Planting tulips in open ground in spring When and how correctly Photo Video

Tulips bloom in early spring. At the same time, they are planted mainly in the fall. This is done so that the plant bulbs can survive the cold period and only after that form a stem and buds. In winter, despite the frosty weather, tulips are underground for a reason. The bulbs contain the future plant. If you simply exclude this period and keep the flowers warm all winter, then in the spring the tulips grown from such bulbs will be very weak. Most likely, they will not even bloom. If buds appear, they will be very small and rare. This is why experienced gardeners advise planting tulips in the fall. But not everything always works out according to the rules. There are circumstances in which you may find yourself stuck in deep winter with tulip bulbs in your hands. In this case, you can no longer plant them outside in frozen soil. So is it possible to plant tulips in spring? Can. But this should not be done thoughtlessly, but in accordance with certain rules. Proper spring planting of tulips will have a good effect on the condition of the plants, and can even stimulate them to bloom.

Photo from the site: Orchardo.ru

Is it possible to plant tulips in spring?

Autumn is the most favorable time for planting tulips. Under natural conditions, during the period of winter cooling, processes of preparation for flowering take place in the bulbs, that is, at this time the flower bud of the plant matures. And with the arrival of spring, when the temperature reaches a positive mark, tulips give timely germination and continue to delight with their flowering.

But it is not always possible to plant tulips before winter. This may be due to the late purchase of planting material or other circumstances. In this case, the procedure for planting tulips is carried out in the spring months. But in order for tulips to bloom this year and not next year, the bulbs should be kept in suitable conditions until spring, follow the planting rules, and also make a lot of effort.

Tulip bulbs love the cold, so before planting they are stored in the lower compartment of the refrigerator (at +4 ⁰C), each wrapped in paper. In such cool conditions, tulips must remain for a long period so that the flower bud has time to form and the plant can bloom after spring planting.

On a note! You cannot store the bulbs in plastic bags, as the process of rotting may occur and they will not be preserved until spring. And you can't store the bulbs in the freezer.

When planted in spring, tulips can take root, grow and send out green shoots, but there is a risk of not getting buds, since the plant does not always have time to form them before the onset of the summer heat. And the tulips will bloom only next year; the bulbs will overwinter in cold soil.

Buying bulbs

If you decide to grow a tulip from a bulb, you should approach this process responsibly. Now, we will tell you about all the rules that must be followed when choosing a bulb.

How to choose good tulip bulbs

Decide on the type of tulip you want to grow. Familiarize yourself in advance with all the nuances and subtleties that you may encounter while growing this flower.
Tulip bulbs must be purchased in advance. If it dawns on you to buy bulbs in March, it is logical to assume that this is last year’s planting material, which was stored all winter in unknown conditions and what will grow from it is a big question.
It is best to purchase bulbs from mid-July to the end of September
Try to buy bulbs with thin, light brown skin. If you buy bulbs with a dense, dark brown shell, keep in mind that it will be quite difficult for you to germinate it and the quality of the plant that will grow from it is questionable.

Appearance of the bulb

The size should be 3 - 5 centimeters in diameter, the circumference of the bulb should be 11 centimeters and above. These parameters tell us that the plant is mature and mature.
No damage. The bulbs must be well dried, not damp, without signs of rot or mold. The lower part should have clearly defined root tubercles.
It is very important that roots do not begin to emerge from these tubercles.
Weight and density. A healthy onion is heavy and dense; if it is light or soft, you should not purchase it. This means that it has either rotted from the inside or dried out.

When to plant tulips in open ground in spring

To get color this year, they try to plant the bulbs as early as possible - before the beginning of April. But these are tentative dates - it all depends on the region and climate characteristics. The optimal time for working in a flower bed is when the soil warms up to 9 degrees Celsius (to a depth of at least 10 cm).

If we take into account the characteristics of the regions, then approximately the following deadlines are adhered to:

in the southern regions and Kuban, heat usually stabilizes at the February-March border;
for the middle zone and Moscow region, the best option is the second half of April;
in areas with a harsher climate, it is not worth planting tulips in flower beds before May.

It is more rational to plant daughter bulbs in containers in March. And transfer them to flower beds when the weather stabilizes and the threat of frost disappears. The varieties are also taken into account - early tulips should migrate from the container by May, late tulips can be planted even in June.

It is not recommended to replant flowering tulip seedlings. It is better to take the plant out into the flowerbed along with the pots or leave them on the veranda (loggia).

In order to correctly calculate when you can plant onions in the spring and they will be able to produce color, you need to take into account the developmental characteristics of the plant itself. It takes 2-3 weeks for the babies to take root. It will take another 2 weeks to wait for germination.

Favorable days for planting tulips in spring according to the Lunar calendar in 2022

It wouldn't hurt to look at the Lunar calendar either. Summer residents in the regions should choose not only the month of spring, but also decide on the most favorable days.

in March — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 29, 30, 31;
in April - from 1 to 5, 8, 9, 25, 26, from 28 to 30;
in May - 1, 2, 5, 6, from 22 to 25, 27, 28, 29.

You should not plant tulips in March on the 13th and 28th, in April on the 12th and 27th, in May on the 11th and 26th.

Planting pattern and depth

Experienced gardeners know how to properly plant bulbs in the fall so that beautiful tulips grow in the spring. The bulbs must be divided into 4 groups according to size:

Planting depth

Very small bulbs (1-2 centimeters) should be planted no deeper than 5 centimeters
Small ones (3-4 centimeters) need to be planted at a depth of 5 to 10 centimeters
Medium ones (5-6 centimeters) are planted to a depth of 10 to 15 centimeters
Large specimens (7-8 centimeters) should be planted at a depth of 15 to 20 centimeters.

Preparing tulip bulbs for spring planting

If during autumn planting the bulbs are only checked for defects, then in the spring additional measures will be needed:

the seed is removed from the remaining husks;
30 minutes before planting, pickle in a decoction of celandine or pink potassium permanganate.

All stages are required, regardless of where the bulbs will be planted - directly into a flowerbed or into a container.

Storage of planting material

There are exceptions to any rule. Especially if you are interested in whether it is possible to plant tulips in the spring, what impact these terms will have on the flowering of the tulip.

Many years of experience as amateur flower growers can tell us how to properly preserve planting material until the temperature conditions allow for planting tulips in the spring. Treating tulip bulbs before planting in the spring also plays an important role.

Dig up tulips after the leaves have withered. Select onions with well-formed outer scales and leave them to dry in a cool place. A month later, the planting material is cleaned again, separated by variety and size, treated with pesticides and placed in boxes. Containers are placed in a cool room with good ventilation. The temperature in the storage facility is maintained at 20 degrees for the first month, then it is reduced to 15 degrees. Until spring planting, the storage temperature of tulip bulbs is maintained at the recommended level without significant fluctuations.

How to plant tulips in spring

These flowers are quite unpretentious to grow, but if you follow the basic rules of agricultural technology, you can increase the reproduction rate of tulips and improve their decorative effect.

Selecting a location

Tulips love well-lit areas, protected from drafts. Experienced summer residents often set aside a place for a flower bed under the sparse crowns of fruit trees. A little shade promotes flowering time.

Soil requirements

Tulips can take root in any garden bed, but they will only be truly fragrant on loose soil with the addition of humus. It is advisable to prepare the flowerbed in advance, in the fall, by adding bird droppings, manure and mineral fertilizers when digging.

When the soil on the site is heavy, looseness can be achieved by adding sawdust. It would also be good to use a green manure system - first grow legumes and then plow the greens into the ground.

Landing technology

Regardless of the time of planting tulips, the technology of work is practically no different. It is enough to follow these rules:

First, the bulbs are sorted by size;
then holes are made in the flowerbed at intervals of 7-10 cm (it all depends on the size of the variety);
The depth of the holes is determined based on the diameter of the planting material:

- small ones (less than 2 cm) are lowered by 4-5 cm;

- medium (about 2 cm) - by 8-10 cm;

- large (3-4 cm) - in a hole 15 cm deep.

Experienced gardeners deepen the holes “by eye”, taking into account this point - on average, the hole should be equal to 3 times the size of the onion itself.

It is important to maintain the parameters. Otherwise, closely planted bulbs will germinate ahead of time and dry out, and deep-seated bulbs will produce late shoots that will not have time to bloom.

It is also necessary to take into account the soil structure. If it is heavy, then add a little sand to the bottom of the holes. In the case of sandy soils, another 2 cm must be added to the specified depth.

The tulips are lowered into the recesses with the bottom down, not forgetting to first moisten the soil. The holes are sprinkled with soil and the flower bed is leveled with a rake. In order for the seed to strengthen better and germinate faster, the flower garden is watered again.

Choosing a landing site

The flower bed should be located in a well-lit place. It is desirable that the flower bed is illuminated evenly. Otherwise, the stems will begin to stretch toward the light source and the stems will be too thin.

It is better to choose a site with loamy or sandy loam soil, since heavy soils slow down growth and impair flowering. As a last resort, the soil can be made more loose by adding a little washed river sand or peat. In addition, it is necessary to properly prepare the land for planting, which will be discussed below.

Soil preparation

In the spring, when the snow melts and the soil thaws, they begin to prepare the soil for planting. The earth is dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet, since the root system of plants goes deep enough into the ground.

After this, the area is fed with organic fertilizers. Anything will do except fresh manure, which can cause rot or fungal diseases of the roots. Additionally, mineral fertilizers are applied, especially on light soils. This will ensure high germination and consistent flowering.

What to feed plants for fast growth

To enhance crop growth, mineral fertilizers are applied during all periods of the growing season. The first fertilizing is applied soon after planting. To do this, nitrogen-containing preparations are used, which accelerate the formation of stems and leaf growth.

Figure 5. Spring planting technology in the ground

In the future, the crop can be fed with any mineral means. This significantly speeds up the growth of flowers. But, if this is not possible, it is enough to add organic matter at the soil preparation stage and feed the plants with mineral fertilizers after planting. At home, these activities are enough to grow lush bushes.

Planting tulips in pots in spring

The technology for planting tulips in pots is slightly different from that used for an open flower bed. Here, first of all, it is determined whether to leave the tulips permanently in pots or to grow them as seedlings and then send them to the flower garden.

For the first option, immediately take larger containers. For forcing seedlings, special containers or plastic pots are quite suitable.

Next they follow the following algorithm:

drainage is placed at the bottom of the container (small pebbles, pebbles, expanded clay);
prepare a substrate from garden and leaf soil, humus (in equal quantities) with a small addition of sand and peat;
the pots are filled with the mixture, not filling 2-3 cm to the edge;
Make a depression in the center, moisten it and lower the onion.

Having sprinkled the holes with soil mixture, the containers are placed on the windowsills under the sun's rays. As soon as the seedlings appear, the seedlings are provided with a diffused stream of light. This can be achieved by adjusting the positions of the slats on horizontal blinds.

Further care for tulips

Flowers develop well on their own, but attention and care will allow you to achieve more luxuriant flowering. Conscientious summer residents always follow the rules of agricultural technology.

Fertilizers for rapid growth and flowering

They begin to fertilize the flower bed when the first shoots appear, if bulbs were planted. When growing seedlings, fertilizing is applied 2 weeks after planting the tulips.

Nutrient formulations

Stage	Components	Proportions	Recommendations
First feeding	Nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus	2:2:1*	You can prepare the solution yourself or purchase a complex fertilizer and dilute it according to the instructions
At the beginning of budding	Nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus	1:2:2	Other microelements (copper, manganese, boron, etc.) should be added to these components.
During flowering	Phosphorus-potassium	1:1	At this stage, nitrogen is eliminated completely. Otherwise, all the power will go into the stem, and the “glass” itself will be pale and inconspicuous

*If the soil already contains a large amount of nitrogen (for example, after growing green manure), then the ratio of the components looks like this - 1: 2: 1.

Watering and loosening

Tulips do not like the soil to dry out, but excessive moisture is also harmful to them. Therefore, you need to monitor the condition of the soil in the flowerbed and from this calculate the required amount of water for irrigation, and their frequency.

Loosening is an important step in caring for tulips. The procedure is carried out after irrigating the flower garden so that the soil does not become crusty when it dries. This will provide air access to the soil layers, allowing the roots to breathe fully.

Health improvement

Tulips are susceptible to viral diseases, and the most dangerous of them is variegation. The infection is carried by colonies of aphids that love to settle in flower beds. Therefore, flower beds must be periodically treated with special preparations, both to prevent disease and to control pests.

To prevent pathogenic microbes and fungi from accumulating in flower beds, it is not recommended to grow tulips in one place for more than 5 years in a row.

Preparation

Growing a tulip from a bulb requires proper preparation of the site, soil and the bulb itself. If necessary, gardeners use different fertilizers for a particular soil. In addition, tulips need drainage, the lack of which can cause freezing, soaking, or even bulb disease.

What location and soil are suitable for tulips?

Tulips love places in full sun. The main thing is that no through winds blow into such a bright place. They are particularly unpretentious to the soil, but they are best planted in slightly alkaline or neutral soils.

Preparing bulbs for planting, processing and soaking

To ensure healthy development of the bulbs, they must be treated with special solutions before planting. Folk solutions against diseases include products with potassium permanganate and an antifungal drug, foundationazole.

However, there are already drugs that have a complex effect. Such drugs include epin, phytosporin, vitaros and drugs similar to antibiotics. By diluting each such preparation in the required amount of water and treating the bulbs with it, you guarantee not only disease resistance and rapid growth, but also a more attractive appearance of the flower.

Treating tulip bulbs against infections is not the only thing that needs to be done before planting in the ground. Bulbs purchased in advance must be stored in a cool, but not damp place. Before planting, remove the husks and remove the babies. Removing the husk is the first step towards disinfection.

Inspect the bulbs; they should be free of damage and rot. The soaking process lasts differently, it all depends on the preparation you have chosen. For example, bulbs should stay in epin for a day, and in maxim - half an hour.

How to prepare the soil

Preparing the soil is not a labor-intensive process at all, but without it, planting tulips can be problematic. Regardless of the soil, loosen it; such soil absorbs fertilizer better. You can fertilize the soil with a mixture of humus and compost.

It is worth noting that acidic soils must be limed with phosphorus or potassium mixtures.

Caring for tulips after flowering

Some inexperienced gardeners cut off plants as soon as they bloom. This cannot be done - the “babies” that form at the uterine bulb will stop developing. The main actions to take are:

as soon as the petals fall from the tulips, cut off the peduncle to prevent the development of the seed pod and direct all the plant’s forces to the bulbs;
for 2-3 weeks, the tulips are still watered moderately;
one of the irrigations is fertilized with potassium-magnesium mineral water;
The stem and foliage are trimmed only after they turn yellow and dry out.

It is recommended to dig up the bulbs in mid-summer (for spring planting - in August). And here there are also some tricks.

How to dig up tulips correctly

Having chosen a dry sunny day, proceed to the following actions:

start with harvesting early varieties;
to avoid damaging the onions, stick the shovel to the maximum depth;
Having collected the “harvest”, they carefully review it - diseased bulbs are immediately disposed of;
the remaining ones are kept for half an hour in a manganese solution and sent to dry.

Tulips should be placed in boxes with a mesh bottom and stored in a dry, well-ventilated, dark place. They are brought out a week before planting.

Harvesting bulbs for storage

In mid-summer, the bulbs should be dug up and stored. The duration of the procedure depends on climatic and weather conditions. Usually this happens in June - July.

The dug up bulbs should be cleared of soil. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the surface. Afterwards, dry for 10-20 days at a temperature not exceeding +25°C, in a dark, well-ventilated room. Lastly, after drying, carry out calibration.

The main thing that a gardener needs to know is that after digging a tulip goes through 3 successively changing states: a dormant period, rooting of the bulbs and a period of resumption of the growing season.

Storage occurs when changing several temperature conditions. From warm at the beginning (up to +20 ° C) through a gradual decrease, to cooler (up to +5 ... + 7 ° C), which should be maintained until the very moment of planting. After the temperature has dropped, under no circumstances should it be allowed to rise even by 4-5 C.

Tulips are a favorite object of research for scientists and breeders. The culture amazes with the abundance of species. Maybe, after mastering the growing process, it’s worth trying to conduct some breeding experiments? Perhaps this hobby will develop into a real passion and the world will see several more incredibly beautiful varieties.

Tips for gardeners on growing tulips in spring

To avoid mistakes when growing tulips, you should listen to the opinions of experienced gardeners.

If you change the location of the flower bed every year, this will increase the decorative value of the variety.
It is recommended to plant tulips in rows. In this case, bulbs of the same diameter are used.
You should be prepared for the fact that the smallest “children” will not bloom in the year of spring planting. To obtain buds, take a “uterus” or medium bulbs.
When sorting seed, be sure to pay attention to the presence of a flower bud. Its absence is a reason for rejection (these plants will not produce flower stalks).
When planting tulips, do not add fresh manure to the holes (grooves). He will burn the onion and it will die. It is better to add organic matter to the flowerbed 2 months before planting or in early autumn.
The soil is moistened before and after planting tulips, but in moderation.
When caring for a flower garden during irrigation, they try to wet the soil to a depth of at least half a meter so that the water gets directly to the roots.
When applying potassium fertilizers to the flowerbed, make sure that the composition does not include chlorine. Flower crops cannot tolerate this microelement.
Do not add fertilizer to dry soil. Therefore, the flowerbed is watered first. If this is not possible, then it is better to postpone feeding to another time.
When growing tulips, it is necessary to take into account the variety. Early flowering plants should not be dug up late, and vice versa. There is a risk of getting sick plants or not waiting for flowering.
The optimal storage temperature for onions is 23-25 degrees. 10 days before planting, the heat in the room is first reduced to 20 degrees. Then they gradually bring it up to +17. This will make it easier for the bulbs to adapt to a new location.
When storing tulips, sudden changes in temperature should not be allowed - there is a risk of getting “blind” buds during cultivation.
When taking flowers into a bouquet, you cannot cut the stem to the very root. Be sure to leave a small “stump” for foliage development.

If tulips are not dug up for several years, they begin to shrink. This is due to the fact that the bulbs are gradually buried, and a low stem grows on the surface, producing an inconspicuous bud.

Tulips cannot be grown in one place for more than one year.

According to the rules of agricultural technology, tulips can be returned to the same place no earlier than after 3-5 years. But, if your plot is small and there is nowhere else to plant these flowers, and you want to admire them every year, then you need to pay special attention to the health of these flowers. To do this you need:

Absolute health of bulbs prepared for planting
Be sure to dig up faded bulbs every year.
Carefully remove all scales from the onions, all their roots and leaves from this place
Regularly inspect the plantings and immediately remove diseased plants, as well as their roots, the bulb and the soil around it. The resulting hole must be filled with 0.5% hot 70-100° C solution of potassium permanganate. But this must be done carefully so as not to burn the roots of surrounding plants. Then, in this place, be sure to plant plants such as nasturtium, marigolds or calendula, because they actively destroy pathogenic microflora.