Five key tips to plant tulips now for stunning blooms next spring

TV presenter and award-winning gardener Diarmuid Gavin has shared his top tips for planting tulips, and making sure they achieve beautiful, long-lasting, blooms in Spring next year

Tulips are one of the most popular flowers across the UK and Europe - and it turns out they're pretty easy to grow.

November might feel like the month to pack-up your patio furniture and head inside to escape the drizzly weather, but the month is actually the perfect time to plant tulips - ahead of the incoming frost. Irish garden designer and TV presenter Diarmuid Gavin has therefore given five key tips to achieving those stunning blooms for next Spring.

While tulips can be left to re-flower year after year, they also make for an impressive inside display. "[They] have the wonderful ability to grow in water once they are cut, making them long lasting in the vase," the ace explained.

1. Act quickly

Timing is everything when it comes to tulips, and if you want to see a vivid display throughout March-May - make sure you don't leave it too late. "Unlike spring bulbs, it's good to plant tulips a little later as this reduces the possibility of a disease called tulip fire which produces brown spots and withered leaves," Diarmuid explains. "In Holland, they practice crop rotation so tulips are not grown in the same place every year to prevent such diseases."

2. Dig a little deeper

Unlike most other bulbs, tulips should be planted in the soil at least two or three times the size of the bulb in depth. This provides a firm base for the flower, meaning it's less likely to blow over in windy weather and encourages reoccurring blooms.

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3. Use sand

"If your soil is very heavy or claggy, a little bit of grit or sand at the base of the bulb will let water drain away and reduce the chance of it rotting," Diarmuid recommends. In fact, in Holland, many tulips are grown in sand to prevent them getting soggy and rotting.

4. Plant them close together

While tulips can be planted in flower beds while the soil is still warm, many Brits opt to grow their tulips in pots. Diarmuid urges gardeners to plant them 'quite closely together' if you're doing so. "Leave a couple of inches between each bulb so you get a full display," he addded.

5. Sun

A sunny spot is the 'best place' for Tulips to grow, so avoid planting them in any shady spots in the garden. Six hours of direct, bright sunlight per day is ideal - so it might be worth moving your pots around to make sure they get enough light.

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