Growing a successful batch of tulips in Indiana can be simple with the right knowledge and practice. With bright pink, red, and yellow hues, these tulip varieties are a perfect addition to any late spring or early summer garden.
Choosing a Tulip Type
Choosing which type of tulip to plant is the first step. There are quite a few varieties of tulips that grow well in Indiana. Most of these types are wild tulips or hybrid varieties, with the wild tulips growing more effectively as a ground cover or under shrubs.
Botanical Tulips
The Tarda tulip (Tulipa tarda) is one of the botanical tulips — a type used to classify tulips that are closest in size and color to the original wild tulips. Tarda tulips are easy to grow and return year after year. In bloom, they display bright yellow and white star-shaped petals.
Tulipa clusiana, also known as the Lady Jane tulips, are white-edged with hues of rosy red. Like the other botanical tulips, the Lady Jane is short in height averaging up to 10 inches tall. However, where it lacks in height is made up for completely in its beautiful star-shaped blooms.
The Shogun tulip, or Tulipa praestans, is another type of botanical tulip. The Shogun is a multi-flowering species of tulip and may grow up to five tulips per bulb. While cost-efficient in terms of production, the Shogun tulips certainly don’t skimp on quality. Their multi-colored blooms are star-shaped, with striking tangerine hues that reach up to 12 inches tall.
Hybrid Tulips
Moving away from the wild-looking botanical tulips are the Darwin hybrids. These varieties grow larger and look more similar to the type of tulips sold commercially.
One popular hybrid is the Apeldoorn tulip due to its egg-shaped blooms and bright red petals. It is extremely reliable, with its blooming period lasting for months, and most plants returning the next year. This species also comes in a golden variety, which shares the positive characteristics of all Apeldoorn tulips, with a deep golden hue rather than bright red. Apeldoorn tulips can grow up to 20 inches in height and are a perfect way to add depth to a multi-species garden.
Oxford tulips, another of Darwin variety, are extremely well-liked due to their deep scarlet color and popularity as a cut flower. They display a classic tulip-shaped bloom and reach up to 22 inches in height. These are an excellent planting choice when considering their usefulness as a stand-out tulip in bouquets.
Certainly living up to its name is the Pink Impression, another of the Darwin hybrid tulips. The Pink Impression boasts vibrant, light pink petals that age into a rosy-pink color. They are one of the largest tulips in the Darwin class in terms of petal and flower size and make a gorgeous addition to any garden. This type of tulip can grow up to 2 feet tall and is extremely hardy due to its long and sturdy stem.
Planting Time
After deciding on a type of tulip, or a few types, the next step is knowing when to plant them. When growing tulips in Indiana, the biggest hurdle is the cold temperatures and frost. Tulip plants cannot survive in weather under 50 degrees or during a frost.
Of course, like other bulbs, gardeners will not be planting an actual above-ground tulip plant. Rather, they’ll be planting a bulb, or root, that resides in the ground for a few months before springing into a growing plant.
First Frost
Planting tulip bulbs in the fall for gorgeous flowers to show in the spring brings the issue of timing. Trying to plan when the frost will hit takes research, and a fair bit of luck as well. Knowing when the last and first frost usually occurs in your area is a good way to estimate planting times. Most of Indiana sees its last frost in late April or early May. The first frost often hits in late October or early November.
Tulip bulbs must be planted in the fall before the soil freezes over. It is best that the bulbs have about six weeks to grow roots before freezing temperatures arrive. Late September or early October is a great time for planting, depending on the part of Indiana they are being planted in.
A great way to gauge when the first freezing temperatures will hit an area for the year is to compare the past few years of temperature data. After viewing October and November average temperatures and finding the estimated first freezes, plant the bulbs six weeks prior to those dates.
Of course, mother nature isn’t always forgiving, and surprises us at times. For this reason, some first-time gardeners choose to plant their bulbs over the course of a few weeks. This allows for changing temperatures and helps gauge planting times for next year’s crop.
How to Plant
Planting tulip bulbs is surprisingly easy. They should be planted around 3 to 4 inches apart and watered after planting with no need for fertilizing. After this, they require very little care — simply waiting on the spring to come and reveal their beautiful, colorful hues.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Nick Pecker/Shutterstock.com
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
When should you plant tulip bulbs in Indiana?
Tulips should be planted in late September and early October in most parts of Indiana.
What are the hardiest tulip bulbs?
The Darwin varieties — like Apeldoorn, Oxford, and Pink Impression tulips — are some of the hardiest types of tulips.
Which tulips come back every year?
Botanical tulips will return year after year and multiply in number. Many of the Darwin varieties including the three mentioned above will also return every year, though their lifespan is slightly shorter than that of botanical tulips.
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