Tulip
In warmer regions with fewer than five frosts a winter, bulbs need about 6 weeks' chilling in the fridge before planting to flower well and produce long stems - a step cooler-climate gardeners can skip. Plant around Mother's Day once the soil has cooled.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 15cm
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Mature height
- 40cm
- Flowering season
- Sep, Oct
- Common diseases
- Tulip fire (botrytis)
- Common pests
- Slugs and snails, Aphids
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: May. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: April-May.
Growing stages
Germination & plantingAround Mother's Day (May), once the soil has cooled
- In warmer regions with fewer than five frosts a winter, chill bulbs in the fridge for about 6 weeks before planting for strong flowering and long stems
- Plant around Mother's Day once the soil has cooled
- Space bulbs around 15cm apart in full sun
Establishment
- Watch for slugs and snails around emerging shoots
- Water moderately as roots establish
Vegetative growth
- Aphids can build up on developing foliage
- Tulip fire (botrytis) can affect leaves in damp, humid conditions
FloweringSeptember to October
- Watch for tulip fire (botrytis) on foliage and blooms in wet weather
- Slugs and snails can damage flowers as they open
Dieback & dormancy
- Let the foliage die back naturally after flowering rather than cutting it down early, so the bulb can store energy for next year
- In warmer regions many gardeners replant fresh bulbs each year rather than relying on old ones to rebloom well without proper winter chill