In order for tulips to please their beauty every year, it is important to plant bulbs on time. But how to store tulip bulbs before planting?
As you know, bulbs are easily exposed to moisture, diseases, suffer from pests and temperature spikes. That is why it is important to dig in time and ensure proper storage of tulip bulbs before planting.
Timely excavation and preparation for storage
A very important moment in the life of the plant is the timely digging. In the case of tulips, the main guideline for their harvesting is yellowed leaves.
A wilted flower is cut, a pair of lower leaves and a stem are left. When the leaves turn completely yellow and start to dry - it's time to dig out! It is better to do this in dry weather. It is worth noting that completely dried leaves quickly crumble, which complicates the search and cleaning. And too early cleaning does not allow to obtain high-quality ripened planting material.
After harvesting, the tulip bulb needs to be washed, etched in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (0.5%) and dried. In this case, damaged and diseased onions are rejected, the children are separated. Clean bulbs dug in dry weather are dried in a draft or outdoors.
But is it necessary to carry out all these procedures before storing the tulip bulbs? It is noted that etching for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate reliably protects planting material from diseases. And re-etching (just before planting) allows you to get large beautiful flowers next year.
Conditions for proper storage
It is quite simple to remember how to store tulip bulbs, and to fulfill all conditions. The basic rules are good ventilation, lack of light and moisture in the storage, constant temperature.
The best option for bookmark storage - cleaning bulbs in wooden boxes, wicker baskets, nets or paper containers. The temperature in the first month after harvesting is 23-25 degrees. If the storehouse has high humidity and temperature fluctuations, then regular inspection and rejection of the bulbs is necessary.
It is a misconception that the best place to store is a refrigerator. Too low a temperature will inhibit flower bud development. As a result, the bulb will be outwardly healthy, beautiful, but will not produce color at all or will degenerate into a “blind” bulb.
Particular attention should be paid to children. Since adult bulbs grow smaller and degenerate every year, healthy offspring are the key to constant beautiful flowering. Children are also stored at room temperature, well ventilated, regularly inspected.
How to prepare tulips for planting?
Before landing at a new place, the temperature in the storehouse is reduced to 15-17 degrees. If it is supposed to be planted in its former place, then it is necessary to sow siderates in order to destroy the pathogenic flora. Therefore, before storing tulip bulbs, you need to solve the problem with a place for their further planting. In the Russian climate, tulips are planted from the beginning to mid-September, depending on the region.