Spring Application of Bone Meal to Tulip Bulbs in Zone 5

Many Types of Tulips

• Members of the lily family (Liliaceae), tulips are winter hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8. There are many types of tulip divided into 15 different groups, or divisions. These include such monikers as the Single Early Group, with single blooms on 10- to 14-inch stems blooming in early to mid-spring, or the Double Late Group, with double blooms on 14- to 24-inch stems in late spring. Whatever their classification, tulips prefer fertile, well-drained soil in full sun, and a planting depth of between 4 and 8 inches.

Advantages of Bone Meal

• Made from the dehydrated and defatted bones of animals, bone meal is made from animal bones that have been ground up to form a powder. It is naturally high in minerals like phosphorous and calcium and trace amounts of other elements, which plants utilize as well as animals. Because of that, adding bone meal to planting beds works well as a fertilizer for tulips and many other types of bulb.

Fall Best for Bone Meal

• Tulips are usually planted in the fall for spring growth. When planting them, mix a dusting of bone meal into the soil at the bottom of their planting hole, then place bulbs on top. If you keep bulbs in the same bed year after year, add bone meal along with a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 at a rate of 2 cups bone meal and 5 tablespoons fertilizer per 10 square feet. The best time to fertilize in a colder area like zone 5 is before the ground freezes so that you can still work the soil.

Follow Up in Spring

• In the spring, you should fertilize your tulips to make sure they grow and bloom well. Bone meal, however, usually works better in the fall, because the extra boost of fertilizer in spring can often be too much while the plant is growing, and encourage root rot. Mix in the same amount of the same soluble fertilizer that you added in fall, but be sure to do so between the appearance of shoots and before the appearance of flowers, usually late April or early May in colder areas like zone 5.