4 basic rules for growing tulips

The well-known tulip belongs to the Liliaceae family. This is a perennial flower with a bulbous rhizome. You can find tulips everywhere - in personal plots, in parks, and in large industrial nurseries. The tulip is native to the countries of Central Asia.

Interesting! The name of the flower is a slightly modified word “turban” - the plant received this name for its visual resemblance to this object.

Tulips: planting and care in open ground

Plant care: a short excerpt

Tulips are planted in the fall - until the beginning of October. Dig out the bulbs when approximately 2/3 of the green part of the plant turns yellow.

The bulbs are stored in specialized open containers (boxes), they are placed there in one layer, and the room is provided with a good level of ventilation and an average room temperature is achieved (about 20 degrees). Over time, the temperature is reduced by 2-3 degrees.

Pronounced sunlight or slight shading is well suited for growing tulips.

Tulips grow well both in bright light and in shade

Choose a neutral soil for tulips, and you won’t go wrong. In extreme cases, slightly alkaline will do. You will need to provide a good drainage system, and you also need to fertilize the plants in advance with wood ash and humus.

Tulips need good watering - you don’t need to skimp on water, and you don’t need to let the soil dry out either. This is most required during the period when the buds are set and the first flowers appear. As for fertilizers, you can give preference to both mineral and organic products. The first feeding is done immediately after the first shoots appear, and the next one is done when the buds are set. After the plants have flowered, you can apply the third and final fertilizing.

Important! If you decide to start propagating tulips, then it is worth knowing that they can be propagated by both seed and vegetative methods (daughter bulbs are used).

Such flowers are propagated by seeds and daughter bulbs.
Significant damage to the tulip is caused by cutworms, onion mites, slugs, rodents and mole crickets. Also, many plants may be poorly resistant to various types of rot, some viral plant diseases and tobacco necrosis.

How a tulip develops

Like a typical ephemeroid, the tulip has a clearly defined period of dormancy and growing season . The time when a replacement bud and daughter bulbs are laid between the storage scales is the dormant period, which is very important for the further development of the plant.

Many people believe that from the moment a new bulb is dug up until spring, the plant remains unchanged, but this is far from the case. Take a look at the picture.

After planting in October, roots begin to grow intensively along the edges of the bottom, developing up to 0.5 m in depth, and in November, a young shoot is thrown out almost to the surface of the earth. Thanks to this super-readiness of the plant, we can admire the early spring flowering of tulips and other primroses.

The development cycle of a tulip is directly related to the temperature of the surrounding air and soil, therefore, for abundant and timely flowering outside (when forced indoors), it is important to observe all stages of the changing seasons in nature.

Let's move on to the rules for growing tulips.

What are tulips

These are garden flowers that do not need additional introduction. Typically, the structure of a tulip consists of the bulb itself and the roots that extend from it (the latter die off annually in cold weather).

The tulip is a flower that responds well to the sun - it opens its petals under its rays and gently closes its “bell” in the late afternoon or if the sky is overcast.

It is difficult to find a flower as rich in colors as the tulip - you can find specimens of almost any shade.

The well-known flower can be found in various shades

Important! The shape and size also differ depending on the varieties and species. Flowers can be very large (up to 20 cm in diameter) or, on the contrary, small in size.

What should ideal bulbs look like?

When buying tulips, you should carefully inspect the bulbs. The scales should be dense, shiny, without suspicious spots or areas of mold. The bulb itself should not be soft to the touch; it is better to buy large, heavy bulbs. Plants grown from elite bulbs suffer less disease and produce more flowers.

The bottom of the bulb should not have any damage, areas of rot or mold.

Even if the bulbs at first glance do not have any flaws, before planting they should be treated in a solution of fungicides or soaked in potassium permanganate. Processing time is from 30 to 60 minutes.

What to pay attention to when growing tulips?

If you have firmly decided to grow this flower in your garden plot, then in order not to have problems with plants in the future, you must carefully follow all the rules of cultivation. Like any other plant, the tulip has a number of features that must be taken into account.

Be sure to feed the plants - this is done about three times during the entire growing season.

Don't know which fertilizer to choose? No problem! Take a close look at the leaves - if they are narrowed and withering, then you should add some nitrogen to the soil. Blue leaves indicate a lack of sufficient amounts of potassium and phosphorus.

Tulips need feeding without fail, and you can determine what exactly a flower lacks by its “appearance”

In the spring, the ridges with plants are thinned out - diseased specimens are eliminated, including the bulbous part and even the earthen lump. To disinfect the soil, pour a small solution of potassium permanganate in hot water into the resulting hole.

Important! The bulbs are quite fragile, so treat the soil carefully and do not use large sharp tools.

Carry out timely pruning of spent flowers - this will help to achieve flowering next year, otherwise the bulb will go into division.

Despite the fact that the tulip needs sunlight, harsh and direct rays of the sun in this case will do nothing but harm. Drying the bulbs is always done in a place protected from sunlight.

Plants should not be planted in direct sunlight, as it will simply burn the leaves and petals.

In no case should pure fresh manure be used for feeding - its application leads to damage to the bulbs and the development of fungus.

If the winters in your region are cold and there is no snow cover, it is best to mulch - humus, sawdust or peat will do.

Important! If you are growing tulips for cutting, be sure to leave a couple of leaves on the plant itself - this will help the bulb receive nutrients normally.

The soil after tulips must “rest” for at least three years before planting a new batch of these plants.

It is better to plant plants in different places on the site so that the soil “rests” from tulips

What you need to know about tulip bulbs - myths and reality

The figure below shows the structure of a tulip bulb.

Due to the fact that the plants are renewed annually from the buds inside the bulb (numbers 3 and 5 in the figure), they can delight gardeners for many years. The bulb itself lives a little more than 2 years: the first year - inside the “matryoshka” - the mother (number 5), and the second year - on its own.
Sometimes novice flower growers complain that the bulbs are “over-pollinated” and the flowers change color. As you can see, young bulbs have nothing to do with flower pollination; their appearance is a vegetative process occurring in the soil. Below we will try to consider the true reasons for the change in the original color of the tulip.
Another interesting point: in young bulbs (which do not bloom in the first year), a shoot-stolon grows down from the bottom, at the end of which a daughter bulb is formed. This is connected with another mistake of flower growers who, having discovered new bulbs deeper than they planted them, believe that the tulip is supposedly “pulled” deeper by its roots.
In some types of tulips, such stolons grow intensively not only downwards, but also to the sides (Foster's tulips), and at the end of each shoot there is a young bulb. And for some, the appearance of stolons is rare, so getting an extra onion of the right variety is a problem.
It must be borne in mind that when planting flowering bulbs, children are formed at the level of the mother plant and no deepening occurs.

1 – covering scales (dry, brown);
2– storage scales (juicy pulp inside the bulb, a source of nutrients);
3 – buds of daughter bulbs (the closer the bud is to the center of the bottom, the larger the “daughter”);
4 – bottom;
5 – bud of the replacement bulb (the one that will replace the old plant);
6 – flower primordium;
7 – leaf primordia.

We plant in the ground

The first thing you will need to pay attention to is the time for planting. This is done in the fall, but not too late - you will need to take into account that the plants take root on average for about a month, and during this time there should be no frost. So, planting too late leads to the fact that the flowers will produce very small bulbs and growth will slow down. Early planting usually results in the flower germinating too early and falling into a period of frost, which destroys the plant.

It is easy to understand that it is time to plant flowers by the temperature of the soil - as soon as at a depth of about 10 centimeters the temperature is about 10 degrees above zero, you can safely begin planting.

Important! This usually happens by mid-September.

It is better to plant plants in the fall, before frost sets in. True, you shouldn’t do this too early, since tulips may begin to germinate, and low temperatures will destroy them

How to plant tulips in spring?

Many gardeners plant tulips in the spring, especially if they were unable to do so in the fall. Such flowers do not bloom particularly lushly; not all specimens bloom actively. It is imperative to cool the prepared onions - put them in the refrigerator overnight and process them for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate (it should be weak).

Flowerbeds begin to be prepared immediately after the snow melts - the soil is carefully loosened with a hoe and a pitchfork, furrows are made at a distance of about 30 cm for already ripe bulbs and two to three times less for children.

Important! A warm solution of potassium permanganate is poured into the furrows.

Be careful when choosing a place for a flower bed - there should be good lighting, a well-developed drainage system and no drafts. The soil is suitable neutral. You can add some compost (humus) and wood ash to it. The bulbs are deepened by 7-15 cm depending on the size.

You can plant tulip bulbs in the spring, but you will most likely see flowers only next year

How to plant tulips in autumn?

Autumn planting gives good results in terms of flowering and growth, but is also more responsible. Proper preparation of bulbs before wintering is a guarantee of good flowering.

Discard diseased and spoiled bulbs. Be sure to treat them with the solution. Plant tulips according to colors and varieties - this helps with care.

Important! Calculating planting depth is quite easy - multiply the size of the bulb three times. Be sure to mulch the new bulbs - peat or straw will do.

You can’t plant diseased bulbs - they still won’t grow into beautiful plants

How do tulips propagate?

Typically, gardeners propagate plants using daughter bulbs and children. Flowers are propagated by seeds only by breeders. In order for the bulbs to be well preserved, they must be properly stored and prepared for planting. When planting bulbs in the fall, already in July it is necessary to carefully separate the daughter bulb from the common root. Then it must be cleaned of dirt and air dried and stored until autumn.

How to store tulip bulbs? For a month, the bulbs should be in a place where the temperature does not exceed 20 degrees. Then they need to be stored in a place where the temperature is about 12 degrees.

If it was not possible to plant tulips in the fall, it is not too late to do this in the spring, and keep the bulbs in the refrigerator in the vegetable department until planting.

Basic rules of care

Care begins quite early - that is, after the snow has melted, as soon as the first tender sprouts have appeared, you need to start caring for the flowers. So, be sure to remove all the bulbs that could not germinate and burn them so as not to transmit the bacteria to other specimens.

Watering should be regular and sufficiently abundant. Don't forget about this first when the buds appear and flowering occurs, as well as two weeks after the plants finish flowering.

Fertilizer

It is worthwhile to dwell separately on fertilizing plants. Tulips prefer feeding in the form of nutrient solutions - dry products tend to cause burns on plant leaves and require abundant watering.

It is better to feed tulips with liquid fertilizers

Stage	Description
First stage	So, the first stage of fertilization is carried out immediately after the first seedlings have appeared - at this time you can use complex dry fertilizing (phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen). Approximately 50 g of fertilizer per square meter, then the soil is well watered.
Second phase	For the second fertilizer, choose the time when the first buds appear - much less nitrogen will now be needed, and, on the contrary, more phosphorus and potassium.
Third stage	And finally, they fertilize for the third time immediately after flowering is completed - now nitrogen is excluded, leaving only potassium and phosphorus; for the development of the “babies” the solution can be diluted with zinc and boron.

Be sure to feed tulips three times a season

Soil care

The tulip needs loose, well-breathing soil, so do not forget to loosen it after watering. In addition, it is quite easy to remove weeds from moist soil. Weeds must be dealt with immediately - they deprive the flowers of the lion's share of nutrition. Another option for weed control is timely mulching.

Important! Be sure to remove all faded flowers - then the tulips will be able to save energy for the next flowering and gain weight in the rhizomes.

Weeds are the enemies of tulips because they take away nutrients from the flowers.

Transfer rules

Unfortunately, even regular digging and sorting of tulip bulbs will not protect against the gradual degeneration of the crop. To prevent this from happening, the following methods are recommended:

the soil in the flowerbed is completely changed;
tulips are transplanted to a completely different place.

Experienced gardeners tend mainly to the second option. Remember: the maximum period for tulips to grow without subsequent replanting in one place is up to 3-4 years, then it is necessary to dig them up and move them to a new place.

Tulips are replanted once every 3-4 years - if this is not done, they will simply stop blooming

How are tulips propagated?

As already mentioned, there are two main methods by which tulips are propagated. This is usually done either by seed or by “babies” from the main bulb.

Usually, for seed propagation, plants are selected that will later be used for selection - since daughter tulips do not have the ability to preserve the varietal characteristics of the parent specimens.

Sowing is done directly in open ground (you can use a greenhouse) and grown for about 2-3 years in the same place.

Important! You will need shelter from the cold in winter, then the already ripe bulbs are dug up and left to lie until autumn, after which they are planted again, just like any other tulips.

Tulips grown from seeds usually do not retain the varietal characteristics of the parent flower.
The average period after which you can wait for flowering is 5-6 years, not earlier. A pronounced decorative effect will be achieved in at least 10-12 years.

Does it seem like waiting too long? It’s not scary, you can propagate tulips using the vegetative method, this gives the flowering effect much faster. The tulip reproduces according to the following scheme: the main mother bulb dies (this happens after the tulips have bloomed), then its place is taken by a daughter bulb, on which several “children” are already attached.

A simple portrait of a difficult tulip

Representing the Liliaceae family, tulips are, without exaggeration, the most popular and widespread bulbs. They can no less be called the most diverse, because the number of varieties and varieties of tulips is measured not in hundreds, but in tens of thousands, and the choice of shape, structure, and colors of flowers increases from year to year. And although the classification of tulips is not easy to understand, it is impossible to confuse tulips with other bulbous plants.

Representatives of the Tulip genus are bulbous perennials with a modified stem. All plant organs are laid in a pear-shaped or ovoid bulb. Generations of bulbs change annually: during the growing season, young bulbs are laid, and faded ones die off. The primordia of peduncles and flowers develop in the bulbs during the summer dormant period. In autumn, the bulbs take root, the process of laying a peduncle is completed, and after wintering active growth and flowering occurs, and the cycle repeats again.

The development of tulips occurs so rapidly that one cannot help but be surprised by the shortened, but amazingly active growing season of this bulbous plant. In tulips, not only leaves and peduncles develop rapidly, but also the bulb, roots, and daughter bulbs. On average, in regions with harsh winters, the entire growing season of tulips covers only 3 months from the formation of leaves to flowering and the formation of replacement bulbs. During a period of such active development, conditions and care are very important for tulips, which should compensate for any vagaries of the weather.

Tulip bulbs consist of a bottom and from one to six storage scales, covered with protective integumentary scales. The bulbs produce underground stolons, leaves and strong, succulent flower stalks. Each bulb hides the buds embedded in it, from which new bulbs are formed - the central one (replacement bulb), daughter bulbs (from buds hidden in the axils of the storage scales) and children developing in the axils of the covering scales.

The height of tulip flower stalks ranges from less than 30 cm to more than half a meter. The leaves are fleshy, clasping the stem, elongated-oval, entire-edged, quite rigid, becoming smaller from the bottom to the topmost leaf. There are up to 5 leaves on one stem, although tulips are often limited to just two leaves.

Tulips most often produce single flowers, in the structure of which five concentric circles can be distinguished, obeying three-ray or triangular symmetry. They are easily identified by the six-membered perianth: the flower always consists of six petals or the number of lobes equal to six in simple tulips. The distinctive features of tulips are the six stamens, also arranged in two circles, and the three-lobed stigma of the pistil. The flowers themselves of this bulbous plant are amazingly diverse - from simple to double, goblet-shaped, lily-flowered, cup-shaped, oval and even star-shaped - to parrot and fancy forms.

The colors are no less varied. Tulips come in single-color and multi-color, pastel and bright, exotic and classic. White, pink, red, purple, yellow, orange are not the only options. The color range of tulips includes blue, indigo, shades of green, and natural colors closest to black.

The flowering period of tulips starts with the first early varieties in April and ends only in June. Despite the extremely limited flowering period of each individual plant, the selection of tulip varieties allows you to extend the parade of this bulbous star for almost 3 months. After flowering, dense fruit boxes ripen.

The variety of tulips is simply unimaginable. More than 100 natural species, the crossing of which has generated more than 17 thousand registered varieties, which in turn are divided into classes, groups, subclasses, categories... Most tulips are bred from botanical plant species from the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe. Traditionally, Dutch tulips have dominated the market, but dozens of new varieties appear in many garden centers around the world almost every year.

The only correct criterion for choosing tulips is to buy plants in accordance with your tastes and preferences, choosing primarily according to aesthetic characteristics. After all, tulips really allow everyone to choose plants to their liking, making the collection as individual and bright as possible.

Growing tulips. © dutchgrown

What harms tulips?

Having understood the intricacies of cultivation, you can begin to consider the main problems that hinder the growth and flowering of tulips.

These flowers are susceptible to viral diseases. Thus, variegation can cause great harm - it appears in the form of uneven spots and stripes directly on the leaves and petals of the plant. The only thing left to do is destroy the affected plants - they can no longer be saved. For prevention, use reliable sources to purchase bulbs and always disinfect the tools you use to work with plants.

Tulips affected by variegation cannot be saved, so prevention must be carried out

The so-called August disease (tobacco necrosis) is a fungal infection. It causes the stem to become bent and the flower to have an unpleasant striped color. The bulbs darken a little. Infected plants are also removed, and the soil where they grew is spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate and boric acid. Ash is added to the hole.

Important! Fundazol will help protect other plants.

In general, tulips can be susceptible to fungus - various types of rot. This happens especially often during the rainy season, when the soil becomes excessively soggy. To help the flowers, be sure to install a good drainage system and carefully monitor the proportions of watering and fertilizing.

To avoid fungus, you need to water the plant moderately and also arrange drainage.

Interesting advice! Plant calendula, nasturtium or marigolds near tulips for the summer - they produce phytoncides that can help fight pathogenic bacteria. Fungicidal preparations will help well.

To preserve tulips, you need to fight cutworms, root mites, slugs and rodents. Mole crickets are also dangerous.

In order to get rid of onion mites, be sure to treat the bulbs with hot (about 40 degrees) water. If a mite has infected flowers during the growth period, use preparations such as Rogor or Keltan. If the effect does not occur for a long time, you will have to remove all affected plants. You can grow radishes or tomatoes in an infested garden bed - they tolerate the mite quite well, but are not resistant to it.

The drug "Keltan" will help get rid of onion mites

Naphthalene, which is applied to the lower leaves of the plant, will help against the lilac cutworm.

Other pests (slugs, mole crickets and snails) are caught in traps that are placed around the site. These evil creatures, unfortunately, will have to be destroyed manually. So, mole crickets get caught in buried jars of water - they simply cannot get out of them.

Important! Rodents are caught using mousetraps, or the bulbs are treated with a substance such as red lead.

Mole crickets, slugs and snails can also infect the plant, and it is more effective to get rid of them manually

Varieties of tulips for home growing

Growing capricious exotic varieties of blue, brown, purple and black colors in a pot is a troublesome task. But if you are dealing with proven, unpretentious, low-height varieties and hybrids, then you can grow species that are resistant to diseases and problems such as variegation.

Purchased bulbs are unpretentious to living conditions and withstand disturbances during cultivation. They can be planted immediately after purchase, since they are already sorted and processed.

Is it possible to grow tulips at home in a pot directly from the beds? If you want to prepare planting bulbs from those varieties that are already growing in the beds, then you cannot do without careful care during the growing season: watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and killing weeds. Only when the stems turn yellow can you dig up and plant tulips at home in pots, i.e. bulb varieties: Aristocrat, Apeldoorn, Diamond Star, Diplomat, Parade Record, Christmas Marvel, Confux, Lustige Battle, London, Miles Bridge, Negrita, Oxford, Parade, Scarborough, Temple of Beauty, Fringeit Elegance, Eric Hofsier and Apricot Beauty.

What to do after flowering?

As soon as the plants fade, they will need to be treated with fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus. All ovaries are removed - they draw energy from the bulbs. Leave the active stems. Watering continues for about two weeks after flowering has finished. Next, the amount of liquid is reduced, and after the leaves turn yellow, the bulbs are dug up. You won't need to do anything else.

Timing for digging up bulbs

The wrong position is to leave the bulbs in the ground for the summer. This is only suitable for varieties with red flowers. If you leave flowers in the ground, then over time the stems will become shorter and thinner, and not the mother’s flowers will sprout, but those that have sprouted from the children.

It is better to remove the bulbs from the soil after flowering and leave them in a dry, dark place.

Important! As soon as you see that the stem has withered and the leaves have turned yellow, dig up the bulbs using a bayonet shovel, grabbing a layer of soil below the bulb.

Proper storage of bulbs

As soon as you have dug up the bulbs, you need to disinfect them with water and karbofos solution, or soak the bulbs for about 10 minutes in water at a temperature of about 50 degrees.

The tulips are left in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place for about 4-5 days, after which they are sent for storage.

Before planting, clear the bulbs of dead scales and roots, clean them of soil and arrange them “according to their height.” Children who leave on their own are carefully separated. Next, arrange the bulbs in a single layer in boxes and leave them in a ventilated area. They cannot be closed.

It is important not to forget to inspect the bulbs and also disinfect them

Important! Until autumn, tulips are stored at room temperature, then it is reduced slightly - to about 17 degrees.

They periodically inspect the planting material - this way you can quickly notice and eliminate bulbs affected by bacteria and pests. Do not spare soft bulbs or those that have changed their color - this way you will protect healthy plants from rot. Before planting them in the ground in the fall, treat them with potassium permanganate.

The bulbs are planted back into the ground in the fall, but before that they are looked through again

Digging and storing bulbs

The wonderful time for tulips to bloom is quickly passing, and in order to ensure their beauty next year, it is time to take care of the bulbs that have ripened in the ground. Indeed, during storage, stage after stage, the processes of formation of the future plant continue to take place. And for this it is necessary to provide suitable storage conditions.

Digging of bulbs begins after the above-ground part of the plant has withered, in the middle zone usually at the end of June to mid-July. Nests are selected from the ground and, according to variety, placed in slatted boxes for drying, which should take place outdoors in the shade for 1-3 days. Dried bulbs are cleaned of old scales, roots, soil and sorted by size, discarding diseased ones.

Before storing the bulbs, they are treated with a 0.2% solution of foundationazole, as described above. Then next spring, before planting, dressing is no longer carried out.

In the first month after digging, the bulbs should be kept at a temperature of about +22 degrees Celsius, humidity no more than 70% and intensive ventilation to continue the development of the rudiments of the future flower. Then the temperature is gradually reduced to +15...+17 degrees, and the ventilation intensity is reduced. Think in advance about a suitable room; among other things, it should be dark, without a source of daylight. Once a month, the bulbs are in storage, inspected, sorted and diseased ones are removed.

The preservation of planting material completes the symbolic circle of the tulip life cycle, which is reproduced year after year by flower growers around the world.

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What varieties and types are there?

Around 1981, a current classification of tulip varieties was developed in Holland, which included more than 10 thousand different bred varieties. All of them are divided into four main groups, which include 15 different classes. This classification is in use internationally.

Group 1. Early blooming tulips

The first class included in this group is simple . They are usually not very tall, no higher than 40 cm. The peduncles are strong, the flower is neat, cup-shaped. Usually have shades of yellow or red.

The second class is double (early) tulips. Their height is slightly smaller, up to 35 cm, the color of the flowers is warm (also either red or yellowish), they bloom longer than others. They have, as the name suggests, a double flower appearance.

Terry tulips

Group 2. Medium-blooming tulips

This includes the classes of Triumph tulips (has a high peduncle, up to 70 cm and large flowers with different colors - there are even such interesting extremes as dark purple, almost black and snow-white flowers) and Darwin hybrids (they are even taller, up to 80 cm, mostly bright scarlet or reddish, have increased immunity and tolerate frost well in the spring).

Tulips Triumph

Group 3. Late-blooming tulips

This includes more different classes.

Simple late tulips are distinguished by their high, up to 75 cm, “growth”, large glass-shaped flowers, they can be of almost any color - there are black and burgundy shades, as well as two-color variations, and are well adapted for reproduction.

The lily class has an elegant flower shape with neat pointed petals, the arrow is not very high, about half a meter, the color can be very diverse.

Lily tulips

Fringed tulips are distinguished by one unifying feature - a needle-like “fringe” along the edges of the flower. They reach a height of 80 cm, the colors are very different, the spectrum is very wide.

Important! The shape and size of the flower depend primarily on the species that was used to breed a particular variety.

Green-flowered tulips are distinguished by a green back of the petal throughout the entire flowering period. Very fashionable varieties today. Height is about half a meter, flowers up to 10 cm, leaves are narrow.

Green tulips

The class of Rembrandt tulips is the smallest, containing variegated subspecies. Neat large flowers, up to 9 cm, with spots similar to brush strokes. Height up to 70 cm.

Parrot tulips are truly exotic. The ribbed openwork edge of the color truly resembles bird feathers. The flowers are very large, in some specimens the flower size reaches 20 cm in diameter. The color is different, the height is a little more than half a meter.

Parrot tulips

Important! Late double tulips are somewhat reminiscent of peonies. The length of the peduncle is about 60 cm, they are larger than ordinary double tulips. There are two-color variations.

Group 4. Species and botanical tulips

The Kaufmann class of tulips is distinguished by its small stature and surprisingly early flowering. The size of the flowers is large, with an interesting star-shaped shape. They are often two-colored and have interesting purple-hued patterns on the leaves.

Foster's tulips are very large, goblet-shaped, the length of the flower is about 15 cm, the height of the peduncle can reach half a meter. The color is usually bright, warm, orange or red. May be pinkish, lemony. The leaves are dense, rich, and slightly marked with purple.

Foster's Tulips

Greig's tulips reach a small (up to 30 cm) height, the flowers are large, the base is wide, the foliage is bent back. Colored in shades of red, they can be bi-colored with speckled leaves.

And finally, the last class is botanical tulips. These include all tulips that grow in the wild. They usually bloom early, and the color can be very different.

Greig's tulips

Important! Outside the classification are terry-fringed tulips - they are densely terry, with an interesting edge, and can be of various colors.

Site selection

In order for tulip bulbs planted in the fall to take root well, successfully overwinter, and produce flowers in the spring, the correct choice of planting site is important. Gardeners' complaints that the bulbs have rotted and nothing has grown are often due to the unsuitable growth conditions created for the tulip.

Therefore, first of all, choose an appropriate place for planting tulips: well-lit and protected from strong cold winds. After all, if there is not enough sun, the stems of the tulips will stretch and bend, and this will have a bad effect on the appearance of the flowers. Bulbs in the shade are not able to accumulate a sufficient supply of nutrients. Winds blowing through tulip plantings not only shorten the flowering period, but can also break the plants.

An area suitable for growing tulips must have a flat surface and a permeable subsoil layer. The depth of distribution of the tulip root system in the soil is 65-70 cm, and the groundwater level should not rise above this mark. Failure to comply with these conditions leads to stagnation of water in the depressions, soaking and death of the bulbs.

When choosing a site, the size of the fertile layer is also important, which should be at least 30 cm. After all, tulips are planted quite deep, and in young bulbs that form stolons, the next year’s bulb occupies a lower position in the soil than the mother’s. If you usually dig up soil shallower than the depth of a spade bayonet, 30-35 cm, the soil on your site is poorly cultivated and has a small cultivated layer. Tulips can be planted here only after radical improvement, increasing the rock layer by adding organic matter and gradually plowing the underlying horizon.

The last thing to think about when choosing a planting site is a good predecessor. It can be any flower or vegetable crop, except bulbs and nightshades, the viral diseases of which are transmitted to tulips.

Once we have decided on the location, we need to take care of the soil.

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History of tulips

The journey of the tulip begins with its cultivation in Persia, where romantics and poets wrote poems about the tulip. In Turkey, tulips were literally worshiped - they were grown by the wives of the sultans - the love of the wives was measured by the beauty of the grown tulips.

In 1554, the first tulips were brought to Europe and immediately won the love of Europeans. The kings of Europe began to collect new unusual flowers, looking for interesting varieties, for which they paid a lot of money. Thus, real “tulip festivals” were held at Versailles.

Such flowers have been known and loved by people for a long time.

But nowhere is the love for tulips more expressed than in Holland. Beginning in 1630, tulips began to be grown almost everywhere in the Netherlands - new varieties were developed, which were subsequently sold abroad for a lot of money. This gave rise to a real wave of speculation, when traders purchased bulbs in Holland and sold them at a significantly higher price. Particularly beautiful varieties were traded on exchanges, and prices rose rapidly. In the end, demand simply became lower than supply, which caused the collapse of the “tulip fever” - this ended with the fact that over time the government of the Netherlands developed a law prohibiting the trade in tulip bulbs. People calmed down and began to simply grow tulips.

One of the most spectacular is the black tulip - the pearl of the breeders' activity. It was bred around the seventeenth century, when a deep purple variety was created in Haarlem - this flower was glorified in the literature of those times.

Holland - the land of tulips

The first absolutely black tulip appeared at the end of the twentieth century, when the director of the Institute of Floristics of the Netherlands announced that the Dane Gert Hageman had finally developed a black tulip. In total, more than 400 thousand dollars were allocated for this work on breeding a rare variety, and the total work time took more than three hundred years.

Is it easy to grow a tulip?

When talking about tulips, some admire their unpretentiousness and simplicity of agricultural technology , while others indignantly complain about constant failures in trying to grow this perennial. Who is right? To find the truth, let's briefly look at the structure of the tulip and its life cycle, and also turn to the roots of its origin.

If you approach growing tulips from the point of view of a person knowledgeable in the botanical features of the tulip, then you can easily identify your mistakes, eliminate them and make sure that growing a healthy tulip is very simple.

What can you recommend?

What to do if the bulbs came to you in early spring, and not in the fall? Be sure to put them away for storage - leave them under the country canopy in a ventilated container. In the fall, start planting at the usual time for tulips. Remember, bulbs planted in the spring cannot be rooted; they can simply rot in the ground.

You need to carefully preserve flower bulbs until autumn, since planting them in spring is almost useless

The tulip is not the most whimsical flower, it does not need special soil, and it can even tolerate not very high-quality care. Of course, all this affects the quality of flowering - in poor conditions, tulips become small and faded, and the flowering process does not exceed several days (for comparison, with good care it lasts two weeks).

Important! Be sure to follow the rules of agricultural technology when growing.
If you notice the degeneration of tulips in your summer cottage, pay attention to the composition of the soil - it may contain too few nutrients. To fertilize, apply a bucket of organic fertilizer for every meter of planting.

Acidic soil will not work - you need neutral or slightly alkaline soil. You can add a teaspoon of fluff to the hole when planting - this will help fight viruses and wireworms.

Important! Do not plant tulips next to gladioli under any circumstances - there is a risk of contracting common diseases.

Decide in advance whether you will dig them up annually or once every few years - this is what affects the tulip planting pattern. If you do not plan to replant annually, leave about 30 cm between plants.

Plants should be planted at least 30 cm apart from each other

When replanting annually, be sure to plant annuals by the beginning of summer - as soon as the growing season is over, tulip bulbs are planted in their place again. As a result, you will get a real spring carpet of densely planted tulips in bloom - an excellent decorative effect!

If you prefer perennial decorative flowers, tulips can be planted as a seal - you won't have to dig them up regularly. Simply plant them in the fall, grouping a few of them between perennial plants. The leaves turning yellow by summer will not disrupt the decorative effect - they simply will not be visible under the foliage.

Important! Phlox, hosta and astilbe are well suited - the neighborhood will be almost ideal.

Do not place the bulbs individually and in regular geometric shapes - they look much better in groups with a chaotic arrangement and torn edges of the flower beds. It is better to place larger bulbs towards the center or in the background, as the largest specimens will grow from them.

In one flowerbed you can combine tulips and phloxes, astilbes

When you create your flower garden, think about having low-growing plants - for example, tulips look great next to pansies (viola). These crops bloom almost simultaneously, and after the tulips fade, viola blooms almost until the end of summer. Tip: place tulips in small groups against the backdrop of a “carpet” of violas.

You can beautifully decorate large containers and flowerpots for terraces, loggias and balconies in the spring. The rules and timing for planting will be almost the same as in the garden - in the fall you will plant the bulbs in containers, and when frost comes, you will put them in a cold, dark place (for example, in the basement). The earth is slightly moistened in these containers.

You can even plant tulips in pots

As soon as early spring arrives and the very first shoots appear, the containers can be placed in a permanent place.

Anyone can grow tulips - these flowers are unpretentious and can easily cope with almost any conditions, but with proper care they will respond with gratitude in the form of lush and long-lasting flowering.

Incorrect steps when caring for tulips

How do you usually plant tulips in open ground in the garden of an ordinary summer resident?

The bulbs you like are bought at the garden center, without taking into account the height of the adult plant and the timing of its flowering.
Bulbs are planted at a time convenient for the gardener - sometimes very early or too late.
Planting is carried out without taking into account the size of the bulb - both large and small parsing - at the same depth and at a close distance from each other.
The place intended for tulips is sometimes insufficiently lit due to the close proximity of buildings or fences.
Planting is often done without proper soil preparation - digging to the required depth and without applying basic fertilizers and fertilizing.
To place tulips, they choose various inconvenient areas, including places that are flooded in the spring, and with high groundwater levels.
After flowering, the green foliage of tulips is cut off due to loss of decorativeness.
The bulbs are not dug up or divided for a long time.

Common situation? Under no circumstances should this be done. What is the correct algorithm for caring for tulips?

What to plant after tulips

Tulips look very attractive in flower beds, both on their own and in group plantings. But they don’t bloom for long, so the question arises of how to fill the void left after digging them up. At this time, seedlings of other equally interesting flowers are gaining strength and can be used to fill empty spaces.

Marigolds, asters, salvia, lobelia and ageratum grow very well in tulip areas. Vegetables can also be planted after tulips and even together with them. You can plant them immediately with carrots or root parsley. These plants will be able to hide the withered leaves of flowers with a thick carpet of greenery.

Tulips are a decoration for any garden. Breeding them is not difficult, the main thing is to follow simple but important rules. These flowers are grown very often due to their unpretentiousness and relative resistance to diseases. Proper care of them and breeding in compliance with all conditions will ensure the attractive appearance of your flowerbed for many years.

Trimmings on tulips

Tulips develop rapidly, but with the end of flowering they also quickly lose their decorative effect. Fading yellowing foliage will not decorate any composition, even in a natural style. But, like all bulbous plants, the leaves of tulips cannot be trimmed or removed until they die on their own, because otherwise the process of storing nutrients and ripening of the bulbs will be disrupted.

In growing varietal tulips, limiting fruiting plays a very important role. The formation of a seed capsule in tulips most often leads to the fact that a full-fledged replacement bulb is not formed; the plant “breaks up” into a nest of very small bulbs that can fully bloom only after a few years. To prevent tulips from becoming smaller, varieties should not be allowed to bear fruit, removing faded flowers in a timely manner after the petals begin to wither.

Trimming tulip flowers is not as simple as it seems:

Cutting for bouquets

It is carried out early in the morning, in a state of tightly closed buds, cutting the stem at an angle. For bouquets, it is preferable to cut off buds that have just begun to color. Store tulips in cool and partial shade; cut sections are renewed under water before placing the plants in water.

Cutting fading flowers

It is better to carry it out immediately after the petals begin to wither and without waiting for complete wilting. Unlike cutting for bouquets, it is better not to cut withered flowers with a sharp knife, but to carefully tear them off with your hands.

Decapitation

Removing buds and preventing flowering from tulips allows you to grow small bulbs or propagate rare varieties more effectively, stimulating the growth of roots and daughter bulbs. Flowers cannot be removed too early: decapitation is carried out a few days after the bud opens.

When cutting flower stalks, you should not remove the leaves. At least two leaves must remain on the stem for the bulbs to fully ripen and form a flower bud.

Tulip moisture requirements and watering

Like all bulbs, tulips do not tolerate dampness and waterlogging. But it’s difficult to call them drought-resistant crops. During the active period of development and ripening of the bulb, tulips need stable, light soil moisture, because their extremely rapid development and structural features of the root system require a large supply of moisture and truly regular watering.

In the spring, before budding begins, the plant is watered only in dry weather. Systemic watering for tulips begins only from the budding stage. The classic frequency for a tulip is considered to be 1 abundant watering per week (from 10 to 40 liters of water per square meter of planting), but you should always focus on the condition of the soil at the depth of the roots. Watering is completed not immediately after flowering, but after two weeks, so that the plants do not experience problems with access to moisture during the formation of the replacement bulb.

When watering tulips, you should be careful not to soak the leaves of the plant and water between the rows. Water tulips early in the morning or evening according to standard rules, not with cold water.

Planting tulips in spring by region and according to the lunar calendar

Tulips should be planted on favorable days: if the bulbs are planted on unfavorable dates, the flowers will grow poorly or will not take root.

In general, growing this type of garden flower is not difficult - it is unpretentious and does not require much care. The main thing is to know what dates planting can be done and what this flower loves most.

It is recommended to plant bulbs according to the lunar calendar in 2021 on the following dates:

January — 5-9, 16-17, 21-23, 25-27
February — 2-5, 7-9, 20-24
March — 1, 3-5, 8, 13-15, 19, 28
April — 1, 3, 5, 8-9, 13, 15-19, 27, 28
May — 1, 2, 5, 13, 15-17, 20, 24, 28, 29
June — 2, 3, 6-8, 11-13, 16, 21-25, 29, 30

These are the best days to plant tulips in 2021. When compiling these dates, all lunar phases are taken into account, so gardeners do not need to independently calculate and select the dates suitable for planting.

In the southern regions, you can start planting tulips from the end of February to mid-March. In the Moscow region, it is recommended to choose the time for planting from the beginning to the end of April.

In cold regions, bulbous flowers should be planted in a permanent place no earlier than the beginning of May, depending on the temperature - it is necessary that the ground warms up consistently to at least +8 degrees.

Wintering tulips

Tulips belong to the frost-resistant bulb family. They do not need protection for the winter, but only if there is a sufficient level of snow. To protect against temperature changes, unstable conditions, and snowless periods, it is better to mulch the plantings.

It is better to use compost, peat, sawdust, straw or humus as mulch for tulips. The optimal shelter height is from 5-8 to 10-15 cm. A mulch layer is created only after stable night frosts have established and the soil begins to freeze.

Removal of mulch in the spring is carried out only after the snow has melted and if leaves or straw were used (organic matter is left on the bed and incorporated into the soil when loosened).

Growing tulips without digging

For two to three years, you can leave tulips in the ground without significant deterioration in their characteristics, but then you will still need to dig up and replant the flowers. If these are ordinary varieties, they are more resistant to cold and can remain in the flowerbed over the winter with virtually no loss.

But new hybrid varieties, remaining unexcavated, degenerate over time and lose their characteristics, such as the color of the petals, their shape, and resistance to diseases.

About

When to plant tulips in autumn in open ground

Experienced gardeners plant tulips only in autumn. Planting time depends on the region where flowers are grown and climatic conditions.

In the middle zone, tulips are best planted at the end of September.

In the southern regions, this has been done since the beginning of October, when the thermometer drops to 7-10 °C. The root system of the bulbs is formed in 3-4 weeks. It should be taken into account that the weather can make its own adjustments.

If planted early, the rooting process is delayed and the bulbs may become infected with fusarium. In addition, in warm weather, the bed can become overgrown with weeds, which will take away the strength of the tulips.

Planting flowers too late is also not recommended. Due to frost, the root system may not form. They may rot or freeze. Typically, such tulips bloom poorly and their bulbs are not suitable for further planting.

If the bulbs were planted in November, they are covered with spruce branches or foliage for the winter.

If the recommended planting dates are missed, it is better to plant tulips before the beginning of December, covering the flower beds with straw or dry leaves. Flowers planted in spring will lag behind in development.

Conditions necessary for tulips

Bulbous favorites can only be called undemanding plants conditionally: tulips bloom and grow only in favorable conditions; both lighting and soil characteristics are important for them.

Tulips are light-loving crops that are planted in sunny places or in diffusely bright light. The later a tulip variety blooms, the better it tolerates light shading, but for varietal tulips a sunny location is still more preferable. Tulips are not afraid of the proximity of large shrubs or trees, if the leaves of the latter bloom late and during flowering the bulbs will not suffer from strong shading.

Only high-quality, deeply worked garden soils are suitable for tulips. This bulbous plant is grown in sandy loam and loam, loose, well-drained, light and nutritious soils. The reaction of the soil for tulips is very important: this bulb does not tolerate an acidic environment, it is planted only in neutral or slightly alkaline soils. Before planting, the soil is adjusted to optimal texture and composition. Tulips do not tolerate fresh organic matter.

Areas for growing tulips should be flat or with a slight slope, warm, and well heated. It is better to protect plants not only from the risk of stagnant water, but also from drafts or winds.

When choosing a place to grow tulips, it is worth considering that when grown for five years in a row in the same place, the risks of plant infection by pests and diseases increase. Tulips are not planted after daffodils, lilies and other bulbous plants, which are often affected by the same viruses and diseases.

Late tulip (Tulipa tarda)

Pests and diseases of tulips

Tulips are the most popular, but far from the hardiest garden bulbs. And for varietal plants, diseases are considered the main cause of bulb loss and plant death. True, it is worth considering that almost always diseases are the result of incorrect selection of conditions or care that does not correspond to the characteristics of the plant, including insufficient vigilance. If you follow the rules of planting and storage, water and fertilize on time, and inspect the bulbs and plants, then the risk of these problems will be minimal.

Very often, tulips suffer from fusarium (it manifests itself in yellowing and drying of leaves and peduncles, browning and drying of bulbs, a weak grayish coating), gray rot (usually on heavy soils, in wet weather it covers the above-ground parts of tulips like a fire), rhizoctonia disease and rhizoctonia (orange-brown spots and stripes). Also found on tulips:

penicillosis (scales turn yellow, buds and flower stalks rot);
bacteriosis (bulbs rot and turn brown);
variegation (spots and stripes on the leaves, giving the plant originality, but leading to a slowdown in metabolism, delayed development, and rapid yellowing of the greenery);
August disease or necrotic spot (sinking spots on bulbs, brown cracking dry streaks on leaves);
root rot (almost invisible or, if severely spread, leads to dwarfism and loss of decorativeness);
botrytium rot (dull flowers, soft and dark bulbs) and other types of rot.

If the timing of digging and forcing plants is not met, other problems can be observed - drooping peduncles, blind buds, calcareous diseases, gum bleeding, etc.

When tulips are affected by viruses and fungal diseases, the fight is carried out with highly specialized or systemic fungicides, repeated treatment and dressing of the bulbs. But still, the most effective method of control remains the destruction of infected specimens with preventive treatments of other plants.

Pests for tulips are far from uncommon. This plant can be affected not only by root pests - click beetles, mole crickets, onion mites, greenhouse aphids, onion hoverflies, wireworms, purple jays, they love tulips and slugs with snails. It is easy to determine damage from soil pests: the leaves on the plant turn yellow and dry out. Fighting insects is quite difficult. Cutting out damaged parts of the bulb, treating with insecticides, and isolating plants from the rest of the collection can save the plants. But it is usually easier and less risky to destroy damaged bulbs and replace them with new ones.

Features of the tulip

The height of the tulip varies from 10 to 100 cm. Additional roots grow from the bottom of the bulbs, and they represent the root system of this plant. Every year these roots die off. Young bulbs develop hollow stolons - these are lateral shoots that can grow both vertically downwards and to the sides. The daughter bulb appears at the bottom of these shoots. The erect stem has a cylindrical shape. On the surface of the lanceolate-elongated, alternately arranged leaves there is a coating of wax, which is why their color acquires a greenish-gray tint. At the very top is the smallest leaf plate, called the flag leaf. And below is the largest leaf. As a rule, a plant has 1 flower. But there are species that grow from 3 to 5 or even more flowers. They have the correct shape. The perianth consists of 6 leaves, and there are the same number of stamens with elongated anthers. The most common flower color is red, the rarer one is yellow and the very rare one is white. Varietal tulips can be painted in a variety of colors. So, there are purple, yellow, almost black, red, snow-white, violet. There are also varieties in which the flowers can be painted in several different color shades, and there are a lot of variations in their combinations. Flowers can also have a variety of shapes, namely: goblet-shaped, oval, star-shaped, cupped, lily-shaped, peony-shaped, fringed, etc. The size of the flowers also depends on the variety. Thus, there are flowers about 12 centimeters long, while their diameter can vary from 3 to 10 centimeters, and during full opening it reaches 20 centimeters. The buds open when the sun is shining in the sky; in the evening they close. In cloudy weather, the flowers do not open at all. After the plant blooms, a fruit is formed, which is a box with 3 sides. It contains triangular brownish-yellow flat seeds inside.

Agricultural technology of tulips

Most varieties of tulips bloom in May, so they are usually planted in the fall, around the second half of September. But often these flowers are grown for commercial purposes, and therefore sometimes you need to get them in February - March or even earlier.

In this case, forcing the plant is used, which greatly weakens it and creates conditions in which a full-fledged bulb cannot form, but in this case flowers can be obtained at any time.

To speed up flowering by just a couple of weeks, you can plant tulips in unheated greenhouses in the fall. And if it is necessary to make them bloom in February - March, forcing is carried out with keeping the planting material at a temperature of +9°C.

With the beginning of shoot growth, it is increased to +15°C, and later - to +18°C, but in no case higher. In this case, flowers are planted in December. Using the same principle, you can calculate how best to plant tulips, focusing on the desired flowering time.

Video: Growing, care, propagation of tulips

Monitoring the development of tulips

Tulips need attention, and it does not always have to be in standard procedures. These bulbs need to be monitored, noticing the first signs of developmental disorders, health problems or uncomfortable conditions. Regular inspection of leaves, flowers, and peduncles will prevent any troubles at an early stage.

The most important procedure in monitoring tulip plantings is considered to be the spring one. After the plants begin to actively develop, they need to be monitored. Typically, the first assessment is made as soon as the soil has warmed and the first shoots have appeared, noting signs of stunted growth and removing plants that do not germinate. At the slightest sign of plant damage by diseases, such specimens are immediately destroyed and removed not only along with the roots, but also along with a fairly large lump of earth. After removing diseased tulips, treat the soil with a fungicide, at least a solution of simple potassium permanganate, to prevent the spread of diseases.

Inspections continue throughout the active growing season and flowering. Specimens affected by viruses and diseases are carefully removed, trying not to damage neighboring plants. A particularly thorough assessment is always carried out after flowering. But if you collect tulips and carefully control their varietal identity, then varietal cleaning should be carried out at the height of flowering, noting questionable specimens and impurities, in order to then separate the plants and restore varietal purity.

Any parts of tulips dug up due to suspected infection, as well as dry parts of plants, are not sent to compost, but destroyed.

Planting tulips

It is better to prepare for planting tulips in advance. Any organic fertilizers, except compost and humus, should be added to the soil only a few years before planting, preferably under the previous crop. Pre-planting soil improvement comes down to several procedures:

deep digging (at least 30 cm, with sampling of weed roots);
correction of the composition of sandy and clayey soils;
adding humus or compost (2 buckets per square meter), wood ash (1 cup per square meter) and mineral fertilizers.

When improving the soil, a standard (40-60 g) portion of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers is added to it. Superphosphate can be poured into the bottom of planting holes or mixed with soil. It is better to apply nitrogen fertilizers immediately before planting. If mineral fertilizers have not been added to the soil in advance, then before planting, complete mineral fertilizers are used in a proportion of 100 g per square meter of soil.

The preparation of the planting site is carried out at least a month before planting the tulips. If there is an increased risk of water stagnation in the area or the groundwater is high, then a high layer of drainage must be laid under the entire bed.

Tulips are planted from the third ten days of August to the first ten days of October. Traditionally, September is called the “tulip” month, but if the weather is favorable, the planting time for tulips can be extended. For the middle zone, you can focus on the temperature: tulips are planted when the soil temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius at a depth of 10 cm. Late planting dates are determined so that the bulbs have 20-30 days left before stable frosts for their high-quality rooting.

Before planting in the soil, all bulbs must be carefully re-inspected. Any deviations in appearance, signs of damage or decay serve as the basis for culling. Particular attention should be paid to traces of viral lesions and bulb mites.

It is advisable to plant the bulbs sorted by size separately, without mixing them with each other. Large and small bulbs are planted together only if they are not planned to be dug up annually.

Before planting, bulbs are also treated with fungicide solutions (the classic version is a solution of potassium permanganate with a concentration of 0.5%). Etching is carried out for half an hour or an hour. The bulbs are planted without drying.

Tulips are planted depending on how large the group will be and what the role of tulips in flower beds is. If tulips are planted in a small spot or island, then planting can be done in a large general shallow planting hole. When planting over a large area, planting is carried out in trenches. The depth of holes or trenches for planting tulips is about 20 cm.

The distance between the bulbs when planting tulips depends on their size and on whether they plan to dig up the plants annually. If tulips are constantly planted and dug up, then the plants can be placed compactly to achieve a decorative effect or at an optimal density of 10-15 cm. When planting with less frequent digging, the minimum distance between large bulbs is about 20 cm. Children are planted at a distance of 5- 15 cm. The optimal planting density is 50 large and up to 100 small tulip bulbs per square meter of planting.

If the tulip bulbs are the same size, then planting is carried out in one step. If large and small bulbs are planted on one site, then at the beginning they install (for planting) larger bulbs, lightly cover them with soil, and then lay out smaller bulbs between them. There can be 2 or 3 such “floors” when planting tulips.

Tulip bulbs are always placed strictly horizontally, bottom down. The planting depth ranges from 10 to 15 cm, but it is better to always use the universal rule and leave a distance between the bottom of the bulb and the soil surface of 3 times the height of the bulb on light and loose soils and 2 times the height of the bulb itself for heavy and dense soils. This guideline will allow you to find the optimal depth individually for each tulip. The maximum depth for tulips is limited to 20 cm. Small bulbs can be scattered, large and medium ones are always installed individually. When planting tulips, you need to act carefully and minimize the pressure on your bulb: pressing, applying force, especially after dressing in fungicide solutions, leads to injuries to the root primordia and even the bottom of the bulb. The tulips are carefully placed, the planting holes are effortlessly filled with soil and compacted by watering rather than compacting.

After planting, tulips are prepared for winter in the same way as plants that were not dug out of the soil, according to general rules.

Tulips are planted in containers and various containers at the same time as in the soil. Plants are planted in autumn in a high-quality, loose, nutritious substrate at an optimal depth, most often in tiers with smaller bulbous crops. Drainage is required. Bulbs in containers are stored in a cool, dark room or carefully covered in the garden. The containers are exposed to light and heat only after the first shoots appear.

Selection of partners for tulips

The status of one of the most common plants leaves its mark on the choice of partners: these bulbous plants are luxurious blooming spring accents, small but stunningly beautiful stars that should always remain in the foreground. For tulips, there is no need to select partners to reveal their beauty; they go well with garden plants that can grow in similar conditions to them - from shrubs and trees to herbaceous perennials, other bulbous and tuberous plants, annuals and seasonal stars. If tulips are introduced into flower beds, then they are combined with plants that can fill the voids and then hide their fading greenery.

The best partners for tulips from among the herbaceous perennials are considered to be hostas, phlox, astilbe, garden geraniums, daylilies, cuffs, tenacious, arabis, and aubrieta. Among spring-flowering plants, tulips are most often combined with daffodils, forget-me-nots, violets, muscari and primroses, but tulips with hyacinths, anemones, and hellebores highlight each other’s beauty just as well.

Species and varietal tulips are plants that differ in the degree of decorativeness, size, variability, flower colors, and in their hardiness and unpretentiousness. With rare exceptions, species tulips are plants that can be “planted and forgotten.” Their agricultural technology is much simpler and deserves separate consideration. Varietal tulips are less persistent, they reveal the beauty of flowering most fully when dug up annually, and are vulnerable to diseases and pests. Growing varietal tulips is not such a difficult task. But there are many important nuances in plant care that you should never forget about.

Feeding for tulips

It is impossible to grow varietal tulips without fertilizing. In order to admire the luxurious flowers that fully reveal the beauty of each variety, it is necessary to create conditions in which the plants will not lack nutrients. But at the same time, tulips do not like excess fertilizers or accumulation of salts in the soil. Systematic but moderate procedures help to find the “golden mean” in feeding these bulbous plants.

Tulips prefer easily digestible fertilizers dissolved in water. It is possible to scatter mineral fertilizers over the soil, but only in combination with abundant watering and eliminating the risk of any fertilizer particles getting on the leaves, which must be dry, so you need to work very carefully).

Feeding for tulips is applied several times per season:

In early spring

The first fertilizing for tulips is carried out as early as possible, applying fertilizers in the snow or immediately after it melts. For early spring feeding, use a half-reduced portion of complete mineral fertilizers (15-30 g for each square meter of planting). Instead of universal fertilizers, you can use special mixtures for bulbs or tulips, a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in a ratio of 2:2:1 in an amount of 40-45 g.

At the budding stage

The second fertilizer for tulips is applied at the stage of formation of the flower stem and bud, supporting their normal development. For this feeding, you can use only phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (25-35 g) or a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers with a different ratio - 1: 2: 2.

After flowering

This feeding is carried out to support the development of the daughter bulb and the optimal ripening of the bulbs for the winter. It is advisable to fertilize exactly a week after the plants have finished flowering, but it can also be applied at the peak or end of flowering. For the third fertilizing, only phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used in the amount of 30-35 g per square meter of soil.

For small tulips and baby bulbs during growing, it is better to limit yourself to just two feedings - in the spring and at the budding stage.

Tulips prefer ammonium nitrate, double superphosphate and potassium nitrate, complex preparations for bulbous plants containing not only macro-, but also microelements (boron and zinc are especially important for tulips).

Tulips, like many other bulbous plants, themselves signal about improper feeding and nutrient requirements. All three macronutrients are equally important for these bulbs. Therefore, it is impossible to reduce or exclude nitrogen to obtain better flowering in these bulbs. With a lack of nitrogen, tulips become smaller, become narrower and droop, leaf plates lose their elasticity, flower stalks turn red, and the process of bulb replacement is disrupted. If there is a lack of potassium or phosphorus, tulips also signal this with their leaves, along the edges of which a bluish color appears, flowering and the root system suffer. If you take timely measures and carry out additional fertilizing, you can prevent these problems in plant development and prevent the lack of certain nutrients from also affecting flowering and reproduction.