Tulips cultivation and care in the open field. Planting tulips in open ground, greenhouse and at home

You have been growing tulips for a long time without any special problems and care, but suddenly the flowers, which from year to year have delighted you with lush and bright flowering, seem to have changed: the buds have become small and inconspicuous ...
Do not rush to look for a disease or pests, perhaps naughty ... you. By their inaction. After all, tulips love attention not only during flowering.
Why did tulips become smaller?
The first reason is that you have not dug them for more than three years.
The second reason is improper storage of the bulbs.
The third - they dug it out too sooner or later ...
And tulips become shallow through the wrong planting depth, watering and even cutting!
How to properly care for tulips so that they do not lose their varietal beauty, we will analyze in detail in our article.

Listen to the article

Planting and caring for tulips

Landing: late September or early October. As a last resort in April.
Digging: when two-thirds of the leaves turn yellow.
Storage: until September in open boxes, laid in one layer, in a well-ventilated room at a temperature of 20 ˚C, then the storage temperature is lowered to 17 ˚C.
Lighting: bright sunlight or light partial shade.
The soil: slightly alkaline or neutral, well-drained, fertile and loose sandy loam soil fertilized with ash and compost.
Watering: regular and plentiful, especially during the setting of buds and flowering: for watering 1 m², 10 to 40 liters of water are consumed.
Top dressing: mineral or organic fertilizers. First time - in early spring, immediately after the emergence of shoots, the second time - during the budding period, the third time - after flowering.
Reproduction: seed and vegetative (daughter bulbs).
Pests: purple scoops, root onion mites, bears, slugs, mice and moles.
Diseases: gray, white, root, wet and soft rot, variegated and tobacco necrosis viruses (August disease).

Flowers tulips - description

A tulip grows in height from 10 cm to a meter. The root system consists of adventitious roots that grow from the bottom of the bulb and die off every year. Young bulbs form hollow stolons - lateral shoots growing to the side or vertically downward, a daughter bulb forms at the bottom of the stolons. The stem of the tulip is cylindrical, erect, the leaves are bluish-green due to a light waxy coating, elongated-lanceolate, arranged alternately along the stem. Most large leaf- bottom, smallest (flag-sheet) - top.

Tulip flowers open in the sun and close at night or in cloudy weather.

A tulip usually has one flower, although there are many-flowered species and varieties, with 3-5 flowers or more. The flowers are regular, the perianth has six leaves, six stamens with elongated anthers, most often the tulip flower is red, less often - yellow, even less often - white. The color of varietal tulips is much more varied: red, purple, pure white, yellow, purple and almost black, there are varieties that combine several colors in the most incredible variations.

Flower shape tulip is also diverse: cupped, goblet, lily-shaped, oval, peony, star-shaped, fringed ... The size of the flower also depends on the variety - sometimes the length is 12 cm, and the diameter is from 3 to 10 cm (in full disclosure up to 20 cm). The fruit of tulips is a triangular box, the seeds in it are triangular, flat, yellow-brown.

In the photo: Blooming tulips

Growing tulips - features

Affects tulips August disease caused by the tobacco necrosis virus. The disease is fungal, manifests itself in the form of curvature of the stem and ugly striping of the flower, as well as dark spots on the bulb. Diseased plants must be removed immediately, the hole should be shed with a strong hot solution of potassium permanganate and boric acid at the rate of 10 g of manganese and 3 g of boric acid per 1 liter of water. You can fill the hole with ash. The rest of the plants need to be sprayed with a 2% Fundazole solution.

Sometimes tulips get sick with fungal diseases - gray, root, white, soft, wet or botrytous rot, especially if the spring is wet and rainy. The reasons may be different, but the preventive measures are the same: ensure good drainage of the soil, fulfill all agrotechnical requirements for growing tulips, after the summer digging of the bulbs before their autumn planting, sow on the site plants that emit phytoncides (marigolds, calendula, mustard, nasturtium) ... In addition, for prevention purposes, fungicides are used, watering the area with a solution of 20 g per 10 liters of water.

In the photo: Variegated tulip

Of the pests, bear tulips, lilac scoops, root onion mites, snails, slugs and mouse-like rodents are dangerous to tulips.

Against onion tick use heat treatment of the bulbs, dipping them for five minutes in hot (35-40 ºС) water. If the infection was detected already during the growing season, the tulips are sprayed with a 2% solution of Keltan or Rogor, and if this does not give quick results, the diseased specimens have to be dug up and destroyed. After digging the bulbs from the plot, plant tomatoes, radishes or tagetes on it - these plants are resistant to the mite.

Purple scoop afraid of dusting the lower leaves of plants with naphthalene.

For bear, snails and slugs scatter traps on the site: rags, pieces of plywood or slate, under which they like to crawl, and every day collect insects and destroy. For a bear, you can dig into the soil glass jars and fill them with water not to the very top: insects fall into the water and cannot get out.

After this article, they usually read

Tulips are spring flowers that are one of the first to delight the eye, blooming in flower beds near summer cottages, gardens or in the courtyards of multi-storey buildings.

This is enough unpretentious plants, but the largest and brightest buds bloom only if they are properly and carefully looked after.

Whichever types and varieties of tulips you choose, follow these simple rules and tips for growing them, and every year the flowers will be even more beautiful.

Let's consider the most common types of tulips:

terry- unusual, bright flowers, different kinds which can be both early and late;
peony- a kind of tulips with wide petals overlapping each other;
dutch- the most famous and popular species in the world, Holland is considered a "specialist" in the cultivation of tulips;
undersized- flowers with short peduncles(parts of the plant that hold the buds, 15-30 cm);
lilac- flowers with long, delicate petals that bend outward.

Varieties

There are a great many varieties of tulips. Here is some of them:

Ice Cream (Ice Cream)- a plant with an original appearance: a large double flower white surrounded by pink petals;
Triumph- flowers with large buds and strong stems (any shades, except blue);
Arcadia – large flowers with yellow petals;
Green Bizarre- plants with green buds;
Frozen Night (Frozen Knight)- amazing tulips with dark purple fringed flowers;
Cartouche- flowers with delicate petals in the form of feathers of a white-pink hue;
Rams Favorite- buds of purple "flame" color on a white background.

Where can you buy seeds and bulbs

The best place to buy tulips is proven and reliable nursery located near your place of residence ( a large number of nurseries are concentrated in the Moscow region).

You can also use online stores, which provide for home delivery of planting material.

It is cheaper to buy seeds and bulbs in bulk - suppliers reduce the cost of goods for wholesale buyers.

Plant prices depend on the rarity of species and varieties, the approximate cost is from 19 to 70 rubles for 1 onion.

Varieties for cultivation in the Moscow region and Siberia

Despite the difficult climatic conditions Siberia, here you can grow all varieties of tulips, providing them with proper care.

This applies to areas with no permafrost.

Otherwise, as planting sites flowers, you can use an area passing over a heating main, a septic tank, well-lit by the sun and sheltered from the wind.

For climatic conditions Moscow region varieties are ideal Parade, Ivory Floradale, Apeldoorn.

As a rule, the flowering of bulbous crops in this zone begins in the last days May - early June.

Planting tulips

Seat selection

The place where you plan to plant flowers should be good illuminate, be protected from exposure cold wind.

A flat area is required for water to penetrate deep- below the fertile layer of the earth.

The root system of the plant penetrates to the depth 65-70 cm therefore it is important that the groundwater does not rise too high - this will cause the death of the bulbs.

It also matters - the culture that grew on this site earlier. Beans are preferred.

Fertile, loose and fertilized soil is a guarantee of beautiful flowers with large bright buds.

When to plant bulbs

The most suitable ground temperature for planting tulips in open ground is observed from mid-September to mid-October - 6-10 ° C (at a depth of about 15 cm).

But it's better periodically measure soil temperature, since climatic features can change.

Root formation is significantly impaired at high and low temperatures. Beginning of autumn- ideal time for planting tulips.

The pick-up time also depends on varieties: early flowering varieties are planted a couple of weeks earlier than late flowering varieties.

Note! The development of the root system of the bulb takes place within 2-3 weeks, it is necessary that this process is completed before the onset of frost. The deadline is mid-October.

Soil preparation

Tulip cultivation is influenced by the following physical features soil:

fertility;
humidity;
air capacity of soil (maximum amount air that may be contained in the soil);
looseness.

The best conditions for growing tulips are characterized by soil with following properties:

contains a large amount humus;
possesses neutral reaction of the environment(read how to check the acidity level of the soil);
is cultivated(processed to increase fertility).

If you choose sandy soil, keep in mind that it dries quickly and is not insufficiently supplied with nutrients. All soil imperfections can be smoothed out by regularly watering it, feeding and fertilizing it.

The clay type earth requires periodic loosening and the introduction of organic matter: river sand, peat, manure and the like, with which you can improve its water and air permeability.

Planting depth

Before boarding, you must select the bulbs: healthy, medium or large size (these are the materials that will turn into beautiful flowers with large buds).

Treat each onion with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or foundation ( 0,2% ), for the prevention of viral and fungal diseases.

Fundazol- a drug that is used to treat plants and seeds from various diseases, as well as for prophylactic purposes.

Planting depth determined by the size of the bulb. To do this, take an onion, measure its height and multiply the resulting number by 3- this will be the landing depth.

To find out the distance that should be between the bulbs, measure the diameter of one of them and multiply on 2... Do the same for each onion if they are different sizes.

For more information on planting tulip bulbs, site selection and soil preparation, see watch in this video:

Tulip care

Watering

Tulips are plants that love water, but you should not flood the flowers or wait for the soil to dry out completely.

Use warm ( about 20 ° C), water that has stood for a couple of days so that it has a minimum chlorine content (if it is tap).

Droplets should not falling on flowers or leaves, this is fraught with the appearance of spots on the petals and wilting of the buds.

Helpful advice! Dig grooves between the rows of tulips and pour water there, not directly under the bushes. After soaking up the water, cover the grooves with earth to prevent the moisture from evaporating.

Fertilizers

Fertilizers are usually applied when planting bulbs, but due to heavy rainfall, useful substances can be washed out of the ground.

To feed tulips, you can also use fertilizers in the spring - it is most convenient to apply them by dissolving in water.
Fertilizer options:

Mineral fertilizers, which contain nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. For example, "Kemira Kombi" Nitrofoska, "Flower Paradise", Ammofoska. Fertilizers are applied at the rate of about 20 g / 1 m² land (instructions are attached to each fertilizer);
Fertilizers organic(necessarily high quality, disinfected from bacteria and microorganisms). "Harmony", "Life-giving force", "Geoplant", etc. Calculation of the amount of fertilizer depends on the fertility of the soil and is 10-50 g / m2.

The appearance of the plant testifies to the lack of one or another mineral substance.

Fast fading in a bouquet, fragile stem, small leaves say that the tulip needs in nitrogen, solution - top dressing with ammonium nitrate (10-15 g / 1m²).

Small deformed flowers, a bluish tint of the leaves are a sign of a lack of potassium and phosphorus, the solution is feeding with potassium nitrate, superphosphate ( 30-40 g / 1m²).

Care during and after flowering

During the flowering process, tulips require intensive watering ( 10 liters of water per 1m²) and the fertilization mentioned earlier.

As often as possible inspect flowering plants- this will help to detect flowers affected by diseases and remove them.

You should also get rid of and loosen the soil after each watering so that a dry crust does not appear on it.

After tulips faded, it is not necessary to stop their intensive watering for several weeks - during this period, the active formation of the bulb takes place.

Watering promotes accumulation more useful substances. Remove fallen petals immediately so that they do not cause rotting.

You can only cut off the stems when they are completely yellow. By completing this procedure earlier, you will provoke cessation of bulb development.

Transplant features

For transplanting tulips it is necessary to dig up the bulbs, observing some rules.

It is best to do the digging in June-July when the soil is crumbly contains a small amount of moisture:

get out onion from the ground;
neatly cut or break off leaves and stems;
remove the old husk Brown color;
rinse healthy bulbs disinfectant(for example, foundation).

The bulbs should be transplanted in the fall- during the normal planting season.

When to dig up the bulbs

The bulbs are dug in order to eliminate weakened and diseased plants, to select the largest and healthiest planting material, prevent the appearance of many small bulbs (unsuitable for planting).

In other words, it is a guarantee of the preservation of the variety and large, healthy, beautiful flowers. Excavation period bulbs depend on the climatic zone (from May to early July).

In order not to be mistaken in the calculations, you should focus on the most important indicator - yellowed leaves tulip. As soon as about 2/3 of the length of the leaf turns yellow, you can safely remove the bulb.

Reproduction

Seed propagation

The seed method of propagation of tulips is used only to breed new variety of flowers because seedlings can bloom 5 years later and later after planting.

In addition, they do not repeat characteristics of the variety- properties characteristic of a certain variety of plants (size of buds, their shape and color, peduncle height, etc.).

Tulips are pollinated cross way, as a result of which boxes with seeds appear.

It is important that they are completely ripe, and the box burst spontaneously, after which the seeds can be collected and saved until autumn.

Seeds ready for planting are exposed to low temperatures ( from -10 ° С to -20 ° С) throughout 3-4 months so that in the future they germinate at the same time.

Plant development takes place gradually: first, one tubular leaf appears, a root and a stolon (shoot that comes from the base of the plant) with a bulb.

Then the bulb deepens and grows in size. A year later, it takes root, a flat leaf appears, the old bulb dies off and a new one forms - a replacement.

After a couple of years, the bulb has several daughter bulbs, possibly flowering, which should be stopped (it will interfere with the development of the tulip).

Young bulbs can be planted in prepared soil, but the flower will become fully mature on 6-7 years after planting seeds.

Bulb propagation

The tulip has one adult bulb, from which, in the process of development, one substitute and several subsidiaries appear.

To increase the number daughter bulbs, you need to cut the buds during flowering. Then the bulbs are dug up, stored until autumn and planted in the soil in rows.

At the same time, all care rules for the bulbs: watering, fertilizing, loosening the earth, etc. Be sure to destroy blooming flowers.

Complete bulbs can be planted through 3 years (early variety- after 2 years).

Diseases and pests

Fungal diseases:

Gray rot- quickly spreads in wet weather in the form of yellow-gray spots, affects the aerial parts of the flower and bulb, is treated by spraying plants with a Bordeaux mixture (1%) during the growing season. A medicine is being prepared based on 100-150 ml / 1m²;
Root rot- partial rotting of the root system, deterioration of the decorative qualities of the tulip, is treated with disinfectants (potassium permanganate, foundation). The medicine is applied when watering at the rate of 10 g / 10 l of water;
Tifulez- the plant lags behind in growth, the shoots turn red, the buds develop incompletely. It is treated by removing affected plants, timely destruction of weeds, digging up the soil after removing the bulbs.

Viral diseases:

Variegated- the most common viral infection among lily tulips, which manifests itself in the form of a change in the color of the flower, is not treated, is transmitted through juice, garden tools should be disinfected to prevent the disease;
August disease- the appearance of strokes on the stems, leaves with their further drying. The bulb becomes spotty, it is treated by removing the diseased plant along with an earthen lump.

Non-communicable diseases:

"Blind" (pale) buds- a common disease during the forcing period. Forcing is the process of the most active growth and development of a plant. To accelerate the development of a tulip, it is necessary to create the most suitable conditions for it. Prevented by observing planting dates and careful selection of bulbs before planting;
Peduncle drooping, stem damage... Prevented by compliance temperature regime by adding calcium to the soil before planting;
Calcareous disease- hardening of the bulbs, a change in their natural color, is prevented by observing the storage conditions, digging the bulbs.

Pests:

Root onion mite- affects the bulb, penetrating into the sinuses between its scales, causes rotting. Prevented by treating the bulbs with water (35-40 ° C) before planting and spraying with Actellik poison (according to the instructions) during the growing season;
Greenhouse aphid- affects leaves, peduncles, stems, as a result of which the organs are deformed. You can destroy the pest by spraying the outer part of the plant with the preparations "Fitoferm", "Inta-Vir" during the growing season, by planting insecticidal plants nearby (they protect plants from pests: dope, calendula, marigolds);
Onion hoverfly- fly larvae infect the bulb, as a result, the plant stops developing and dies. It is destroyed by removing diseased plants, it is prevented by treating the bulbs with fundozol before planting.

How to store bulbs

It is important that the bulbs are clean, dry, without leaves, roots, etc..

For long-term storage of bulbs, a place with moderate humidity and temperature ( 23-25 ° C). The closer to winter, the lower the temperature should be - about 15 ° C at the beginning of autumn.

You can use any room in the house, as long as it is all the time ventilated.

Place the bulbs in the box, spreading them in one layer, sprinkle the planting material with sawdust or wrap each onion in a newspaper.

Inspect them periodically for putrefaction or any other changes, discard the spoiled material immediately.

How to properly dig up and store tulip bulbs more clearly, shown in this video.

It is difficult to find a dacha where tulips do not bloom in spring. As soon as the bright sun warms up and the snow begins to melt, the sharp arrows of tulips begin to stretch upward. After a month and a half, their flowering fascinates with its proud beauty.

Growing tulips at home is not difficult at all, if you adhere to some completely simple rules... Tulips, like many bulbs, can be grown both in a flower bed and in a greenhouse. Let's consider both options.

Growing tulips outdoors

To in open ground to grow beautiful tulips, it is very important to create favorable conditions for them not only in spring, during flowering, but also in summer, when the bulb ripens, and in autumn, when it is planted in the ground. If the tulip cultivation technology is violated, at least at one of these stages, quality flowering may not be obtained.

Planting tulips in the ground

In mid-September, the bulbs are planted in the ground. Tulips are allocated a sunny area, protected from cold winds. The best soil for them is considered to be sandy loam, slightly acidic or neutral soil. Tulips should not be planted in places where groundwater is close. Stagnant water leads to disease and decay of the bulbs.

To plant the bulbs in the flower bed, make rows 18-20 cm deep. The distance between the planted bulbs is 30 cm. Superphosphate is poured at the bottom of the rows. The onions are laid out with the bottom down, slightly pressed into the soil and sprinkled with earth on top. If the winters in your area are frosty, planting tulips is mulched on top with peat or humus.

Conditions for growing tulips in spring

As soon as the snow begins to melt, and the sharp tips of tulip leaves begin to hatch, to strengthen their "health" they make the first fertilizing with mineral fertilizers right on the snow.

Loosening the soil around the tulips is carried out very carefully so as not to damage either the bulb or the roots.

Active work is also underway underground: the mother bulb grows, daughter bulbs are formed, grandchild bulbs are laid. For all these changes, the plant needs a lot of energy, which can be provided by nutrients and moisture.

In order to obtain well-formed bulbs for further flower cultivation, the plants continue to be watered for two weeks after flowering.

Withered flowers must be removed, since the forming seed pod can provoke the disintegration of the mother bulb into small daughter ones.

In June, as soon as the leaves turn yellow, the tulip bulbs are removed from the ground and laid out in the shade. Soil particles are removed from dried bulbs and placed in cardboard boxes or paper bags. They must be signed, indicating the grade and date. At the end of September, tulip bulbs are planted in a flower garden.

Technology for growing tulips in a greenhouse

Scientists have studied the formation and development of a tulip and the effect of temperature on this process. All this knowledge made it possible to create a technology for growing tulips by a certain date.

The flower in the bulb begins to develop when the temperature fluctuates between 2 and 25 degrees Celsius. Leaves are laid at 17 degrees. If the temperature is not higher than 13 degrees Celsius, the flower will form too slowly and grow too frail. For forcing tulips, the optimum temperature is from 1 to 20 degrees Celsius.

To obtain blooming tulips by early March, the bulbs are planted in the greenhouse in early December. In containers with prepared soil, and the requirements for it are the same as for tulips planted in open ground, the bulbs are planted at a distance of 10 cm from each other. Planting depth is about 15 cm.

After planting, the soil is thoroughly watered. For rooting, boxes with bulbs must be kept at a temperature of 9 degrees for 4-5 months. It depends on the type of tulip and the date by which you want to receive the flowers. While the bulbs are cooling, they should be watered twice a week. Bring them into the greenhouse when the leaves reach 5 cm in length. Three weeks before the required date, the temperature in the greenhouse must be raised to 18 degrees.

Conditions for growing tulips in a greenhouse

For the tulips to grow normally in the greenhouse, a high level of humidity must be maintained. To do this, sprinkle the floor and walls with water 2-3 times a week.

Growing tulips from seeds

During flowering, tulips are pollinated. As a result of pollination, a triangular capsule appears in which the seeds ripen. After the petals fall off, the peduncle is tied up so that it does not break, and the seeds can ripen. When the capsule bursts, the ripe seeds are collected and stored in a dark, dry place.

In September, seeds are sown in soil consisting of humus, river sand and garden soil. They are sown thickly and covered with a layer of 2-3 cm. Seeds can be planted in open ground or in a container. If the temperature drops below 5 degrees of frost, the planting must be insulated.

In the first year, seedlings grow from seeds that look like a seedling onion - with one tubular leaf.

In the second year, a real wide leaf grows out of it. In the third year, a bulb is formed, which can already give a peduncle. It is better to remove the flower so as not to weaken the bulb. Only in the fourth year they receive high-quality planting material.

Growing tulips at home

If you do not have a summer cottage, you can grow tulips at home on a balcony or loggia.

In September, the bulbs are planted quite tightly in a container with pre-prepared soil. There must be drain holes in the container. The depth of the container must be at least 25 cm.

The composition of the soil is the same as for growing tulips in a greenhouse. Occasionally the soil is watered. In late autumn, before the onset of frost, the container with the planted bulbs is insulated by wrapping it in a blanket. In March, when severe frosts have passed, the shelter is removed, the soil is watered abundantly.

As soon as the sprouts appear, the plants are fertilized with a complex fertilizer, as when growing in the open field. Containers with tulips are placed in partial shade so that the soil does not dry out too quickly.

Highly simple technology growing tulips in a container will make your balcony bright and elegant.

Who would have thought that tulips, the cultivation of which only five centuries ago was available only to the richest strata of the population, will now be found in almost every flower garden. These bright flowers have become real symbols of spring and the awakening of nature! But why do some tulips grow so gorgeous that it is difficult to take your eyes off, while others do not look very presentable?

Preparing the bulbs and choosing where to plant them

Although growing tulips in the open field is considered a simple affair, available to any novice gardener, in fact, you need to take into account many important little things so that the plants turn out to be even, beautiful, with large flowers. Sometimes even minor mistakes can lead to such undesirable consequences as slow growth of tulips, rotting of stems or their curvature, the formation of small buds, wilting and rapid wilting of flowers, etc.

The key to beautiful, healthy tulips is a careful selection of planting material

Excellent results can be achieved if:

selected a suitable place for planting tulips, with good soil and lighting;
the bulbs were carefully sorted before planting, and unhealthy, damaged, small specimens were rejected;
the planting of the bulbs took place at the most successful time for this;
when planting, the planting depth and the distance between the bulbs were respected;
right after the snow melted and until the end of flowering, the tulips were properly cared for.

Video about growing tulips

Let's take a closer look at what the tulip growing technology is, and what points you should definitely pay attention to.

The key to beautiful, healthy tulips is a careful selection of planting material. You can buy properly prepared and properly processed bulbs or harvest them yourself by digging tulips at the end of the growing season. When self-harvesting planting material, the bulbs are sorted and sent for storage in a dark place at a temperature of +20 degrees until autumn.

When the time is right for planting tulips, the bulbs are sorted out again, carefully examining for damage, signs of disease and rot. After that, the selected bulbs are cleaned from the upper husk, disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate and immediately planted in the ground.

When the time is right for planting tulips, the bulbs are sorted again.

Place for planting tulips should be determined from the summer. Moreover, it is necessary not only to take into account the illumination, soil reaction and bedding groundwater but also think carefully about where the tulips will look best. In order for the multi-colored buds to become a real decoration of the garden and cause constant admiration among your guests and passers-by, it is worth exploring the options.

Better conditions for growing tulips: a flat, unshaded area (only the most hardy varieties feel good under trees and in the shade of a house), the reaction of the soil is close to neutral, the soil is light and fertile.

Highlights of tulip planting

Most gardeners prefer to plant tulips in autumn time so that during the winter they naturally go through a period of cooling, during which new flowers sprout inside the bulbs. In the spring, planting bulbs is also possible, but be prepared for more late dates blooming tulips.

Around the second half of September, when the ground temperature has already dropped to +10 degrees, and the frost has not yet begun, you should start planting tulips. To do this, grooves of suitable depth can be made in the garden bed, or a separate hole can be scooped out under each bulb with a scoop. On large areas, the planting material is laid out on a leveled surface and then evenly covered with earth.

Bury the bulbs in the ground so that the planting depth is equal to three times the height of the bulbs - large deeper, shallow closer to the surface. If the children are planted too deeply, the bulb will form much less.

The distance between the tulips can be arbitrary, depending on your design ideas, but it is still undesirable to place the bulbs closer than 10 cm from each other, otherwise they will then grow very closely, and digging the bulbs in the summer will be difficult.

Bury the bulbs in the ground so that the planting depth is equal to three times the height of the bulb.

The planted bulbs are sprinkled with fertile soil and the plantings are mulched with peat or humus to protect the plants from frost. Additional planting shelter for the winter is usually not required. You can find out in detail about the rest in the article on our website.

Tulip growing technology - what is important to consider?

In the spring, as the snow melts, they rake the mulch from the flower bed and gently loosen the earth. Further, it will be useful to apply a nitrogen-containing fertilizer for better growth and the development of the green part of plants. In the future, during the entire growing season, do not forget to regularly loosen the soil and regularly water the garden bed. But remember that tulips should not be flooded too much - any stagnation of moisture threatens with decay of the roots.

When your flowers show their first shoots in the spring, see if all the bulbs have sprouted and do all the shoots look healthy? If signs of disease are found on any stalks, they should be immediately dug up and destroyed. Non-sprouted bulbs can also be dug up without pity.

You can not be afraid of spring morning frosts, since tulips, even with the appearance of buds, calmly endure a short-term drop in temperature to -4 degrees. And as soon as the weather is good, the plants continue their development.

When your flowers show their first shoots in the spring, see if all the bulbs have sprouted and if all the shoots look healthy.

Tulips are very fond of fertilizing with fertilizers:

a lot of benefits will be brought by the introduction of complex fertilization during the unfolding of the second or third leaf in tulip sprouts;
before flowering, be sure to feed the tulips with phosphorus and potassium so that the buds are formed beautiful and large;
complex mineral fertilizer it will be useful during blooming flowers;
fertilizers containing chlorine cannot be used for tulips;
it is more convenient and safer to apply top dressing in the form aqueous solutions during watering, before or immediately after rain on wet ground.

Ready-made complex fertilizers are good because they contain the most important trace elements for tulips in an optimal ratio: boron, manganese, molybdenum, cobalt, zinc, sulfur, copper, iron, magnesium (while there is no chlorine harmful to tulips). A deficiency in any of these micronutrients can adversely affect the development and health of tulips.

So, with a lack of boron, molybdenum or zinc, tulips can develop chlorosis, the stems will be weak, if there is not enough sulfur in the soil, the leaves of tulips become light green or completely turn white, and from a lack of iron they turn yellow. A severe lack of magnesium leads to the fact that the edges and tips of tulip leaves begin to bend and die off, the bulbs of such plants will no longer be suitable for forcing.

Video about the cultivation, care and reproduction of tulips

When the plants are finished, continue for a while if you expect to harvest good, large bulbs for the next generation of beautiful flowers. In this case, it is recommended to break off the blossoming buds together with the pedicels - all the plant's forces will go to the formation of bulbs, and not to the development of the seed pod. Just do not break off the leaves, otherwise the yield of the bulbs will decrease several times.

The stems of the tulips are left in the flowerbed until they turn yellow, until the bulbs are ripe. And if you do not like the way a garden looks like with withered "stubs" of tulips, think in advance which plants can cover the unsightly picture. Another option is to grow tulips outdoors in special baskets or containers that can be dug out of the garden immediately after flowering and transferred to a more inconspicuous place for growing the bulbs.

The ancient Persians considered this bright primrose a symbol of perfection and claimed that it descended to earth from the Garden of Eden. According to legend, the gods hid happiness from people inside its petals, but a miracle happened - a beautiful flower opened up to meet the ringing children's laughter. Have you already guessed which inhabitant of the spring flower bed we are talking about? Of course, about the tulip!

A bit of history

The tulips were brought to Europe from Constantinople by the Austrian ambassador Ohir Gilen de Buzbek. Who would have thought that a wondrous flower with a colorful oriental name (from Persian "toliban" - turban) would change the fate of an entire generation! Intrigued by the curiosity, Europeans with tireless passion began to plant tulips, sometimes giving serious sums for the bulbs of a new variety. The most prominent figures in politics and culture of the time were avid tulip collectors: Voltaire, Cardinal Richelieu, Count Pappenheim and King Louis XVIII.

However, the most powerful wave of "tulip mania" in 1636 swept through Holland. Aristocrats, doctors, industrialists, artisans, peasants gave up their usual business and tried to make a fortune by breeding exotic varieties. A brisk trade in bulbs was widespread and sometimes reached the point of absurdity. It was heading towards economic collapse if the authorities had not intervened. A government-issued law banning all speculative tulip sales has ended the feverish frenzy.

But ... Fashion is a changeable and capricious lady, and its followers are fickle and fickle, so after just a couple of years the passion for tulips subsided, and the European nobility was carried away by another primrose - hyacinth. An ardent love for a bright oriental handsome man was carried through the centuries only by Dutch gardeners. Today the Kingdom of the Netherlands is deservedly called "tulip paradise", and the graceful flower itself has become a symbol of this small state.

By the way, it was from Holland at the beginning of the 18th century that Tsar Peter I brought the first bulbs of garden tulips to Russia. Due to the fabulous price, the former favorites of the European court were grown only on rich estates. The most important persons were known as great admirers of tulips - Count A. Razumovsky, Prince P. Vyazemsky, Countess N. Zubova. At the end of the 19th century, attempts were made to industrialize spring messengers on the Black Sea coast, but, alas, our compatriots did not succeed in repeating the success of the Dutch, therefore tulips remained the favorite flowers of summer residents and landscape designers in our area.

When to plant

Tulips are planted in open ground in the fall, but guessing with the exact timing is very important. Rooting of the bulb takes 20-30 days. Plant it too early - tulips will sprout before the deadline and die from the cold, if you are late - in the spring the plants will lag behind in development, they will bloom weakly and form a small baby. It is most convenient to focus on the degree of soil warming in this matter: when the temperature at a depth of 10–12 cm reaches + 10 ° C, it is time to start work, that is, in the middle lane, planting dates usually fall in mid-September.

In an emergency, spring planting of tulips is allowed, immediately after the snow melts, but they will not bloom magnificently in the current season.

Buying and preparing bulbs

It is not a problem to buy tulip planting material today, but you should only buy it from a reliable supplier, otherwise you risk getting a pig in a poke. Agree, it will be extremely offensive if, instead of an exotic curiosity, a laconic Darwin hybrid or a simple early bloom blooms in the spring.

Recipe for the occasion::

Experienced professionals distribute varietal bulbs for analysis:

Parsing Extra - the highest quality large specimens (so-called toppers) with a diameter of about 4 cm, the circumference of which is 12 cm or more. This should be marked on the packaging - "12+".
First analysis - bulbs with a diameter of 3.5 cm.The circumference is 11 cm.
Second analysis - the diameter of the bulb does not exceed 3 cm.
The third analysis - small specimens with a diameter of about 2.5 cm.

It is from the bulbs of the first two categories that the most luxurious tulips grow, which do not shrink over time.

Before planting, remove the purchased material overnight in the vegetable section of the refrigerator, and in the morning soak for 30-60 minutes in a 5% solution of potassium permanganate.

Landing in the ground

The tulip site should be warm, sunny and protected from cold winds. The culture prefers a neutral or slightly alkaline soil, sandy loam, fertilized with mature compost and wood ash (200 g / m²). Heavy soils are facilitated by the introduction of river sand and loose nutrient soil.

Dig up the area, make furrows, place the bulbs in them and sprinkle with soil. The depth of the grazing of large specimens is 10–15 cm, of small specimens - 5–7 cm. When planting in spring, it is recommended to shed furrows with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. Upon completion of the work, plow the area with a rake and mulch with any natural material: peat, straw, sawdust or dry leaves.

Basic care

Many beginner growers consider the tulip a wayward culture. But no! The favorite of Persian poets only requires strict adherence to agricultural technology:

Planting care begins in early spring when the first green shoots emerge from the ground. During this period, you should bypass the flower garden and remove all non-germinated bulbs before they rot and become a source of dangerous diseases.
Tulips are watered often and abundantly so that the life-giving moisture penetrates the entire depth of the root system. Irrigation water consumption is 15–40 l / m², depending on the degree of soil moisture permeability. Make sure that the drops do not fall on the foliage, otherwise ugly burn spots will soon appear in their place.
Weeding is very important for tulips, as weeds interfere with the development of a strong peduncle. During flowering, the soil around the plants must be shallowly loosened, allowing air to flow to the roots.
Annually, it is advisable to transplant tulips to a new place or change the soil in the flower garden. Only representatives of grades 13, 14 and 15 do without a transplant for 3-4 years.

In addition to the basic procedures, you will have to periodically bypass the planting and remove the wilted flowers so that the plants do not expend energy on the formation of seed pods.

Top dressing of tulips

Tulips are fed three times per season:

At the beginning of spring, when sprouts are just emerging from the ground, it is necessary to scatter fertilizer granules over the surface of the soil, which contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (2: 2: 1).
During the budding period, plantings are watered with a solution of complex fertilizer for bulbous crops.
After flowering, phosphorus and potassium are added under the tulips.

About the lack nutrients The appearance of the plants will tell you: if the leaves have narrowed and no longer stand upright, you should increase the dose of the nitrogen component, and the blue edges of the leaf plates are a sure sign of potassium and phosphorus deficiency.

Diseases and pests

Tulip health problems are quite common, and even experienced flower growers sometimes have to save their pets from one or another disease. The main thing is to timely identify the infection that struck the plantings.

Viral diseases:

Variegation is the most common tulip disease caused by the mosaic or variegated virus. The main symptom is the appearance on the petals of single-color varieties of light strokes and stripes. Once upon a time, variegated flowers were considered very valuable, and every gardener strove to breed his own incredible variety. However, the insidious disease changes not only the color of the tulip. Affected plants become smaller, their petals narrow at the base, and the flowers lose their former attractiveness. The harmful virus is transmitted with the sap of diseased plants. Usually, the carriers of the infection are sucking insects - leafhoppers, whiteflies, bugs, thrips and aphids, but sometimes infection occurs through a cutting tool when collecting flowers. Today, variegated tulips do not represent the same value and must be discarded, although they still have fans.
Necrotic spot (August disease, August disease) - this infection, caused by the tobacco necrosis virus, got its name in honor of the tulip of the August variety, on which it was first discovered. The leaves and stems of infected specimens are covered with longitudinal brown streaks, which dry and crack over time, and depressed brown spots appear on diseased bulbs. Diseased plants should be dug up and destroyed along with a lump of earth, and the soil after them should be scalded with boiling water or spilled with a fungicide solution, otherwise the re-development of the disease is inevitable.

Fungal diseases:

Gray rot is a rapidly spreading disease, favored by damp, cool weather. All parts of the plants are covered with depressed yellow-gray spots, the stem is bent, and the buds are deformed. Over time, diseased tissues soften, dry out and acquire an ashy hue. An outwardly infected tulip looks burnt.
Root rot is a disease that partially affects root system tulips. A weak infection practically does not affect the viability of plants, however, with a strong infection, the roots of diseased specimens "turn glass" and become fragile, and the decorative effect of flowers is significantly reduced.
Botrytic rot - This infection can be recognized by the brittle, thin stems of tulips and the dull, unhealthy color of the petals. The bulbs turn brown, become soft and covered with black sclerotia of the pathogenic fungus.
Soft rot - Infected bulbs turn pink and become watery, while exuding an unpleasant odor. Seemingly healthy roots and sprouts rot over time. With a later infection (during the growing season), the plants droop, the tips of their leaves turn yellow, and the buds dry out before they open up.
Typhulosis - the development of infection is evidenced by the reddish color of the sprout, non-unfolding leaves and underdeveloped buds. The roots of a diseased tulip turn yellow and die off, and the bottom of the bulb rots.
Fusarium is a disease that develops against the background high temperature air (+20 ° C and above). Infected tulips form short, slender stalks and bloom poorly. On diseased bulbs, dark brown spots appear, surrounded by a reddish-brown halo.
Rhizoctonia - when infected, the plant forms a good root system, but the sprout, having begun to develop, rots and does not break through to the surface. The scales of diseased bulbs are covered with brown spots with a mildew. Contributes to the development of infection low temperature soil (below +13 ° C).
Penicillosis - yellow-brown spots appear on the surface of the bulbs, covered with a bluish bloom. Diseased tulips develop slowly and form weak peduncles, and die if severely infested.
Trichoderma is an infection caused by the fungus Trichoderma sp., Which lives in peat soils. The roots of infected tulips become "glassy" and rot, and the tips of the leaves rapidly turn gray. Over time, the affected tissues turn white and die off.

It is extremely difficult to cure the listed ailments, and sometimes impossible, so it makes sense to pay attention to preventive measures. To reduce the risk of developing fungal and viral diseases to a minimum, after cutting each flower, disinfect the knife in a solution of potassium permanganate, pickle the planting material with fungicides, observe crop rotation, do not feed tulips with fresh manure and do not neglect agricultural technology. It is very good to sow the vacated area with crops that release phytoncides (marigolds, calendula, mustard, nasturtium) into the soil between digging and planting the bulbs.

Numerous pests can also cause damage to plantings. Sucking insects that damage the foliage and carry the variegation virus mentioned above are destroyed with insecticidal preparations (Agravertin, Karbofos, Fitoverm). Bears, beetles, wireworms, root onion mites and rodents love to feast on juicy tulip bulbs. There is also a right to this voracious evil spirits: wireworms are lured onto sticks of potatoes and carrots, larvae of beetles are destroyed while digging the soil, the bear is collected in water traps (banks dug into the ground, half filled with water), against the mite, planting is sprayed with 0.2% solution of "Keltan" or "Rogor", and for mice and their congeners, bowls with poisoned grain or mousetraps are placed in the flower garden. The purple scoop and onion hoverfly are very dangerous for tulips. They will be scared off by the smell of mothballs, which need to powder the soil under the plants.

Collection and storage of bulbs

You do not need to cut tulips after flowering, apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizer for planting and continue to moisten the soil for 14-16 days, gradually reducing watering to a minimum. When the plants are completely withered, dig up the bulbs, rinse them in running water and immerse them in a 3% solution of karbofos for 30 minutes. After etching, lay the prepared material to dry in a clean, warm (+ 25… + 30 ° C), well-ventilated area. After 3-5 days, the bulbs can be stored.

Tip: while the petals from the wilted tulips have not yet begun to fall off, tie a ribbon on the stem above the pair of lower leaves, the color of which matches the color of the flower. This way you won't get confused about the varieties when digging out the bulbs.

The dried bulbs are poured into trellis boxes and stored in a barn or in an attic under diffused lighting and a temperature of +20 ° C. 2 weeks before planting, it is advisable to lower the temperature by 3-4 ° C. Inspect the planting stock weekly and discard any soft bulbs or suspiciously stained bulbs immediately. Note! You cannot cover the boxes, since the bulbs release ethylene, which can destroy a still fragile baby.

Types, classes, varieties

There are more than 10,000 different varieties of tulips in the world today, most of which are of the Tulipa gesneriana species (Gesner tulip or garden tulip). In order not to get lost in this variety of forms, the Dutch masters in 1981 divided all existing cultivars into 4 groups and 15 classes.

Group I. Early flowering tulips:

Simple early (class 1) - cupped or goblet flowers with yellow or red petals rest on low (25–40 cm) strong peduncles. Varieties: Christmas Marvel, Pink Tofi, Diamond Star, Diana, etc.
Terry early (class 2) - long-flowering plants with large (up to 10 cm in diameter when fully expanded) flowers of yellow, orange or red color. Varieties: Melrose, Foxy Foxtrot, Verona, Monte Carlo, Abba, Electra, etc.

Group II. Mid-flowering tulips:

Triumph (class 3) - the color of large goblet flowers ranges from snow-white to dark purple. Arrow height - from 40 to 70 cm. Varieties: Falcon, Paul Scherer, Blue Ribon, White Haven, Gavotte, Barcelona, Ronaldo, etc.
Darwin's hybrids (class 4) - tulips of all shades of red, 60–80 cm high, resistant to low spring temperatures and variegated leaves. Varieties: Golden Parade, Armani, Big Chief, Oxford, Olliules, American Dream, Epricot Impression, etc.

Group III. Late flowering tulips:

Simple late (class 5) - excellent breeding tall (65–75 cm) cultivars with powerful peduncles. Massive flowers have a square base and rounded petals, the color can be very diverse - from dazzling white to velvety black, from pale pink to purple-burgundy. Varieties: Queen of Knight, Blushing Girl, Blushing Bride, Cafe Noir.
Lily (class 6) - graceful goblet-shaped flowers with pointed bent petals. Arrow height - 50-60 cm. Varieties: Holland Chic, Sinaeda King, Cobra, Aladdin's Record, Maytime, etc.
Fringed or Orchid (Grade 7) - The petals of graceful flowers flaunt an elegant needle-like fringe. Peduncle height - 55–80 cm. Color - from white to chocolate brown and inky purple. Varieties: Gorilla, Blue Heron, Aria Card, Black Jack, Lambada, etc.
Green-flowered (class 8) - short (30-60 cm) tulips with narrow original flowers. Distinctive feature- green "backs" of the petals. Varieties: Spring Green, Golden Artist, Violet Bird, Monte Spyder, etc.
Rembrandt (class 9) - a small group that unites variegated varieties of tulips. Coloring is an intricate ornament of numerous stripes, strokes and spots on a white, yellow or red background. The peduncle reaches a height of 40–70 cm. Varieties: Black and White, Columbina, Adonis, etc.
Parrot (class 10) - the most fantastic of tulips with deeply "cut" petals. Most of all, huge (up to 20 cm in diameter) flowers look like the disheveled plumage of exotic birds. Coloring - from pure white to reddish black. The height of the arrow is 45–65 cm. Varieties: Libretto Parrot, Frozen Knight, San Parrot, Muriel, Rococo, etc.
Late double (class 11) - stunningly beautiful flowers, similar to peonies, blooming last in the season. Available in both solid and bicolor varieties. The height of powerful peduncles is from 45 to 60 cm. Varieties: Red Nova, Angelica, Miranda, Cartush, Pink Star, Herbrand Kift, Golden Nice, etc.

Group IV. Specific and botanical tulips:

Kaufman (class 12) - a group of early flowering small (15–25 cm) tulips. When fully expanded, the elongated large flowers resemble graceful stars. Members of this class are easily recognizable by purple specks or stripes on the leaves. Varieties: Johann Strauss, Giuseppe Verdi, Shakespeare, Corona, etc.
Foster (class 13) - luxurious elongated (12-15) cupped or goblet-shaped flowers, painted in warm rich tones: orange-red, yellow, pink. Peduncle height is 30-50 cm. Varieties: Pinkin, Purissima Yellow, Exotic Imperial, etc.
Greig (class 14) - low (20-30 cm) cultivars with speckled leaves. The red petals of large flowers are slightly bent back. Varieties: Fresco, Ali Baba, Fur Elise, Beethovens Memorial.

Recently, keen growers have been actively interested in terry-fringed tulips, but this new class has not yet been entered into the international register.

How to place tulips in the garden? Let your imagination answer this question. You can arrange a rainbow mixborder, in which each row will be set aside for flowers of a certain color, or you can break a bright lawn from monochromatic or multi-colored varieties. Tulips look elegant in spring in combination with other primroses - daffodils, crocuses, muscari.

They say that tulips bring happiness ... Maybe so, because when you look at them, the warmest and most wonderful feelings awaken in your soul. By the way, the color of the petals is of no small importance. For example, according to legend, yellow tulips attract wealth, red ones bring good luck in love, orange ones give joy and inspiration, pink ones symbolize peace and tranquility, white ones cleanse the house of negative energy, and the heart from bad thoughts.

Did you like the article? Share it

Print article