Monty Don shares ‘essential thing’ gardeners must do planting tulips

Tulips are one of the quintessential plants of spring, producing beautiful pastel or bright vibrant flowers. Tulips can either be planted in containers or planted in borders to create beautiful splays in April and May.Tulip bulbs need to be planted in November to produce flowers in April and May. They will then need to be cut back in June and July.Some tulips flower earlier than others. Early-flowering varieties bloom from late March to April, mid-season ones will flower in April to May and late-flowering ones will bloom in May.With this in mind, gardening expert Monty Don has shared the ‘essential thing’ gardeners must remember when planting tulip bulbs.Monty, 67, who’s the lead host of Gardeners’ World said November is the ‘perfect time for tulips’ whether they’re being planted in containers or in the ground.READ MORE: Banish ‘tough’ food stains from oven racks with 1 ingredient – ‘magic’ Monty Don shares ‘essential thing’ gardeners must do when planting tulips in November (Image: GETTY)Monty posted on his blog: ‘November it is tulip-planting time. This is, to my mind, the most important and best job of the month.’It is actually something that can be done at any time between now and Christmas although the earlier they get into the ground the earlier they will flower.’The essential thing with all tulips is to make sure that they have good drainage.’This matters less if they are to be treated as annuals and dug up after they have flowered but even so they will be happier with plenty of grit or sand added to heavy soil.DON’T MISS’Biggest reason’ mice enter homes – ‘effective’ methods to deter them [INSIGHT]Houseplants that remove mould and condensation from your home  [UPDATE]Homemade flower food recipe keeps flowers ‘fresh for longer’ [ANALYSIS]Looking for a new home, or just fancy a look? Add your postcode below or visit InYourArea Gardening planner (Image: EXPRESS)This can also lead to rotting on both the foliage and the flowers or buds could fail to open all together.While everything does slow down in November, there’s still plenty to grow in the garden this month.Daffodil bulbs can also be planted this month as well as Christmas roses, hyacinth bulbs, magnolia trees, heathers and winter-flowering annuals.Onion, shallot and garlic sets can also be planted outdoors in November along with asparagus crowns.Rhubarb crowns, strawberry plants, raspberry plants, blackberries, gooseberries and blueberry plants can also be planted this month.