Tulips in pots?

I have such a problem with moles I have given up on tulips. I swear they sit under the ground under my feet while I plant. Before the next morning they are long gone with my money lol
I wondered about planting the tulip bulbs in pots.
1. Will it work? anyone ever done it?
2. What kind of soil to use?
3. Can I leave the pots out over the winter?
4. I can just toss em behind the shed after they bloom and put water on them once a week or so and then come spring I can pull them out close to the house and have bulbs?
5. Is this just wishful thinking?
6. I'm thinking this would be cool because I could dig around in my beds the rest of the year without murdering my bulbs with the shovel like I *always do,
and 7. Could I even start some coleus, marrigolds ect seeds over the top for the summer?
8. Would be a great way to add some colorful pots around the area...

HI, Frilly,

I suffer from the mole invasion too and gave up on tulips in the ground after a couple of years of trying to out smart them.

Then I experimented and tried to grow tulips in pots and some worked very well. In fact, I think there is a thread right here on the Bulbs forum where someone is showing how they do the container bulb planting.

What I do is this: Went to Home Depot and got some generous sized pots (18 inches in diameter) and some long 'window box' size containers. Filled them part way with filler (like styrofoam peanuts) and the rest of the way with pro-mix potting soil to about 10 inches from the top. Then planted my tulip bulbs and other 'little blue bulbs' like muscari and a few daffs that bloom concurrently with the tulips by layering the bulbs on top of each other. Topped it off with more potting soil. Then wetted down the pots.

I chose to plant relatively early blooming tulips because I didn't want to 'mind the pots' well into May when it gets hot and tulips can easily last only a day or so before they will bolt. Here are some I've tried: http://www.johnscheepers.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Product&_category=Tulips:SingleEarly

Next, I need to find a place to put my pots so that they will get the 'cold treatment' that bulbs need, yet won't freeze thru and kill the bulbs before they root. So, I wrapped mine in big black garbage bags (to keep the critter out and keep them a little warmer) and placed them under our deck and close to the house. Kept them there until early spring and the worst of our winter was over, then brought them out into the sunshine to finish off growing and blooming.

It worked pretty well, but it was a lot of work hauling around the pots, etc.

Some additional thoughts:

I think you could use smaller pots, but I was afraid of having the small pots freeze thru in our changeable climate or dry out too quickly in the spring.

Some people who have very cold basements or enclosed porches keep their pots there. As long as the bulbs don't freeze before they form their roots they should be OK.

We have to protect our containers from too much rain and also the 'freeze and thaw' cycle, and that's why I wrap them and put them under the deck. You may have the same freeze/thaw problem in missouri. People in milder climates don't seem to have to worry about that.

And yes, you can plant some annual seeds on top of the bulbs, but you can't really get your bulbs too wet or they will rot. I don't think you will have great luck in getting your tulips to bloom the next year though. (I treat our tulips as annuals here.)

If I can find photos of my 'container bulb project' I will post them.

Good luck. T.

Ok well I don't get why they would rot in pots if seeds were planted over them? I have some in my garden and they have iris and other plants around them and I water that all year? Thing is this one bed is raised pretty tallish and runs along the street, I guess the moles don't like it, I can't grow any tulips in my back yard though. Maybe they don't like the traffic!
The daffs you mentioned, I think you CAN plant those in the yard wherever, I have lots of them and the moles never seem to bother them at all. Same with the little grape bulbs.
We do freeze and thaw a lot, but how would that be different in a pot vs in the ground? I have some purple tulips in my front bed and they spread and come back every year, have had them for 6 or 8 years now.
Yes hauling pots around is a chore. Don't they dry out though wrapped up in plastic bags?

Would love to see your photos if you find them.