get around to planting your tulip bulbs in autumn, then you'll be thrilled to discover that it's not too late to plant tulips in January.
You can plant bulbs in January on one condition. 'As long as the ground is workable, tulips, crocus, and daffodils are fine to plant in January,' says Jamie Shipley, gardening expert at Hedges Direct.
Of course, January isn't the best time to plant tulip bulbs – instead, you should aim to plant your tulip bulbs between September and late November. Planting between these months will guarantee flowering in spring and can promote more impressive blooms.
Tulip bulbs planted in January, on the other hand, are likely to flower later in spring or even early summer. You can use this to your advantage by planting tulip bulbs in both October and January. This should give you a succession of beautiful spring bulbs from April through June and prolong your enjoyment of the romantic tulip display trend.
Tulips are also some of the best spring bulbs for cut flowers so it is always nice when they last a little longer in the flower beds.
'You can plant tulip bulbs when the temperatures are still low. This is because – like other spring bulbs – they require a chilling or dormancy period before they grow. This will prevent the embryo from forming in cold weather and can help to kill any fungal disease,' adds Jamie Shipley, gardening expert at Hedges Direct.
This means you can also plant tulip bulbs in December, but by February and March, it is too late to plant tulips.
Is it better to plant tulips early or late?
Planting your tulip bulbs a little late (in December and January) is better than planting them too early. 'If you plant them too early, you risk tulip blight, so look to establish them from late October to December once the temperature has dropped, for April flowering,' explains garden expert Sarah Raven.
When should I avoid planting tulips in January?
You should only plant tulips in January if the ground isn't frozen. Frozen ground will be nearly impossible to dig and the ice could damage the bulbs. If the ground is frozen but you still want to get gardening, learn how to plant tulips in pots or how to grow tulips indoors instead.
Now that you can add planting tulip bulbs to your garden jobs to do in January – you need to make sure that you know how to plant bulbs – specifically how deep to plant tulip bulbs – as getting the planting time right is only half the battle.
What you will need to plant tulips in January
If planting tulips in January, you need the same tools you would if planting them in autumn.
- Trowel – like this Wilkinson Sword Steel Hand Trowel, £11, Amazon– will enable you to dig a hole or trench for your bulbs. This needs to be around two times as deep as your bulbs. You should place the bulbs at least a bulb width apart from each other.
- Peat-free multi-purpose compost – like this B&Q GoodHome Peat-free Multi-purpose Compost 50L, £6, B&Q – to line your trench. This helps the bulbs to produce strong roots and have enough nutrients to kick-start their growth.
- Tulip bulbs – Sarah Raven sells a wide variety of Tulip bulbs, as does Crocus.
You can plant tulips in January so long as the ground isn't frozen. The temperatures are still low enough in January for the tulip bulbs to receive the cold period they need to produce beautiful blooms come spring. However, by waiting until January you do run the risk of a less stunning display compared to if you had planted them in October.
If you plant tulips too late – beyond February – then you run the risk that they won't flower very well or at all, meaning you don't get the beautiful display of your dreams.
