Tips for Transplanting Tulips
Spring flowering tulips grow from bulbs and bloom in the same spot year after year, but since gardens grow and change, transplanting tulips is possible. If you've decided that your tulips are in the wrong location, you can move the bulbs with a little planning. The first step is to pick a new location, one with room for the tulips to grow, adequate moisture and plenty of sun in early spring. Keep in mind that a spot that's shaded by trees in summer may be sunny in spring before the trees leaf out.
Plan to move the bulbs well after the tulips have finished blooming and the leaves have died back for the season. The best time would be fall, when bulbs are normally planted, and other annual flowers have died back. While your tulips are blooming in spring, mark their location, so you know where to dig in fall. You can use small sticks, wooden skewers or some other material for markers. After the blooms have fallen off, chip off the yellow tops of the flower stems. The tulip leaves will stay green for several weeks. Gradually the leaves yellow and die back in early summer. Pull off the dead leaves for a neater garden appearance.
On planting day, in late summer or early fall, dig a new hole 8-10 inches deep in the new tulip location, setting the dirt aside. Then carefully start digging out the bulbs, placing the shovel a few inches back from your markers, to avoid slicing into the bulbs by accident. Use a hand trowel for more careful digging. Lift out each bulb, leaving the dirt attached to the roots. Move them over to the new hole and arrange them in the bottom. Cover loosely with dirt, and once the hole is filled back in, give them a good watering. Your tulips should grow happily in their new location.
