Tulip care: planting and care instructions
Content:
Instructions for caring for tulips after planting and before the formation of the first flowers
You will be very surprised, but a small number of people from the whole mass who grow this plant in their suburban or summer cottage know how to properly care for a flower after planting and before the formation of the first flowers, as well as what to do when the buds have faded.
This flower has been growing for several years, has a high level of resistance to many adverse conditions, and is inherently a very simple plant in terms of care. However, with improper care during the growing season, the plant may undergo rotting of the bulbs, the flowers will not bloom, the even stems will become crooked and brittle, of course, the worst option would be the death of the tulip.
First, decide on the area where these stunning flowers will grow in the future. It is worth choosing places carefully, the main criterion in choosing a site should be a sufficient amount of sunlight. Do not forget that the procedure for loosening the earth will never be superfluous. It is recommended to plant tulips in fertile soil. The bulbs must be prepared well in advance. Bulbs must be selected free from defects, for example, no dark spots, no cracks or wrinkles. We advise you to process the bulbs, place them in the stimulating solution for a couple of hours. This will contribute to an increase in immunity, an increase in the level of resistance to various parasites and diseases. This will save you time and frustration in the future.
Directly from the bulbs themselves, the germination, size and appearance of tulips will depend. It is better to select bulbs of large size, without any defects, make sure that they are not soft and rough.
Usually in the last weeks of the first spring month, the first shoots of flowers begin to hatch. All this lasts until the end of the second week of the second spring month, snow is not a hindrance to flowers. It is worth remembering that weather conditions and the type of tulip affect the timing of their pecking out from under the snow. If you made a layer of mulch, then you should remove it immediately after the snow melts. This will promote rapid soil warming and early flowering in tulips.
Tulip care: instructions for further actions after the flowers hatch
- Carefully inspect the sprouts when they begin to germinate. So you will see which bulbs did not sprout, which ones have various diseases. If a sprout with defects is found, it is worth immediately removing it from the soil and burning it, this is done so that diseases do not spread to healthy crops.
- Throughout the territory near young shoots, it is necessary to carry out the process of loosening the soil, but very carefully. This will help the air reach the root system, which in turn will help keep moisture in the soil longer. It should be said right away that the process of loosening the soil should be constantly present in the routine of caring for tulips. It is recommended to carry out the process of loosening after precipitation in the form of rains or after moistening the earth.
- It is worth not overdoing it with moistening the earth before the beginning of the flowering process of the plant, but at the same time make sure that a dry crust does not form on the top layer of the soil.
- The first fertilization is arranged after the first sprouts have been pecked out from under the soil. At that moment, plants need nitrogen, which helps accelerate the growth process and the formation of foliage. It is recommended to use nitrofmmophos as fertilizers or crystallin with microelements in the composition, the best option would be a remedy in tablets.
- Subsequent fertilization cannot be called necessary, but this procedure will not harm the plant at all, but vice versa.
- In the process of bud formation, the plant absorbs nutrients from the ground. The most important are phosphorus and potassium. They contribute to the correct formation of the peduncle. Purchase fertilizers from a garden-themed store that contain potassium, phosphorus, and some nitrogen.
- At the moment of opening the buds, it is worth again applying mineral fertilizers to the soil.
Fertilization is a very painstaking process, you should not rush. During feeding, you can harm the root system or foliage. Remember that it is worth providing the plant with fertilizing on days with rainfall or immediately after the soil is moistened. Do not place fertilizer on the snow because it melts unevenly. Dissolve a solution from fertilizers and pour snow on it.
Tulip care: basic flower care instructions
At the moment of blooming, groups of stunning plants form in the flower beds. This plant requires special care. It is necessary to moisten the soil abundantly, usually ten liters of warm and settled water is spent on one square meter. You probably know that direct sunlight burns foliage, so try not to get water on the foliage when watering on sunny and especially hot days.
In the process of flowering, the plant should be supplemented with a high content of potassium and phosphorus. But the nitrogen content must be reduced or dispensed with. Substances such as zinc, manganese and boron will be beneficial. They contribute to the accelerated development of the bulbs.
Experienced gardeners and summer residents recommend arranging a procedure for changing places of hybrids, as this maintains the beauty of certain groups of tulips. And also clean tulips with diseases, parasites, defects. Flowers in the process of flowering require constant and careful examination. This is necessary in order to identify the diseased flower, remove it and thereby save the rest of the plants. The most dangerous disease is variegation.
Unfortunately, it cannot be cured. When a plant is cut, the infected sap reaches the healthy plant and exposes it to disease. After you remove the infected plant with a sharp knife or scissors, place them in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or alcohol.
It is worth remembering that after each moistening of the soil, it is worth loosing it. This will reduce the appearance of weeds.
Tulip care: next steps after tulips have faded
As breeders, they did not try to prolong the flowering process of tulips, but they did not succeed. By itself, it lasts for a short period of time. After a week, the buds begin to fade, which of course spoils the appearance of the entire flower bed. Speeds up the flowering process of buds especially on hot days. However, do not remove plants from the soil immediately after the flowering process is completed. Still moisturize the soil for fourteen days, this is necessary for proper formation of the bulbs. Constant and abundant watering promotes a quick supply of nutrients.
In order for the faded buds not to interfere with contemplating the beauty of your summer cottage or suburban area, it is worth transplanting the bulbs into specialized containers.
Instructions for caring for flowers after completing the flowering process:
- if there is a desire to breed this kind of tulips, it is worth pruning the plant heads on the third or seventh day after the opening of the buds (almost at the moment of shedding of the petals), at this moment the bulbs are gaining mass.
- immediately remove the fallen parts of the plant, as then they will rot and harm the plant.
- in any case, do not cut the stems of already faded plants, you can cut off after they turn yellow. Otherwise, the bulbs will not ripen.
- by digging the bulb out of the soil, you will find out its condition.
- it is necessary to carefully remove the bulbs from the soil, place the shovel in the very depths of the soil so as not to accidentally damage the root system.
- the bulbs are stored at a temperature of twenty degrees.
In the autumn season, the bulbs are planted in pre-prepared areas, and then the soil is well moistened. In particular, all you need to do in the fall season is to prepare the plants for the winter season and the cold. Purchase a supplement containing ammonium nitrate in a store with a vegetable garden and garden theme and add it in the second week of the second month of autumn. It is recommended to make a layer of peat mulch.
Among experienced summer residents and gardeners, half said that the bulbs of this plant do not need to change their place of growth every year, but changing the place of growth of a plant helps to increase its growth, size and improve its appearance.