What would a balcony in spring be without the colorful blossom festival of magnificent tulips? To enjoy the floral spirit of optimism in the most beautiful season, set the course in autumn. How to plant tulips perfectly on the balcony will no longer be hidden from you.
How to plant tulips on the balcony?
To plant tulips on the balcony, fill a flower box with permeable substrate in autumn, create drainage and plant the tulip bulbs closely, but without touching them. Leave the planted box outside in winter and move it to a sunny spot in spring.
Planting a flower box in autumn – this is how it works
So that your tulips bloom on time in spring, the flower bulbs take up position in the flower box in autumn. Any good potting soil (€10.00 on Amazon) that is more permeable with a few handfuls of perlite or lava granules can be used as a substrate. Between mid-October and early December, plant tulips on the balcony according to this scheme:
- Create a water-bearing drainage system using pebbles, pottery shards or grit on the bottom of the box
- Pour a first layer of the enriched substrate on top
- Arrange large tulip bulbs side by side on the ground with the tips pointing upwards
- Fill in another layer of substrate, up to 2 finger widths below the box frame
On this top layer of soil you can now plant small tulip bulbs, such as dwarf or wild varieties. Add more potting soil on top, press everything down with your hands and water. In contrast to planting in the garden, you can arrange the bulbs close together, but the peels must not touch each other.
The right location on the balcony
Tulip bulbs rely on the winter cold stimulus in order to develop their flowers in spring. Planted balcony boxes therefore remain outside during the winter. To do this, choose a protected location, such as in front of the south wall of the house. For reasons of caution, cover the container with jute, fleece or foil and place it on a wooden block or a Styrofoam plate.
If milder weather sets in in the middle/end of February, move the flower box to a sunny, warm place on the balcony.
Tip
You give balcony boxes with tulips opulent fullness if you combine the flowers with evergreen dwarf trees or ornamental grasses. Ideal planting partners include the white Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii), small periwinkle (Vinca minor) or ivy (Hedera helix).
