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tulips #852044

Asked October 03, 2023, 4:19 PM EDT

Can I plant tulips this fall in large pots and leave outside to bloom in spring? How close an I plant them? I live in south western MN. Thank You

Cottonwood County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thanks for the question.

This may not work since the bulbs would most likely freeze solid being above ground. This would kill them. When planted in the ground, the bulbs are somewhat insulated due to the surrounding ground. If you were to put the bulbs in pots and then sink the pots in the ground, the bulbs should survive. Of course, this would have the disadvantage of having to dig the pots up in the spring. As a rough rule of thumb, tulip bulbs should be planted 4 to 6 inches, whether they are in pots or not. See the following for more information on these and related points:

https://www.almanac.com/planting-tulip-bulbs-winter - :~:text=If the ground is too,soil moist but never soggy.

https://oldhousegardens.com/BulbsInPots - :~:text=Keep Bulbs Cold But Not TOO Cold&text=This means you'll need,can have a dramatic impact.

https://www.dutchgrown.com/blogs/the-dutchgrown-blog/how-to-grow-tulips-in-pots

Good luck. Thanks for using our forum.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied October 03, 2023, 4:51 PM EDT

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