Tulips are among the most beautiful and decorative flowers that we can find during this period. However, since they are not always available, there is a technique to “trick” them into blooming even in the off-season. This is achieved thanks to water, which allows us to make tulips bloom without using soil.

If you also want to grow tulips in water, and thus avoid having to deal with soil, keep reading this article to learn how to do it: it’s very simple.

One of the main things to consider before growing tulips in water is choosing the right bulbs. Tulip bulbs can be stored from one year to the next and therefore always have them available.

There is a wide variety of tulips and not all of them can be grown in water. Choose large bulbs to increase the chances of them blooming. By doing so, rather than preferring one variety over another, it will be enough to ensure that you have large, healthy, and vigorous bulbs.

How to Store Tulip Bulbs

Tulips bloom in spring. This means that the bulbs are “programmed” to bloom shortly after a cold snap. By recreating winter conditions, you can make tulips bloom early. Many of the bulbs on the market are already treated with this cold treatment, so it is a step that we can skip.

However, if this is not the case, it is advisable to put the tulip bulbs in the fridge for about a week, at a temperature between 1 and 10 degrees. A lower temperature would freeze the bulbs, a higher one would render our method useless.

It is also important to place the bulbs in a glass container without a lid, to prevent them from coming into contact with food or drinks.

How to Plant Tulips in Water

Once you’ve obtained the right bulbs, get a preferably glass, pitcher-like container.

In the container we will put a base of stones or marbles, to be able to put water and not let it come into contact with the bulbs.

This aspect is very important: direct contact between the bulbs and the water would cause them to rot. The water and bulbs should be very close, but not touching.

Fill the container with water up to a couple of fingers below the stones, then place the bulbs on top of them.

The evaporation of water will allow the bulbs to form their first roots. Add new water as the water evaporates in the pitcher.

The roots of the bulbs will appear after the first few days and extend into the water. The bulbs will slowly develop into adult tulips, which will bloom after about 3 months.

Share the article