Tulips are one of the first to open a spring ball in garden plots and city flower beds. After flowering, the bulbs must be dug up and properly stored. At this time, new flowers are emerging. Planting tulips in autumn begins a new period of their life: they give roots and freeze to show their splendor with the advent of the new spring.
Seat selection
Tulips are planted in autumn on flat areas, hollows and slopes will not suit them. They are very fond of moisture, and in Holland, during the growing season , a high level of groundwater is artificially maintained. But during wintering and snowmelt, tender bulbs on swampy soils can rot or freeze. The place should be sunny and protected from the winds. Tulips are reconciled with shadow, but the size of the buds and their color will be more modest.
Soil preparation
These bulbs love light sandy, humus-rich land. The soil reaction should be neutral or slightly alkaline. In an acidic environment, bulbs form flawed buds that are unable to bloom.
Fertilizers are applied 1-2 months before the time when the planting of tulips is planned. When digging in the autumn, a well-decomposed humus or mineral fertilizer is laid.
In one place, tulips can be grown for no more than 4 years. Good predecessors for them are pumpkin crops, legumes, dahlias, calendula, strawberries. The worst are plants in the nightshade and bulb family .
Sorting and planting tulips
In the fall, the bulbs are inspected for damage and disease. Bad specimens are discarded, healthy material is sorted by size. Different varieties bloom at different times, so each of them is displayed in its bag or container.
Large bulbs go to flower beds and flower beds, and small ones are planted on beds for further development and mass gain.
Immediately before planting, the material is soaked in "Maxim" or in a solution of potassium permanganate. The planting depth is 3 bulbs heights, and the distance between plants - 15-20 cm. With the onset of cold weather, the ridges mulch.
Landing time
Plant bulbs in such a way that they can take root well before the onset of cold weather. Tulips can take 3-4 weeks. Rooting occurs best at high soil moisture and air temperature of +4 ... + 6 ° C. Dates vary from late September to mid-October, depending on the terrain and weather conditions.
How important is it to comply with tulip planting dates in the fall? If the bulbs are planted too early, they can not only take root, but also have time to germinate. In winter, there is a great risk of freezing of tender young shoots.
With late planting, tulips do not have time to give roots, in spring they bloom later and give small bulbs.
What to do with latecomers?
Not everything can be calculated in advance. Sometimes a parcel with rare varieties comes too late, when the time for planting tulips in the fall has already passed. Situations are different: tulips that were not planted were discovered, a grand sale of flowers happened, and so on. What to do with these bulbs?
Firstly, strong specimens can be left for distillation. But not all varieties are suitable for this, and bulbs are prepared in advance for such an event.
Secondly, you can risk planting tulips in the winter. They must be deepened by at least 20 cm and covered with bulbs with ordinary garden soil. The planting site must be well mulched with plant debris and covered with a film. So that the bulbs do not vomit, in early spring, the film must be removed.