Individual Potted-Tulip Centerpieces

Planting

• Plant tulips in mid-fall, even in pots, to take advantage of their natural growing season. Start the process when temperatures dip under 50 degrees F, five to six weeks before the first hard frost. Use heavy pots with drainage holes to give the tulips balance and drainage. Choose decorative 2- to 5-gallon pots, at least 6 inches deep. Incorporate longer growing beds for variety in your centerpieces.

Potting Soil and Nutrition

• Tulips require loose, nutritious and quick-draining soil for growth. Mix quick-draining potting soil and organic compost in equal parts to give the tulip bulbs rich, loose soil, and add bulb fertilizer or bone meal to enhance root growth. Potted tulips require richer, moister soil than garden tulips, and do best with the addition of compost.

Spacing

• Plant the bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep, with the pointed ends up. Give each tulip bulb 3 to 4 inches of space. Plant single bulbs in 2- to 3-gallon pots and multiple bulbs in larger pots. Mix colors and patterns for visual effect, or stick with specific colors for thematic centerpieces.

Care

• Tulips take several months to emerge, but begin their root growth immediately. Put them in a protected outdoor location, and cover the pots with soil or a blanket. Move them indoors, to a dark, cool room, when growth reaches 1 inch in height. Move them to a well-lit area three weeks later, or when you're ready for blooming. Put the tulips on a schedule of 2 inches of water a week when you move them into the light to keep your blooming centerpieces healthy and vibrant.