Earlier this week, I mentioned my extreme love for growing tulips. Like many people, I can’t help but love the look of flower beds that are absolutely bursting at the seams with bright, vibrant colors! But how does one actually achieve this look? When it comes to tulips – the answer is a mass planting. Since most tulip plants only produce a single flower per bulb, we’ll need to plant A LOT to really make a statement. 
When taking a look at the usual tulip bulb package, growers might notice that most packages recommend quite large spacing between each bulb that is planted. While a good growing practice to space the bulbs accordingly, most package specified plants won’t get the dense bloom that many growers might desire. As you can see, the bulbs here in my garden are spaced drastically closer than what is suggested. 
Since tulips are flower bulbs, this means that the flower for the season’s bloom has already formed within the tulip bulb. Though it is important that soil is well-drained and well-amended, bulbs are able to be spaced much closer than expected. I should also mention that this is specifically true for gardeners who are growing tulips to use as cut flowers or tulips that are being used as an annual landscape plant. Closely planted tulips will not return and/or bloom the following season. 
To trench plant the bulk tulips, I simply work a weed free flower bed and dig a trench at least 4-6 inches deep. Next, I arrange the tulip bulbs closely (as pictured above). Remember to always wear gloves, as some folks are prone to have allergic reactions to the toxins with the tulip bulbs. Once the bulbs have been placed into the trench, gently cover the bulbs with soil. To make this process more simple, pile the soil onto a tarp as you dig the trench. Then, simply lift the soil back into the flower bed. Firm the soil and water well. That’s it!
