Where do tulips grow?
In nature, tulips grow in the Central Asian region, which includes countries such as Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan, India, Nepal and China, as well as Mediterranean countries: Spain and Morocco, Italy and the Netherlands. Tulips are common on the Balkan Peninsula and in the rather harsh nature of the Scandinavian countries.
Many species and varieties grow in city flower beds and on personal plots in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. These flowers easily withstand the climatic conditions of mountain, desert and steppe regions, dry summers and harsh winters.
Where did the word "tulip" come from?
In European languages, the name of the tulip flower came from the Ottoman-Persian dictionary. The word "tülbend" meant fabric for the national headdress. Later, this concept began to correspond not only to the material from which it was made, but also to the turban itself, which had an external resemblance to a flower. Probably, the borrowing occurred almost simultaneously in the countries of Eastern and Western Europe, therefore the Italian “tulipano”, the Polish “tulipan”, as well as the German “tulpe” and the Dutch “tulp”, which have lost the ending “an”, have a common root. The word tulip entered the Russian language as a free reading of the Polish name of the plant.
Tulip - description
Tulips are herbaceous plants that have a very short growing season.
Structure of a tulip
The morphological structure of the tulip includes:
- Tulip bulbs , ovoid or pear-shaped. The top of the bulb is covered with covering scales. In the external appearance of the bulb, a flattened bottom and a pointed apex are clearly visible. The size of the tulip bulb, color and shape of the scales differ depending on the species. Inside it there are special scales that supply the plant with nutrients. After all reserves are depleted, the tulip bulb dies, and several new ones appear in its place. The lifespan of a bulb under natural conditions does not exceed 2 years.
- Tulip root located at the bottom of the bulb. At the young seedling stage, the plant has one main root, which dies off after the first growing season. Subsequently, the tulip annually grows a new root system, consisting of many thread-like roots.
- Stolon , which is a kind of underground stem of a plant. With its help, the annual vegetative propagation of tulip bulbs occurs. The stolon serves to bury the bulb bud into the ground, as well as to protect and nourish it.
- The fruit-bearing erect stem of a cylindrical tulip, on which there are from 1 to 9-12 leaves. At the end of the season the stem dies. The height of the tulip stem depends on the type and variety of the plant and can be from 15 to 70 cm.
- Tulip leaves , which have an elongated-pointed or elongated oval shape. They are located directly on the stem, tightly grasping it. Some species have comb-like projections on the leaf surface.
- Tulip flowers , which consist of three inner and three outer petals. Hybrid tulip species may have more petals. Usually one bud is formed on one plant, although there are types of tulips that are characterized by the development of several buds. The shape of a tulip flower can be oval, star-shaped, cupped, double, goblet-shaped or fringed, and the color of the tulip can be single-colored, mixed or two-colored. The color of tulips depends on the combination of anthocyanins, carotenoids and flavonols - natural dyes. In healthy plants, the inflorescences are directed strictly upward, although some varieties of tulips have drooping peduncles.
- The fruit of a tulip , which is a round, triangular box. Inside it are triangular or ovoid tulip seeds, which, after ripening, fall to the ground and are carried by the wind.
Planting bulbs
It is more convenient to plant in vegetable boxes (60x30x12), but for yourself it is better to plant in pots of 50 and 5-6 pieces, respectively. The soil must be structural so that it does not “float” when watering.
The boxes are installed in a dark place in the garden on an old film, 1 bucket of earth is poured into each box, onions are planted (weighing at least 30 g each) and filled with half a bucket of earth, watered abundantly.
If cold weather without snow is expected, the boxes are covered on top with leaves, paper, and film.
In early February, boxes with tulips are brought into a heated room with a temperature of 10-12 C and darkened. As soon as the sprouts reach a height of 8-10 cm, the shading is removed and the temperature rises to 16-18 C.
If flowering is delayed, in early March the temperature should be increased to 20-22 C.
And when they bloom early, perennial tulips are cut at the bud coloring stage and stored at a temperature of 1-3 C (as described above).
Kinds
The great tulip is a perennial bulbous plant up to 45 centimeters high, with wide bluish-green leaves. The flowers are solitary, wide open, goblet-shaped, up to 14 centimeters in diameter, bright red with a black-violet center. The flowering period begins at the end of April.
The tulip pilosa is a perennial bulbous plant up to 25 centimeters high, with linear smooth leaves of light green color. The flowers are solitary, up to 5 centimeters in diameter. Golden yellow tulips. Flowering begins in mid-April and ends in early May.
The Kaufmann tulip is a bulbous plant with a stem height of up to 20 centimeters and wide leaves with dark veins. Single flowers up to 8 centimeters in diameter. The outer surface is yellow, the throat is raspberry-pink. The plant begins to bloom in mid-April, some varieties and hybrids already in early April after the snow melts.
The excellent tulip is a perennial bulbous plant up to 30 centimeters high. The leaves are wavy, bent. The flowers are wide open, up to 14 centimeters in diameter, with narrow bright red petals and a yellow throat. The flowering period begins in early May and lasts on average 10 days.
Turkestan tulip is a bulbous plant with cup-shaped flowers up to 3 centimeters in diameter. The outer surface is greenish, the throat is yellow. The flowering period begins in April.
Bieberstein tulip is a perennial bulbous plant with thin bluish-green stems up to 30 centimeters high. Bieberstein tulip bud drooping. The flower is wide open, star-shaped, golden yellow or white. Flowering in April – May. This type of tulip cannot be dug up for several years.
Greig's tulip is a plant up to 40 centimeters high. The flowers are solitary, large, bright, goblet-shaped. They bloom in late April - early May.
Foster's tulip is a plant up to 30 centimeters high. The leaves of the Foster tulip are wide, slightly wavy along the edges. The flowers are large (up to 14 centimeters in diameter), solitary, of various colors. Used in the design of rock gardens. Flowering in late April - early May.
Gesner tulip is a small-growing plant, height 15-30 centimeters. The flower is single, red or yellow.
Dwarf tulip - plants up to 10 centimeters high. Leaves from 2 to 4, flowers usually 1-2. The color of the flowers is white, pink, lilac. Dwarf tulips are usually used in the design of rock gardens.
Lipsky's tulip is a bulbous plant 6-10 centimeters high. The leaves are deflected, edged with a reddish stripe. A single flower with a color ranging from light pink to purple. Flowering in May-June.
Schrenk's tulip is a plant up to 40 centimeters high. The leaves are curly, bent, widely spaced. The flower is solitary, broadly cupped, usually red, although there are varieties with a variety of colors.
Hybrid tulip is the combined name of more than 2.5 thousand varieties obtained by crossing several species.
In floriculture, a classification of tulips according to flowering time according to the shape and color of the flowers is also accepted. According to the international register, all varieties and types of tulips are divided into 4 groups, which, in turn, include 15 classes.
Early blooming tulips
Simple early tulips are fairly short, hardy tulips that are resistant to adverse weather conditions. The color of the flowers is most often red or yellow. Early tulips bloom at the end of April.
Early double tulips are low (up to 30 centimeters in height) tulips with large, up to 8 centimeters in diameter, bright double flowers.
Medium blooming tulips
Triumph tulips are plants up to 70 centimeters high with large goblet-shaped flowers of various colors - from white to purple.
Darwin hybrids are very tall flowers, up to 80 centimeters high. The flowers are large, goblet-shaped, red or bicolor. Frost resistant.
Late blooming tulips
Simple late tulips are powerful plants up to 70-75 centimeters high. Flowers with a square base, blunt-pointed petals. Flower color can be white, black, pink, purple, there are two-color varieties. The class of simple late tulips also includes multi-flowered tulips (spray tulips) - bouquet flowers bearing up to 5 flowers on one peduncle. Late tulip blooms in the second half of May.
Lily tulips are plants up to 60 centimeters high. The flowers have a graceful elongated shape, reminiscent of lilies. The petals are narrow, pointed, bent outward. Lily tulips bloom from mid-May.
Fringed tulips are plants of the most varied heights and colors. Fringed tulips are distinguished by the presence of needle-like fringe along the edge of the petals.
Green-colored tulips are usually medium or tall in height, with narrow leaves. A distinctive feature of green-colored tulips is green strokes, spots or stripes on the outside of the petal, which, as a rule, looks very impressive against a bright yellow, red, pink or white background. They bloom in the second half of May.
Rembrandt tulips are plants of varying heights with variegated, goblet-shaped flowers. Strokes, spots, stripes on a red, white or yellow background make these variegated tulips very impressive.
Parrot tulips are plants of various heights and colors, distinguished by a very exotic flower shape. The jagged, wavy, 'disheveled' petals of tulips of this class resemble a ruffled tropical bird. Flowers can also be huge in size.
Late double tulips , or peony tulips , are distinguished by very large, bright, densely double flowers of various colors. Low resistance to rain and wind.
Wild species of tulips, their varieties and their hybrids (botanical tulips)
- Kaufmann tulips, varieties and hybrids;
- Foster tulips, varieties and hybrids;
- Greig's tulips, varieties and hybrids;
Story
Well, and finally, a new group of tulips, which has not yet been included in the register and has not taken its place in the classification of tulips, but whose varieties are becoming increasingly popular among gardeners:
Terry-fringed tulips: densely double flowers of different colors with a fringed edge.
The tulip was first introduced into culture in Persia, where it was sung by many poets, including Hafez himself, but tulips aroused real worship and love in Turkey: they were bred in large numbers in the seraglios of the Sultan’s wives, competing to prove their love for him. In Augsburg, Europe, tulips appeared in 1554 and little by little began to win the hearts of sophisticated Europeans, accustomed to various wonders. And among the titled persons of Europe, passionate and tireless collectors of tulip varieties appeared, ready to pay crazy amounts of money for a new variety - for example, Count Pappenheim, Cardinal Richelieu, Voltaire, Emperor Franz II and Louis XVIII, who loved to organize “tulip holidays” at Versailles.
But the worship of tulips reached its peak in such a rich country at that time as Holland. In 1630, the passion for tulips in the Netherlands was widespread: new varieties were developed, the bulbs of which were sold to different parts of the world for huge sums of money. Speculators took advantage of this, and a situation arose, known in history as “tulip mania”: everyone in Holland bought tulip bulbs and everyone sold them, trading even took place on stock exchanges, lawyers did not have time to come up with trading rules, prices for bulbs soared unreasonably high... and suddenly this happened And unexpectedly, as soon as this fever began, a collapse followed. Supply exceeded demand, panic broke out on the stock exchange, and the Dutch government had to intervene: a law was passed prohibiting the trade in bulbs, and gradually tulips became what they were before - beautiful spring flowers.
The crowning triumph of the breeders is the black tulip. In the mid-seventeenth century, dark purple varieties of Haarlem tulips appeared, and this was reflected in the fiction of that time. The appearance of an absolutely black tulip dates back to February 1986, when at a press conference the director of the Institute of Floristics of the Netherlands announced that a deep black tulip had finally been bred by the Dane Gert Hageman. 400 thousand dollars and three hundred years were spent on this experiment...
Caring for tulips: watering and fertilizing flowers
Drained neutral or slightly alkaline soil with a high content of nutrients is suitable for growing tulip flowers. The plant prefers sunny and sheltered places from the wind. It grows well in one place without transplantation for 3-4 years, but it is recommended to plant it in a new place every year.
Before planting, tulip bulbs should be inspected and damaged planting material should be discarded. The fact is that the risk of disease in scratched bulbs is too great to plant them next to healthy ones. The planting material remaining after the inspection should be soaked in a 0.1% decis solution for about 15-20 minutes.
Watering tulips should be done regularly and abundantly, provided that the weather is warm. 3 weeks after flowering ends, watering is stopped. The soil between the plants is loosened and weeded.
The first feeding of tulips is carried out after the emergence of shoots (1 tablespoon of urea per 1 m2. The second time the soil is fertilized before the appearance of buds. The third feeding of tulips is necessary during the period of active formation of buds. The fourth occurs at the beginning of flowering. When caring for tulip flowers, fertilizers are used superphosphate, potassium sulfate and special fertilizers for flower plants.
Another tip for growing tulips: mulch the area in the winter, and remove the mulch in the spring. You can also dig up the bulbs and store them in a cool, dark room. Tulips are propagated by bulbs. They are planted in autumn in holes to a depth 3 times greater than the height of the bulbs. The distance between them is 15-20 cm. They are sprinkled with earth on top and lightly trampled down. The soil is dug up and leveled 10 days before work, and when planting, wood ash, humus, and nitrophoska are added to it.
Tulips are affected by penicillosis, fusarium, bulbous and tulip sclerotinia, bacterial rot, gray mold, and variegation. The most dangerous pest for them is the bulb mite.
When digging and planting, it is important to feel the tulip bulbs, trying to lightly squeeze them in your palm. Soft ones that bend under finger pressure should be discarded and destroyed, as they may be affected by disease.
Features of cultivation
The specificity of this plant with a limited period of growth of the vegetative and root systems requires the constant presence in the soil during the autumn and spring periods of a sufficient amount of soluble mineral nutrition elements that are easily accessible to the plant with constant replenishment of moisture reserves in the top layer of soil. Read how to care for tulips and other important points in the article “Tulips - growing and care.”
Ideal for cultivating tulips are areas with a slight (3 - 4°) slope to the south or southwest, but with close groundwater (80 - 90 cm). However, areas flooded with groundwater during snow melt or after heavy spring rain are unsuitable for them. The root system, deprived of the supply of atmospheric air, is unable to function normally and dies off faster, which shortens the period of active photosynthesis; processes of outflow of carbohydrates into the storage part - the bulb - begin to predominate, which is formed in a smaller size, which negatively affects the formation and formation of reproductive organs.
Medicinal properties
The medicinal properties of tulip flowers, as well as its other parts, have not been sufficiently studied to date. It is known that tulips contain fiber, sugar, and starch. Traditional medicine uses this plant to treat heart diseases.
In cosmetology, tulip oil , which can be prepared at home. To do this, pour olive oil over the crushed petals of the plant and leave for 14 days. This product is excellent for treating rashes; after using the oil, facial skin becomes soft and velvety.
Use in cooking
In the culinary world of many countries, tulip flowers are a real delicacy. The floral trend in world cooking originates from England. In the country of Foggy Albion, starting from the 16th century, cookbooks contained recipes for flower syrups, salads, tinctures and even candied petals. Today, sweet petals are most popular in France.
Exotic tulip dishes can be enjoyed in establishments in the Netherlands. Tulips are valued not only as a dessert, but also as an excellent hot dish, which is obtained by frying their petals in batter. Tulips go well with fish and meat dishes.
One of the Vancouver restaurants has prepared a real “tulip menu”. In spring, in this restaurant you can taste asparagus and feta cheese with fried tulips, or a salad made from the shoots of this plant of the “Emperor” variety. The restaurant also serves coal fish with a warm salad with tulip flowers and sauce. The buds of these flowers in sauce taste like Brussels sprouts. For dessert, the restaurant offers a stunningly delicious pie with flower petals. The combination of tulips, whipped cream and lemon will not leave anyone indifferent.
At home, you can prepare an incredibly tasty dish called “ tulip petals in batter .” For this dish you will need 3 large red flowers, 150 grams of flour, half a glass of white wine and the same amount of olive oil, a chicken egg, 5 grams of yeast. The flour is diluted with wine, then yeast and yolk are added to the mixture, and a little water is poured in. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and left to ferment for half an hour. Whipped egg white is added to the resulting dough, the petals are first dipped into the dough and then fried in boiling oil until golden brown. After frying, the petals should be dried on a napkin. The dish is served hot.
Tulip bulbs are also edible, they are baked in the fire, they taste like potatoes, only they have a sweet aftertaste.
The green leaves of the plant are great for making a vitamin salad. Young leaves are cut into strips and mixed with chopped green onions, and 1 tablespoon of vinegar is added to the salad. The salad is left for one hour in order to get rid of excess bitterness, then the vinegar is decanted and the salad is seasoned with olive oil.
How to prepare seed
Tulips can be planted with seeds collected from the plant's capsule. But you will have to wait a long time for the first flowering - 4-5 years. Typically, this condition is suitable for botanists and plant breeders. Summer residents use only bulbs for planting.
Before planting, the bulbs must undergo preparation:
- Selection - only healthy, whole heads with a diameter of up to 3 cm are selected. Any with signs of disease are immediately destroyed.
- Preventive treatment is often carried out in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The seed is left for half an hour and then immediately planted.
When inspecting the bulbs for diseases, you need to carefully remove their husks, since it is under them that a source of infection can be found.
If spring planting is planned, the bulbs are hardened off before soaking by leaving them in the refrigerator overnight.
Tulip bulbs in a weak solution of potassium permanganate
Benefits of tulip flowers and treatment
The benefits of the tulip are known to Chinese medicine. Edible varieties of the plant are used in dermatology to treat skin pustules and dermatitis ; for these diseases, the flower is consumed internally. In folk medicine, the plant is used knowing its tonic properties. Chinese healers recommend using this plant for diarrhea, tumors, and poisoning.
