Question
When in the fall do you plant tulips?  How far apart do they need to be?  Once they have bloomed in the spring, how and when do you cut them back to bloom the next year?
Thank you
Joy

Answer
Well it depends on your zone. I am in western Kentucky,zone 6 and our winters come late.I have planted fall bulbs as late as the first week of Jan.if the ground isn't frozen. You don't need to plant them too soon,because the soil has to be cool,so the bulbs won't start coming up too soon.That wastes the energy of the bulb.I would say zones 3 to 5,plant in Nov or Dec. Zones 6 and up wait until the end of Dec and no later than the second week of Jan. if the ground is not froze.Use your best judgement.If you recall past winters coming early to your area then plant them before freezing temps set in.
Tulips and Daffodils should be planted about 7 to 9 inches deep.Don't plant too shallow or the bulbs will start springing up too soon.
I always plant my Daffodils,Tulips and Grape Hyacinths in clusters with the Daffodils surrounding the Tulip bulbs to thwart off hungry moles.They LOVE Tulip bulbs but not Daffodils. It works for me most of the time.Tha Grape Hyacinths are really tiny bulbs.So if you want them in clusters with your larger bulbs plant them a few inches deep right overthe other, bigger bulbs.Spring bulbs just look better when they are clustered and not in a regular pattern. Use about 3 Tulip bulbs,5 Daffodil bulbs and 8 to 10 smaller bulbs in each cluster.Lay them side by side in a circular method with the sides touching. It is a no fail method that is probably the easiest and most rewarding way to do spring blooming bulbs because with very little effort or care required you will have a beautiful Spring garden After the bulbs bloom and ALL the foliage turns yellow,only then can you cut off the dead foliage.If it looks really bad,it doesn't hurt to cut about 3 to 4 inches off the foliage and then the rest after they have turned yellow.This is what makes the bulbs flower next year.It's fun to see what you get in the Spring.Good Luck and happy gardening!