How to plant tulips in autumn and spring

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Tulips are beautiful spring flowers and cannot be called too difficult to grow. But in order to get a beautiful bloom, you need to know some rules on how to plant tulips in the fall in open ground.

Planting dates and choice of bulbs

Tulips can be planted in spring and autumn, but it is the autumn planting that is considered correct. If you plant crops from the end of September to the first days of November, then they take root well, stretch to the desired height and bloom much better.

But it is not worth delaying the deadlines. If tulips are planted too late, they will not have time to take root before winter.

Planting dates also largely depend on the region, but, as gardeners advise, tulips should be planted as soon as the air temperature drops to 10 degrees. So, in the Moscow region, the middle lane and the Leningrad region, planting flowers begins in mid-September, in the south and in the Volga region - from October, in Siberia and the Urals - from the first decade of September.

Beautiful flowers can only grow from healthy and large bulbs. Therefore, the planting material should not show any damage, signs of rot or disease. It is worth purchasing bulbs right before planting. If you buy it earlier, there is a risk that the plant will not germinate and bloom.

You can plant bulbs in the spring, especially if they are in poor condition. But they will bloom only next year.

Site selection, preparation of soil and bulbs

Any flower that feels comfortable will delight with bright and beautiful flowering. Tulips are very fond of the sun, but do not tolerate strong winds.

You can plant flowers on a flat area or with a slight slope, but in no case in lowlands, where a lot of moisture accumulates, especially in spring. Its excess can provoke the development of fungal diseases, and the bulbs will simply rot.

If you plan to plant flowers in a new place, then not the best predecessors for them are watermelons, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, asters, as well as any bulbous plants. The soil should be loose, fertile, drained, neutral or slightly alkaline.

The best option for tulips is sandy loam or loamy soil. The worst is clay or heavy soil. Before planting tulips in autumn, you need to know how to properly prepare the soil and planting material:

• it is imperative to dig the area to a depth of 50-60 cm;
• feed the soil with organic matter in the form of compost or humus, as well as mineral additives in the composition with phosphorus and potassium;
• if the soil is clayey, heavy and there are no other options for planting, river sand, peat and fertilizers will save the situation;
• acidic soil is not suitable either, in such a situation it must be deoxidized with wood ash, dolomite flour or a special deoxidizer;
• after adding all the additional substances, the site must be dug up again, loosened and leveled.

It is necessary to prepare the soil 2-3 months before planting, at least 2-3 weeks. Before planting, you need not only to prepare the soil, but also the planting material itself:

• we sort out the bulbs, get rid of infected samples, small and damaged specimens;
• before planting, we stand for 1 hour in fungicides (this will provide protection against diseases).

It is not worth removing the scales from the bulbs, for them it is protection against the interference of various factors.

How to plant tulips: step by step instructions

Gardeners recommend planting flowers with the same flowering time next to each other, otherwise they will not look magnificent in spring. Also, do not plant small bulbs next to large ones. As you know, small flowers grow from small bulbs, and taller ones will darken them.

Planting flowers is not difficult, just follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. Make planting holes in the prepared area. It is important to know the depth - it depends on the height of the bulb itself. If its height is 3 cm, then you need to multiply this number by 3, you get 9 cm - this will be the depth of the hole.
2. When preparing the landing holes, take into account the distance between them - from 8 to 10 cm, as well as the distance between the rows - 20 cm, but you can make it wider.
3. Pour some sand into each hole, which will protect them from disease and mold.
4. Place the onion in the hole so that the sprout looks up, you do not need to deepen it into the ground.
5. Fill the hole with soil and water, but watering should be moderate, you do not need to pour in a lot of water.

Planting children follows the same scheme, only it is better to plant them away from adults, since in the first year they will not bloom anyway. The distance between the holes is from 3 to 4 cm, the depth of the hole is calculated in the same way as for adult bulbs.

You should not cover the flowers, otherwise the bulbs will grow ahead of time, they will hardly endure wintering and will bloom poorly. If the cold has come abruptly, then only special material is used for shelter. But do not use any mulch, foliage or other garden debris, this will only attract rodents.

How to plant flowers in a basket

Many growers are looking for non-standard approaches to growing flowers. For example, some people prefer to plant tulips in plastic baskets. The method is interesting and has many advantages. The main one is that the process of growing flowers becomes easier and simpler.

Its advantages:

• bulbs are protected from rodents - it will be impossible for mice to overcome such an obstacle;
• will allow you to plant flowers even in infertile soil, since it is easiest to create more comfortable conditions in a small space;
• when digging up, not a single bulb will remain in the ground, plus the risk of injury is reduced, which means that the planting material will be better stored;
• it is more convenient to sort flowers with the help of a basket.

Planting tulips in a basket is very easy. A hole is dug out of a slightly larger diameter than the container itself. The hole should be deeper than normal planting. Now a basket is placed in the hole, the soil is poured, then the sand and the bulbs are placed with the bottom down. They cover everything with soil and water it.

Baskets can be replaced with plastic bottles, crates and even bags. The main thing is to make holes for the excess water to exit, but not too large, otherwise mice will sneak through them.

Flower care

This is where flower care in the fall ends. You do not need to cover them, only in case of a sharp drop in temperatures. A flower bed can be designated so that in the spring you do not accidentally dig it up for planting other crops.

It is very important to protect the bulbs from rodents. For example, sprinkle a flower bed with valerian infusion, plant a daffodil or imperial hazel grouse next to it - their bulbs are poisonous, mice will not like them.

We plant tulips in a pot

You can plant flowers not only in a flower bed, but also in a pot. The main thing is to provide them with a temperature not higher than 10 degrees. We choose a large pot and always have holes for water drainage.

First of all, we put the drainage into the container, which will prevent the bulbs from rotting, then the soil, we place the bulbs and again the soil.

After planting, we make sure that the ground is always moist. It is also necessary to observe the temperature: if it is too hot in the room, then the flowering time of tulips will be shortened.

Do I need to dig up the bulbs

Tulips can grow in the same place for three years, but they still need to be replanted every year. To do this, the bulbs are dug up in June and stored until autumn, then they are planted again.

What is it for:

• if flowers grow in one place, then they begin to develop poorly and bloom;
• digging makes it possible to separate young children, as a result, the mother specimens will grow better, and this is how flowers can be propagated;
• if the summer is rainy, the bulbs may die from excess moisture;
• Excavation will help identify diseased specimens and thereby prevent the death of healthy specimens.

After digging, the bulbs need to be dried well in a dark place, and then cleaned of dirt particles and separate the children. Then fold into a regular box and store until planting in a dry and cool place.

If the autumn was warm, and the bulbs had time to germinate before the arrival of winter, then they need to be covered so that the shoots do not freeze.

Tulips are not just flowers, but a beautiful decoration of the spring garden. At the same time, they are undemanding in planting and care, so even a novice florist can cope with the task of how to plant tulips in the fall in open ground.

Outcomes

1. It is better to plant tulips in autumn, so the bulbs will take root, they will develop and bloom better.
2. The plant loves fertile soil and sun, but does not like strong winds, and can also suffer from excess moisture.
3. Planting flowers does not require experience, the main thing is to correctly calculate the depth of the hole - we increase the height of the bulb 3 times.
4. You can plant tulips not only in open ground in the traditional way, but also in a basket, in pots.
5. After 1, 5-2 months after flowering, it is better to dig up the bulbs.