A gardening expert shared three simple tulip care tips to keep spring flowers vibrant and fresh
Ellen Jenne Senior U35 Spare Time Writer
13:38, 18 Apr 2026
A gardening expert shared three simple tulip care tips to keep spring flowers vibrant and fresh – and no wilting(Image: kirin_photo via Getty Images)
By this point, your tulips should be in full bloom, adding a burst of colour to your garden. However, if you’ve spotted your flowers looking a little worse for wear, you could unwittingly be the cause of their decline.
Gardening expert and TikTok creator Ish recently revealed three key tips that gardeners should be following to keep their tulips looking fresh and prevent wilting. In a recent video, Ish said: “If you want your tulips to look vibrant and happy like this, and not like this, let me show you where you’re going wrong.
“Now it can be incredibly disheartening to pot up some tulips and a few months later when they’re all up and going, they start looking a bit like this, a bit sad, a bit droopy, and unfortunately a little too far gone. And as a result, you can see here, it never quite made it to flower, which is really sad.
You need to make sure that the soil is moist – but not waterlogged(Image: Getty Images)
“But the reason it’s gone wrong is actually a really easy explanation, and it’s so easily avoidable too.”
The first thing to check is the condition of the soil in the pot where your tulips are planted. Ish pointed out that bone-dry soil indicates the flowers haven’t received sufficient moisture to flourish and bloom, reports the Mirror.
Parched soil will cause the flowers to wilt and turn yellow. It’s essential to ensure tulips are well-watered, particularly during drier months, though be careful not to overdo it, as waterlogged soil can be equally damaging.
Tulips planted in borders require considerably less attention, as rainfall will generally take care of their watering needs. The Royal Horticultural Society advises that gardeners only need to water border tulips during “prolonged” dry periods.
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Ultimately, the goal is to keep the soil moist rather than waterlogged. Ish explained that tulips grown in smaller pots will require more frequent watering, roughly every few days.
When positioning tulips in your garden, it’s important to avoid placing them in shaded spots, as insufficient sunlight will cause the flowers to droop.
Ish said: “Tulips love a good amount of sunshine, and don’t worry if it’s a tiny bit windy. You see these growing on the side of the road and they’re not bothered.
“So, it’s all about the correct placement and keeping the soil hydrated.”
The gardening expert also flagged an uncommon issue that gardeners may encounter when tending to their tulips. Repeatedly repotting the plant without replacing the compost should be avoided.
Over time, the essential nutrients that the plants need to flourish will gradually deplete. He said: “When the bulb dies down, it’s not storing enough energy. It usually gets most of it from the leaves, but still needs some to give it a good kickstart on the roots.”
Ish recommended that fellow gardeners replace the soil in their garden pots every couple of years if they’re reusing them. He added: “It just goes to show, spend a little bit of time making sure it’s well-watered and in a nice sunny spot, and as a result, your tulips should look absolutely perfect, and nice and sturdy, too, so a little bit of wind is not an issue, and preventing it from looking like this.”
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