Growing Non-GMO Double Early Mixed Tulip Flower Bulbs
Double Early Mixed tulips are primarily grown outdoors and are well-suited for garden beds and containers. To plant these bulbs, choose a location with well-drained, sandy, or loamy soil and full sun to partial shade. Plant the bulbs in the fall, around 6-8 weeks before the first hard frost. Dig holes approximately 6-8 inches deep and space the bulbs about 4-6 inches apart to allow for proper air circulation and growth. The pointed end of the bulb should face upwards. After planting, water the area thoroughly to help establish the bulbs before winter.
To improve perennial blooming power, ensure the bulbs receive adequate nutrition by applying a balanced fertilizer in the fall and again in early spring. In colder zones, mulching over the bulbs before winter sets in can offer greater protection from freezing temperatures. After the flowers fade, cut back the flower stem but allow the foliage to die back naturally, as this helps the bulbs store energy for the next year's growth.
What Does Pre-Cooled Mean?
Pre-cooled bulbs are bulbs that have been stored at a consistent temperature of 41°F (5°C) in a refrigerator before being sent to you. This process is particularly beneficial for gardeners in warmer climates, specifically in zones 8-10, where the natural cold period is not long enough to meet the dormancy requirements of tulips. Tulips need a cold dormancy period of 12-16 weeks with temperatures below 50°F to bloom effectively. In some cases, gardeners may need to chill their bulbs for a few additional weeks before planting to guarantee successful blooming. Our pre-cooled bulbs enter the fridge in early September. This artificial cooling mimics the necessary winter conditions, ensuring that tulips develop strong, vibrant flowers even in less-than-ideal climates.
Double Early Mixed Tulips in the Flower Garden
Double Early Mixed Tulips are a versatile addition to any garden. They are commonly used as focal points, border edges, and in mass plantings to create vibrant, eye-catching displays. These tulips are not particularly fragrant but are known for their striking, double-layered blooms in a mix of colors, making them excellent for cut flower arrangements. They attract pollinators such as bees, enhancing garden biodiversity, but are generally avoided by deer, rabbits, and other woodland creatures due to their mild toxicity. Their height, typically between 14-16 inches, makes them suitable for mid-border plantings rather than as tall background flowers.
Landscape Use of Double Early Mixed Tulips
These tulips are often utilized as focal points in garden beds, where their vibrant, double-layered blooms create a striking visual impact. A landscape designer might choose Double Early Mixed Tulips over other varieties due to their early blooming period, which brings a welcome splash of color to the garden at the beginning of spring.
Good companion plants include other spring bulbs like daffodils and hyacinths, which bloom around the same time and offer complementary colors and forms. Perennials such as hostas, daylilies, and alliums can provide a continuous display of foliage and flowers throughout the growing season, helping to fill in gaps once the tulips have finished blooming.
About Double Early Mixed Tulip Garden Bulbs
Tulips contain alkaloid and glycoside compounds that are toxic to humans and pets such as cats and dogs. Ingesting any part of the tulip can lead to symptoms such as drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, more serious complications. It is advisable to keep pets and children away from tulip beds and monitor them if tulips are planted within reach.
Tulip petals have occasionally been used in craft projects, such as creating natural dyes or in pressed flower art.
Double Early Mixed Tulips are fantastic for early season cut flower use. Their full blooms make them sought after for this purpose. Providing support such as flower foam and wire is often necessary to keep them upright.
Double Tulips are perennials, but some people prefer to treat them as annuals as their reliability to rebloom each year tends to decline with time.
Stories From Our Gardeners
"I remember the first time I saw a Double Tulip. It was springtime at Frederik Meijer Gardens. I was confused at first because the flower looked like a peony but the foliage looked like a tulip!"
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- Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer
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Double Early Mixed Tulip Flower Bulbs Per Package:
Non-GMO Double Early Mixed Tulip Bulbs are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.