Can Tulips Grow Indoors?

Tulips are such an iconic flower. These bright, colorful blooms are a mainstay in many gardens around the world.

But if you don’t have room in your flower beds for more tulips, or don’t even have a  garden at all, you may be wondering if you can get around the requirement of outdoor planting.

So can tulips grow indoors?

The good news is that yes, tulips can grow indoors! However, you will need to follow a specific process in order to do this.

First, you will need to place the tulip bulbs through cold treatment. This is simply the process of placing your tulip bulbs in a cold environment, such as your attic space or refrigerator, then placing them in a warmer environment.

This change in temperature will make the bulbs think it’s springtime, so will force them to grow as if they have been planted outside.

You will need to put your tulip bulbs through cold treatment for between 12 to 13 weeks for this to work properly, so as to imitate the natural winter to spring cycle that they would experience in your garden.

Once you have completed the cold treatment, you can start planting them in your prepared pots.

You can then place these onto a sunny windowsill with an average temperature of between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Your bulbs should start to flower within 3 to 4 weeks, even more so if the temperatures are higher as they are in spring and summer.

Remember to remove your new tulip plant from direct sunlight once it has started to sprout leaves.

How Do You Keep Tulips Alive Indoors?

Tulips require very little maintenance when growing indoors. If you want to see your tulips bloom year-round, just remember to water them regularly.

It is recommended that you give them about 1 inch of water every week. Be careful not to overwater them though, because too much water could cause the bulbs and roots to rot.

You should make sure to place your tulip bulbs in a pot of well draining soil, allowing for any excess water to drain out of the bottom.

This will prevent your roots from becoming waterlogged, which could then cause them to rot.

If your chosen pot doesn’t feature drainage holes, you can drill these in yourself so that excess water can escape into a drip tray.

When it comes to caring for your indoor tulips, they will need to be watered once or twice weekly.

Remember not to overdo it with the watering just to be on the safe side. You can test whether your tulips need to be watered by checking the soil surface.

If you stick your finger about 1 to 2 inches deep into the soil, you can tell whether it is dry and needs to be watered.

How Long Do Tulips Last Indoors?

If you choose to plant your tulips indoors, they will last you for anywhere between a couple of weeks up to a couple of months.

It will take the tulip bulbs several weeks to start blooming. Once the flowers have started to bloom, they will last you for between 15 days up to 1 month.

A fact to remember about planting tulips indoors is that the bulbs typically can only be used for this once.

It is very rare for tulip bulbs to flower in pots for a second year in a row. You will be better off transplanting these tulip bulbs into your garden flower bed if you have one free.

How Do You Grow Tulips In Pots Indoors?

It’s easier than you think to grow tulips indoors. Once you have completed the cold treatment for the bulbs, it will take around 14 weeks for these to start flowering.

Cold treatment is an essential step for you to follow to get your tulips to bloom indoors.

This is so that you can trick the bulbs into thinking they are moving between winter and spring.

By doing this, you can encourage the plant bulbs to start to grow and then flower. After a chilling period of around 12 weeks, you can then plant your bulbs.

Potted tulips will need to be placed in direct sunlight at first so that they will have a warm environment to encourage them to grow.

Once the shoots and leaves start to appear, you can remove the potted tulips from the windowsill and leave them in a place of indirect sunlight.

How Do You Care For Tulips After They Bloom Indoors?

To care for your potted bulbs, you will need to water them at least once a week. Potted tulips are fairly low maintenance, as they won’t require any fertilizer.

The bulbs will have all the nutrients they need to support themselves for one growing season.

Remember to not leave them in direct sunlight, as this can burn their leaves.

Instead, you should keep them in a place that is still warm and gives them plenty of sun, such as a place of indirect light.

A warm location will be essential for keeping your potted tulips happy.

When your tulips have stopped flowering, you will need to prune away the dying blooms.

The bulbs can’t be used indoors twice, so you can try to transplant them into your garden instead.

In Summary

So there you have it! Tulips can indeed be grown indoors, however, you will need to follow a specific care routine in order to do so.

Your tulip bulbs will need to go through cold treatment to make them think they are in a cold winter.

As they are typically spring bulbs, they will need to be made to think that they have experienced the usual temperature change that they would if they were planted outside.

This change in temperature will make your tulips start to grow.

Next, you will need to place your potted bulbs in direct sunlight. They will need a warm environment of around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the shoots have started to appear, you can remove them from the windowsill and instead place them in indirect light to give them all the nutrients they need.

Remember to water your potted tulips once a week to look after them.