Tulips are representatives of spring and early flowers, which fill store shelves on the eve of March 8. When the last snow comes off the ground, these plants begin to glimpse and gradually grow, so that soon they can smell beautiful and tender buds. If you decide to plant them in your flower garden, the first question that arises is: "Is it possible to plant tulips in spring and how to do it?"
Should I plant tulips in spring?
Of course, for many it is more logical to plant bulbs in the spring, when other plants and vegetables are planted. However, this will be wrong. Experienced gardeners argue that the best time for planting bulbs is autumn. This is the right time. Although planting in spring is not excluded. So, is it possible to plant tulips in spring? Yes, you can give a bunch of reasons why it is at this time of year that it is better to put the bulbs in open ground. Let's see if tulips are planted in spring.
Nature will give the right answer.
To correctly answer the question posed, it is worth watching how tulips grow in nature. When the natural rhythm of life of wild flowers will be clear to you, you can easily determine the ideal time for sowing bulbs.
The homeland of most varieties of tulips is Central Asia. Typically, these plants are found here in sandy and rocky deserts, in the steppes, crevices of rocks, on scree, in arid mountainous areas and foothills. It is worth noting that in early spring these areas simply surprise with their unique beauty. After all, it was at this time that tulips bloomed. The photo is a confirmation of this. Flowers cover the deserts and slopes of the mountains of Central Asia with a colorful living carpet.
When the spring cool turns into summer heat, the tulips wither and wither. The whole life of these plants is concentrated in the bulb. Tulips go deep into the ground. When autumn comes with its coolness, the plant forms new roots. This will allow him to bloom in the spring immediately after waking up. As you can see, in the natural environment, tulips bloom only after winter. Colds are necessary for the plant to collect useful components in the bulb, which have a great influence on processes such as germination and flowering. Do you think tulips can be planted in spring? Or is it worth the wait until the fall?
How to determine the time of planting tulips?
If you still decide to plant tulips in the spring, then you should consider some rules. First of all, it is necessary to determine the optimal time for landing. First of all, pay attention to the temperature of the soil. At a depth of 10 centimeters, it should be from +7 to + 9 ° C. If the temperature is lower, then the planting of tulips in the spring will be canceled. The plant simply will not survive.
If you plant flowers in the fall, then the temperature of the soil should be the same. If it is higher, then tulips will sprout. At the first frost, new shoots will die. If the temperature is lower, then the plant simply does not have time to take strong roots. As a result, in the spring the plant will be significantly behind in growth, and during the flowering period, its buds will be small and unattractive.
So that tulips can take root, it must take from 20 to 30 days. In this case, there should be an optimal air humidity. If in autumn the recommended dates were simply missed, then you can plant the bulbs before the first days of December. So that the plant does not freeze over the winter, the flowerbed should be covered with straw, dry leaves or spruce branches. According to experienced gardeners, planting tulips in the spring in the ground is not desirable.
Landing in the spring: features
So, is it possible to plant tulips in spring? Many argue that it is possible, but this is not worth it. What to do if all the autumn planting dates have passed, and you need to plant the bulbs? Of course, plants planted in spring also grow and bloom. True, they bloom a little later. You can speed up the growth and opening of buds, resorting to simple tricks. Of course, proper care also matters.
Before planting tulips that have been lying all winter or were recently purchased, place the tubers in the refrigerator overnight, but not in the freezer.
The next day, dilute the pink solution of potassium permanganate and gently wash the bulbs. Only then can you plant tulips.
Optimal time for landing
In addition to preparing the bulbs, you need to know when to plant tulips in the spring. The best time is until April. If there may still be frosts in your area at that time, then plant the bulbs in a container that is suitable in size. When the weather gets warmer, you can transfer the plants to the open ground.
At the same time, remember that agricultural technology during planting must be fully observed. If the care is wrong, then the tulips will practically cease to bloom, and their bulbs are chopped. As a result, the plant will become weak and small.
How to plant tulips: preparing a garden
So, we plant tulips in the spring. First of all, it is necessary to prepare an area for planting bulbs. A bed for tulips can begin to be prepared immediately, as the snow melts, and the soil will not be soiled.
If the bed was prepared in the fall and there are no perennial weeds on it, then you can not dig the soil. Just loosen it to a depth of 5 centimeters. This can be done using an ordinary chopper or the Fokine plane cutter. After that, make holes in the soil or grooves.
If the bed is still overgrown, then dig it. At the same time, try as carefully as possible to choose the roots of perennial herbs. If the bed was prepared in early spring, and you decided to plant the plant a little later, and it was overgrown with small weeds, then digging the soil is no longer worth it. Just dig the soil.
Plant bulbs
Who does not like beautiful tulips whose photos are simply amazing? In order for the plants to grow large and bloom well, they must be planted correctly. You can plant bulbs in early and late spring.
When planting, remember that the soil in the spring is very dry, and tulips require a significant amount of moisture. Pour prepared grooves or holes abundantly with water. Since planting tulips in the spring in dry soil is equivalent to simply throwing them away.
Plant the bulbs of plants in the soil and gently sprinkle them with earth. The thickness of the layer should be from 5 to 10 centimeters. After the plants are planted, you can not water them until the first shoots. After germination, tulips need care.
Soil loosening
Tulips themselves are unpretentious plants. Their cultivation is not fraught with great difficulties. However, these flowers require your attention. Care for tulips should be carefully. If you do not give the flower in time what it needs, it will fade and grind. And the bulb with insufficient care just does not ripen.
When the first shoots appear, do not loosen the soil, as you can cause severe harm to young plants. Better wait for the moment when all the tulips sprout and are well rooted.
If the soil has dried out, before loosening it, abundantly water the sprouts. Everything needs to be done carefully. Start loosening the soil after the moisture has completely absorbed.
Top dressing
Watering young sprouts, you can do their feeding. To do this, you can use a weak solution of mullein, previously diluted in water with humus. Before plowing the bed, sprinkle the soil with a special preparation that contains microorganisms useful for tulips. With this tool, you not only feed the young plants, but also improve the condition of the soil.
You can also add a small amount of ordinary baker's live yeast. They are also able to accelerate plant growth and improve soil. When feeding these plants, mineral fertilizers are often used, for example, urea. However, one should not get carried away with such substances, since the effect of their use is short-term. In this case, the development of microorganisms useful for the soil is suppressed. Because of this, the bulb will not fully ripen and will be very poorly stored. Organic fertilizers are considered the safest fertilizers useful for tulips.
Finally
Tulips are not the most fastidious plants. However, they must be able to care for. Care for the plant should begin with the planting of the bulbs themselves. And it doesn’t matter at all whether tulips are planted in spring or fall. It is much more important to create optimal conditions for the growth and development of the bulb. With proper and careful care, plants bloom in large buds, delighting with their beauty and originality. The main thing is to remember that varietal tulips are no different from wild ones.