As the cold weather sets in, October and November provide the perfect opportunity for essential gardening tasks. Despite the dreary conditions, these months are ideal for preparing your garden to blossom into a colorful oasis come spring.
Now is the time to deadhead your dahlias, sow broad beans for an early harvest in May, prune climbing roses, and protect your tender plants from frost by bringing them indoors. Tom Strowlger, a gardening expert with 196,000 Instagram followers, emphasizes that late autumn is also an excellent time to plant tulips, one of the UK’s favorite flowers.
In a recent guide for the Express, Strowlger advised gardeners to start planting tulip bulbs to enjoy stunning blooms in spring 2025. “Tulip bulbs should be planted in well-drained soil, ideally in full sun,” he stated. “I place them in pots, beds, and borders. They need to be planted about 15 cm deep for proper support of their green stems.”
Addressing a viewer’s confusion about waiting until December to plant tulips, Strowlger explained that they can be planted in raised beds, pots, and planters earlier. “The compost and soil temperatures are controlled,” he noted. “Tulips can handle autumn planting. New soil is safer than older soil, which may harbor fungal diseases.”
Experts from Crocus support this advice, indicating that tulips should be planted six to eight weeks before the first frost, which typically occurs at the end of October or early November.
If planted now, tulips will bloom from April to May. Depending on the variety, you can enjoy up to six weeks of flowers. So, get planting and prepare for a vibrant garden this spring!
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