Tulips are stunningly beautiful spring flowers, which are a symbol of female beauty. These flowers are popular with both beginners and experienced gardeners. Today we will talk about the autumn and spring planting of tulips in the open ground, the care of which is, although troublesome, but very pleasant. In this article we will share with you all the features of growing tulips in our area.
Benefits of Autumn Planting
If you have a choice between spring and autumn planting of tulips, then you should remember the climatic conditions in the homeland of this flower - in Central Asia. Throughout early spring, the peak of flowering tulips occurs. Flowers cover the meadows and mountainsides almost with a carpet. In the early summer, the petals dry and fall, and therefore only the tuber remains from the plant. By autumn, the tuber begins to take root, through which the bulb feeds throughout the winter. By next spring, the plant is ready to bloom again. Since the cultivars of tulips have a life cycle that does not differ from wild ones, autumn is considered the most preferable time for planting.
Dates of autumn tulip planting
The time for planting tulip bulbs in autumn directly depends on the temperature of the soil. The optimal dates for planting tulips in autumn are: late September, October and early November. The main condition is warm and dry weather. You should not plant tulips in cold weather and after the onset of frost.
It is important to organize a productive planting of tulips precisely in these months, since earlier planting promotes premature rooting and development of sprouts that will die with the advent of frost. In order not to miss the exact time of planting, periodically measure the temperature of the soil with a garden thermometer. The most comfortable indicator is considered to be a temperature of +10 ° C at a depth of about 15 centimeters.
Recently, many flower growers often turn to the lunar calendar to determine the timing of planting garden crops. According to this calendar, the most favorable days for tulip planting in 2018 will be:
- in September - from the 16th to the 19th;
- in October - from the 12th to the 15th and from the 17th to the 19th;
- in November - 7, 8, 15th.
Site selection and soil preparation
Planting tulips in open ground should be carried out in a well-lit area. Do not grow these flowers in the lowlands, where excess moisture accumulates, causing rotting and freezing of the bulbs. When planting tulips in the shade, be prepared for the fact that due to lack of sunlight, the stems will become thinner and the flowers will be small and less beautiful. It is advisable to plant these flowers in the area where pumpkin crops, strawberries and legumes were previously grown.
When choosing a soil, neutral or slightly alkaline soil should be preferred. Light, enriched with humus soil will provide tulips with a bright and lush flowering. But planting tulips in soil with high acidity will lead to the development of weak buds. Before sowing, the soil is fertilized with humus or compost.
How to choose and prepare onions?
For planting tulips in the ground, the largest and most healthy bulbs are selected, without signs of disease or damage. Even one diseased bulb can put the whole crop under attack.
Preparation of planting material begins with peeling the bulbs of the bulbs and a thorough examination for damage and illness. Removing the husks allows for a better inspection and provides onion access to nutrients. Then strong large bulbs are sorted out - they go on landing the very first. Damaged specimens should be planted separately from healthy ones in order to protect the future crop from possible infection.
Before planting, the bulbs are treated with a disinfecting solution that prevents the development of fungal and bacterial diseases. Today there is an excellent selection of drugs of this kind, so there will be no problems with this procedure. If it was not possible to find a special tool, it is permissible to use a normal solution of potassium permanganate. Such treatment is an excellent prophylaxis of bulb infection with pests and diseases.
Planting process
The soil before planting tulips is fertilized with compost, after which it loosens and moistens well. The depth of the bulbs should be about 15 centimeters, and the distance between them - at least 10 centimeters. The largest bulbs are planted in the center of the plot, and the smaller ones are planted at the edges. In this way, you will provide all colors with access to sunlight. You should not grow different varieties together, it is better to organize different beds for each variety. Subject to the timing and order of planting tulips, caring for them will bring you only pleasure. Timely watering and fertilizer have a positive effect on the quality of flowers.
Features of soil mulching
Mulching allows you to cover the soil around the plant in order to protect it from moisture loss and the development of weeds. In addition, the mulch regulates the mode of getting fresh air to the root system. To provide tulips with protection from harmful insects, parasitic plants and excessive loss of water, natural materials are used. As mulch, sawdust, mowed grass or hay, bark, compost and even small pebbles are used. Such material not only improves the structure of the soil and its drainage properties, but also fills the soil with nutrients.
But there are also disadvantages of mulching tulips. Straw works as a bait for various rodents, and the grass, decomposing into the mucous mass, can burn the delicate stems of tulips. Also not suitable for young plants bark and chips. But for those who are still used to mulching cultivated plants, we recommend using peat and chopped straw for tulips. The layer of such a shelter should be at least five centimeters.
Rodent protection
In addition to the basic rules of planting and care, tulips require protection from rodents. For this, special containers are used, which can be purchased at the store or built independently. A mesh or a plastic bottle is suitable for this purpose. However, a more adult and nimble mouse is capable of digging under such a shelter and penetrating tulips.
A more effective measure will be the planting of tulips near with the imperial hazel grouse, as its pungent smell perfectly repels many pests. Processing of bulbs with red pepper or Vishnevsky ointment, as well as kerosene, also helps. Some gardeners plant tulips at home just before the frost, when most of the animals and insects went into hibernation and are unlikely to harm plants.
Spring planting
Spring planting of tulips is made, but much less often than autumn. This is due to a longer and more complicated cultivation process, if some of the requirements are not complied with, you can even be left without a crop. For example, bulbs should be stored under such conditions that they do not freeze, but do not have time to germinate prematurely.
You can speed up the beginning of flowering, but for this you need to fulfill some conditions:
- on the night before planting, the bulbs are placed in the refrigerator chamber;
- on the day of sowing, planting material is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate;
- the landing process itself is not made until April.
Some gardeners use spring planting as an intermediate step to harvest next year.
The nuances of spring planting
Despite the fact that autumn time is more preferable, it is acceptable to grow tulips during spring planting, while observing some technologies. However, the bulbous flowers planted in the spring will begin to bloom a little later than the autumn ones, and the flowering itself will be more meager and pale. But this can depend not only on the timing of sowing, but also on the variety and variety of tulips.
If you decide to plant tulips in the spring, then you should do it as soon as possible. Landing is carried out immediately after the onset of favorable weather conditions - in April. Moreover, if there is a threat of night frost, the bulbs are first planted in degradable containers, which are then planted in open ground with the plant. The temperature of the soil for planting should be at least +9 ° C.
Planting tulips in spring: when and how?
To determine the exact timing of spring sowing of bulbs, you can use the lunar calendar. For example, in 2018, the best days to land are:
- in March - from the 21st to the 23rd, 25th, 26th;
- in April - from the 17th to the 19th and from the 21st to the 23rd;
- in May - from the 19th to the 21st.
Before sowing, the soil is well dug up to a depth of about 30 centimeters. Fresh manure should not be introduced into the soil, since it will cause the development of infectious diseases. Therefore, you can fertilize the soil with compost or rotted manure. Bulb preparation consists in selecting the largest and strongest. This is followed by presowing disinfection and immediate planting. After this treatment, the swelling of the root platen is accelerated, so it is not worth delaying the planting.
Wells for planting are dug in accordance with the size of the bulbs. Between the holes, a distance of about 10 centimeters is observed, and between rows - at least 20 centimeters. From 5 to 10 bulbs are planted in each hole, while decorating future tulips around undersized plants. The main planting pattern (in the center - large bulbs, and small on the edges) is the same as in autumn sowing. Each variety is planted separately. This is done for ease of further care.
At the bottom of the grooves, it is advisable to pour a little fertilizer for bulbous plants and sprinkle with a thin layer of earth. Bulbs are planted carefully, with the bottom down, without pressing into the ground, so as not to damage the small roots. After sowing, they are covered with a thin layer of ash and sand, a little humus is added and sprinkled with earth. After that, the plot is leveled with a rake to avoid moisture stagnation after watering.