After the flowering period ends, caring for tulips does not end. The process of bulb formation and accumulation of useful substances is just beginning at this time and will continue for several more weeks. Therefore, you cannot immediately get rid of the remaining foliage and dig up tulip bulbs. To obtain high-quality seed material, it is important to water faded plants in a timely manner and apply fertilizer.
Necessary actions after flowering
They don’t stop caring for tulips even after their flowering has finished. Otherwise, the flower bulb will stop its development. For correct formation Bulb care for tulips after flowering is as follows:
- To get large bulbs of the variety you like, the heads of the tulips are cut off a week after blooming, before the flowers begin to fall off. This will allow the bulbs to intensively increase their mass.
- Watering does not stop until the plant is pruned.
- Fallen petals are immediately removed so that they do not accumulate in the axils of the leaves and rot.
- Do not trim the foliage until it completely turns yellow so that the development of the bulb does not stop.
- To control ripening, dig up one bulb and examine it for the presence of formed roots and brown spots on the scales.
- In order not to injure the roots when digging up the bulbs, the shovel is driven to a sufficient depth.
When watering tulips, the soil must be moistened to a depth of at least 40 cm. Root system plants are unable to obtain moisture in deep layers of soil, so watering must be deep.
Trimming
After flowering has completed, you can trim only those plants that have completely withered and turned yellow. In most cases, after finishing feeding, the flower independently sheds its peduncle, leaves and arrow. But some varieties require additional pruning during cultivation.
For accumulation nutrients and ensuring the correct formation of the bulbs is the responsibility of the peduncle and foliage of the plant. After flowering ends, these organs of the flower continue to carry out the necessary chemical processes. Therefore, premature cutting of the remaining above-ground part of the tulip can cause the death of the bulb.
Pruning can be done no earlier than a month after the end of flowering. Since the development of each flower is strictly individual, the accumulation of nutrients and the ripening time of the bulbs will also be different. Therefore, mass pruning of foliage is not carried out.
Fertilizer application
To obtain high-quality seed material, it is necessary that the soil be enriched with such useful substances, like potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. With their deficiency, the development of the flower slows down: the stems grow thin, the flower forms small buds and an insufficient number of new bulbs. Therefore, tulips need regular feeding.
Since flower buds form throughout the summer, fertilizing should be done not only during the growing season, but also after flowering has completed. To do this, apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, having previously diluted them in a bucket of water for irrigation. The concentration should be 2 tbsp. l. on a bucket of water.
How to dig and store bulbs?
Tulip bulbs must be dug up every year, without leaving them in the ground for the winter. This will improve the quality of the seed and prevent infection infectious diseases. The bulbs should be dug up after pruning the plant in late June or early July. In this case, they first dig early varieties tulips and only then later ones.
To make the bulbs dry faster, they are removed in sunny, dry weather. After excavation, the resulting material is carefully inspected. Well-developed bulbs should have healthy roots and brown scales. Damaged and sick ones should be thrown away immediately. Then the selected specimens are dipped in a 5% solution of potassium permanganate for several minutes and dried.
Before boarding open ground For storage, the bulbs are placed in boxes with a mesh bottom to allow air to circulate better. The seed material is placed in two layers. The prepared boxes are placed in a dark, dry place with good ventilation. The air temperature in the first month in this room should be from +23 to +25 degrees. In the second month, the temperature is lowered to +20 degrees, and before planting in the flowerbed it should be +17 degrees.
When storing bulbs, sudden changes in temperature should not be allowed, as this can lead to the appearance of “blind” buds.
How to plant tulips?
The optimal time for planting tulips begins in the fall in mid-September. Then the plant will have time to take root and begin to grow in the spring in March. But it is better to navigate by weather conditions. The air temperature at this time should be from +5 to +7 degrees. In the northern regions, this period may shift to the beginning of September, and in the south, tulips are planted only in early October.
Before planting, the seed is cleared of husks and inspected to find possible foci of disease. Damaged copies are thrown away. If expensive varieties of tulips turn out to be sick, then the damaged areas are carefully cut out sharp knife, grabbing a small piece of healthy tissue along with the diseased tissue. Then the cut out areas are dried for 20 minutes and treated with a fungicide. When planting, such bulbs are planted separately from healthy ones.
The prepared material for sowing is once again treated with a 5% solution of potassium permanganate and planted in a well-lit place protected from drafts in the country house or garden. The site must be different from the previous habitat of tulips. For planting large bulbs, make furrows 15 cm deep; for children, the furrow depth should be 6 cm. A distance of 30 cm is maintained between adjacent rows of tulips. Wood ash and sand are added to each furrow, which will make the soil lighter. After this, the soil is watered so that it better covers the seed. The bulbs are placed in a furrow, maintaining a distance between them of 10 to 15 cm, depending on the size of the specimen. Planted plants need to be watered again so that they take root better.
It is necessary to complete the process of planting tulips in such a time frame that the plants have time to take root before the onset of frost. Otherwise, they may die from the cold. With the onset of cold weather, the place where tulips are planted must be covered with a layer of humus or peat.
It is impossible to imagine spring without flowers blooming in front gardens. different colors tulips. Inexperienced gardeners, after the tulips have bloomed, are faced with the question of what to do next with them. Should I just forget until next spring or dig it up right away? No, even after the end of their flowering, caring for tulips must continue to form good bulbs for next year.
Caring for faded tulips occurs in the following stages:
Fertilizing and increased watering
Immediately after the flowers wither, the peduncle should be removed, watering the tulips should continue for another two weeks and be sure to feed, since it is during this period that the bulbs accumulate nutrients.
How to feed tulips after flowering:
- phosphorus-potassium fertilizer at a rate of 30-40g per 1 m2, for example aquarin, mortar, crystalline;
- Do not use fertilizers containing chlorine and nitrogen.
Leaf cutting
You can cut off tulip leaves after flowering only when they turn completely yellow. If you do this earlier, the bulbs will stop developing. Experienced gardeners In order not to lose their location, it is recommended to leave a piece of paper with a mark.
To prevent the yellowing leaves of tulips from spoiling the appearance of your front garden, they can be pressed to the ground with something.
Digging up bulbs
After the leaves are completely dry after flowering, the tulip bulbs are dug up, approximately in late June - early July. You can find out whether the bulbs are ready by carefully digging up one of them; the presence of formed roots and brown spots on the scales will indicate its readiness, or if the ends of the stem and leaves of the tulip can be easily wound around your finger.
Basic rules for digging bulbs:
- It is better to dig on a sunny day to dry immediately;
- if in damp weather, you should immediately rinse with water and dry;
- in order not to injure the roots, the shovel must be lowered deeper into the ground;
- treat with a 5% solution of potassium permanganate;
- select and dispose of diseased and unsprouted bulbs;
- It’s better to dig by variety, starting with the earliest.
There is no clear opinion about the need to dig up tulips every year; there are recommendations to do this every two years and even after a longer period. But to keep the flowers large, beautiful and disease-resistant, it is better to dig up the bulbs every year.
Bulb storage
- The dug up bulbs are sorted by variety and laid out in 1-2 layers in boxes with a mesh bottom so that they do not rot.
- 3-4 weeks (in July) are dried at a temperature of 23-25°C with good ventilation at a humidity of up to 70%.
- Then the temperature is reduced: in August - to 20°C, and in September - to 17°C.
In how to store tulips after flowering, it is very important to observe this temperature regime, since it is at this time that the most important processes occur: the formation of buds, the laying of leaves, and the flower stalk.
Throughout the entire storage period, the bulbs should be examined to identify diseased ones and then destroy them.
Transplanting tulips
At the end of September, having chosen good weather (5-7°C is considered optimal), the preserved tulip bulbs are planted back into the soil, after soaking them again in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is better to choose a new place for planting, since at the previous location the soil is depleted and the number of pathogenic bacteria increases. After planting the tulips in the prepared area to a depth equal to five times the size of the bulb itself, they must be watered abundantly. A little later, feed with ashes, and with the onset of cold weather thin layer peat or humus.
Following these steps of caring for a tulip after flowering and transplanting it to a new place will provide you with lush blooms in the spring!
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It is impossible to imagine spring without tulips blooming in the front gardens in different colors. Inexperienced gardeners, after the tulips have bloomed, are faced with the question of what to do next with them. Should I just forget until next spring or dig it up right away? No, even after the end of their flowering, caring for tulips must be continued in order to form good bulbs for the next year.
Caring for faded tulips occurs in the following stages:
Fertilizing and increased wateringImmediately after the flowers wither, the peduncle should be removed, watering the tulips should continue for another two weeks and be sure to feed, since it is during this period that the bulbs accumulate nutrients.
How to feed tulips after flowering:
- phosphorus-potassium fertilizer at a rate of 30-40g per 1 m2, for example aquarin, mortar, crystalline;
- Do not use fertilizers containing chlorine and nitrogen.
You can cut off tulip leaves after flowering only when they turn completely yellow. If you do this earlier, the bulbs will stop developing. Experienced gardeners, in order not to lose their location, recommend leaving a leaf with a mark.
To prevent the yellowing leaves of tulips from spoiling the appearance of your front garden, they can be pressed to the ground with something.
Digging up bulbsAfter the leaves are completely dry after flowering, the tulip bulbs are dug up, approximately in late June - early July. You can find out whether the bulbs are ready by carefully digging up one of them; the presence of formed roots and brown spots on the scales will indicate its readiness, or if the ends of the stem and leaves of the tulip can be easily wound around your finger.
Basic rules for digging bulbs:
- It is better to dig on a sunny day to dry immediately;
- if in damp weather, you should immediately rinse with water and dry;
- in order not to injure the roots, the shovel must be lowered deeper into the ground;
- treat with a 5% solution of potassium permanganate;
- select and dispose of diseased and unsprouted bulbs;
- It’s better to dig by variety, starting with the earliest.
There is no clear opinion about the need to dig up tulips every year; there are recommendations to do this every two years and even after a longer period. But to keep the flowers large, beautiful and disease-resistant, it is better to dig up the bulbs every year.
Bulb storage- The dug up bulbs are sorted by variety and laid out in 1-2 layers in boxes with a mesh bottom so that they do not rot.
- 3-4 weeks (in July) are dried at a temperature of 23-25°C with good ventilation at a humidity of up to 70%.
- Then the temperature is reduced: in August - to 20°C, and in September - to 17°C.
In how to store tulips after flowering, it is very important to observe this temperature regime, since it is at this time that the most important processes occur: the formation of buds, the laying of leaves, and the flower stalk.
Throughout the entire storage period, the bulbs should be examined to identify diseased ones and then destroy them.
Transplanting tulips
At the end of September, having chosen good weather (5-7°C is considered optimal), the preserved tulip bulbs are planted back into the soil, after soaking them again in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is better to choose a new place for planting, since at the previous location the soil is depleted and the number of pathogenic bacteria increases. After planting the tulips in the prepared area to a depth equal to five times the size of the bulb itself, they must be watered abundantly. A little later, feed with ash, and with the onset of cold weather, with a thin layer of peat or humus.
Following these steps of caring for a tulip after flowering and transplanting it to a new place will provide you with lush blooms in the spring!
Tulips have a mesmerizing beauty, captivating the eye with a riot of colors. Unfortunately, their flowering period is very short. And now on the site there is a flowerbed with wilted plants, the tulips have faded, what to do next, and how to store them until the next season you have to figure out.
To maintain an attractive appearance garden plot, tulips can be planted in separate containers, which can be easily removed after flowering. Second option: place them between perennial plants with a long flowering period.
Leaf cutting
Take your time to trim the leaves, as nutrients and microelements are supplied through them. When the still green foliage is removed, the bulb stops its development.
As soon as the leaves turn yellow, they need to be cut off, leaving a small stump. Place a small stick so as not to lose the bulbs before digging.
Do I need to fertilize a wilted plant?
After flowering ends, remove the peduncle and continue watering and fertilizing for 14-20 days. The bulbs will need this time to accumulate nutrients. Fertilizers should not contain nitrogen and chlorine, but phosphorus and potassium will help strengthen the plant.
Watering should be plentiful, preventing the soil from drying out. To do this, you need 500 ml of water per root. Pay attention to the amount of fertilizer per square meter 40 gr is enough. feeding, otherwise the bulbs will take too long to form.
Replanting tulips after flowering
Flower transplantation is carried out to prevent plant degeneration, although this does not eliminate all risks. Some varietal tulips can grow in one area for up to 4 years without requiring replanting. However, they also require a change of location for optimal development.
For this there are certain rules that should be followed:
- Before replanting tulips, you need to wait until the end of flowering and cut off the wilted leaves. 14 to 30 days must pass, otherwise the bulbs will not have time to accumulate the necessary supply of nutrients for the next season.
- The plant should be replanted into nutritious soil on which crops suitable for further cultivation tulips. The holes are placed in increments of 30 cm between the bulbs, and the distance between the children should be at least 15 cm.
Before placing the tulip in the hole, pour a warm solution of potassium permanganate into it. It happens that the soil cracks in the selected area; it is worth mixing it with peat first. If you neglect this advice, the flowers will become sick or die. - As planting material use bulbs without defects. When replanting, no watering is required since the soil was moistened in advance. The first watering is carried out after 4 days, and after two weeks you can start feeding the flowers.
When to dig up tulips after flowering?
In June, flower growers have a question: when to dig up tulips after flowering? It is necessary to wait until the leaves become completely yellow and the stems lose their hardness. Only if these indicators are available is it possible to dig up plants.
How to dig up a plant correctly?
It is better to use a pitchfork for digging, as a shovel can damage the plant. Dig the soil thoroughly to avoid leaving the bulbs in the ground.
Drying tulips in the open sun is strictly prohibited. Pre-sort the babies from the adult bulbs and place them in a warm place. After three days, the plants must be freed from the soil and rotten and diseased rhizomes must be removed, as well as large ones must be separated from small ones.
Large planting material is more productive, but children are also suitable for planting, only in a separate place.
The bulbs will require approximately 5 days to dry if the weather is dry, high humidity increases the period to 14 days. All this time, the container with the plants should be in the shade without direct sunlight.
Storage conditions and processing of bulbs
Caring for tulips after flowering, as well as their further storage, must be carried out taking into account the temperature, humidity level, ventilation and lack of light.
The best containers are wicker baskets made from natural materials, wooden boxes, paper containers or nets. The sorted roots are laid in a maximum of two layers. Over the next couple of months, the bulbs will form buds and leaves, so you need to monitor storage conditions especially carefully.
Humidity
The optimal humidity level is within 60-70%. In drier air, the bulbs will begin to shrink, so humidify the air if these signs appear. High humidity will cause early germination and lead to rotting of the material.
Temperature
For the first three weeks, the storage temperature should be between 25 and 30 degrees. Further, this indicator should not exceed 20⁰С.
High-quality ventilation
A necessary condition for successful conservation is the presence of a good ventilation system in the room. During storage, the use of tall plastic containers and plastic bags. Such conditions will not allow the bulbs to be preserved until next season.
Some gardeners prefer to store the bulbs in the refrigerator. However this is not best option. Low temperatures lead to late bud formation. Such a bulb will not bloom.
Pay special attention to children, since adult bulbs will degenerate over time, and new ones will be needed for further reproduction.
Periodically review the material and remove rotten plants. If there are rodents in the storage, it is better to store the bulbs in nets, hanging them from the ceiling.
Tulips are good for everyone - their bright riot of colors, early flowering, and decorative properties. One bad thing is that their eyelids are too short. April and May have flown by, the tulips have faded, what to do next? Do I need to continue caring for faded plants? How to use the free space in garden design? When to dig and plant bulbs? Let's discuss these and other issues in more detail.
Care after flowering
To understand biological features tulip, you need to see which ones natural conditions his genetics was formed. And these are the steppe and semi-desert regions of Asia with early spring and summer heat, which warms the soil to great depths. Hence the development cycle of bulbous flowers:
- spring growing season;
- bloom;
- division and ripening of the bulb;
- period of summer rest (warming up);
- autumn planting;
- period of winter dormancy (cooling);
- spring growing season.
From the sequence biological rhythms We see that caring for tulips after flowering should be aimed at the formation and maturation of strong, healthy bulbs.
Continue regular watering for 2 weeks after flowering. Make sure that the ground gets wet to a depth of 30–40 cm. The roots of the tulip are not adapted to extract water from the lower layers of the soil, therefore they are sensitive to surface moisture.
When flowering comes to an end, feed the plants with complex mineral fertilizers, which contain potassium and phosphorus. This portion of nutrition will go towards the formation of scales of the replacement bulb and the growth of the children. Dissolve 30–40 g of granular fertilizers in a bucket of water and water at the rate of 10 l/m².
Remove wilted flowers and seeds in a timely manner. A seed pod left on the stem detracts nutrition from the bulb, preventing it from fully forming.
As you can see, to care for tulips after flowering, a simple set of procedures is enough - not labor-intensive and not time-consuming.
Important! Some gardeners, unknowingly, cut off the leaves of tulips immediately after flowering. This cannot be done! Without the above-ground part, the growth of the bulb stops. When cutting flowers, leave at least 2 bottom leaves.
Excavation and storage
By the second half of June, the foliage and stems of the tulips will turn yellow and dry out - the time for digging has come. The question of how often to do this has been debated by more than one generation of gardeners. It all depends on climatic conditions and varietal properties. Based on biological needs, in July-August the bulb needs heating at a temperature of 23–25⁰С. IN steppe zone, in the subtropics the soil warms up to such temperatures, and in middle lane Russia? Definitely not. In addition, if the bulbs are not dug up for a number of years, degeneration occurs - the flowers become smaller, varietal characteristics disappear, and the reproduction rate decreases.
Transplanting tulips after flowering is a necessary element of flower farming. The dug up bulbs are thoroughly dried for a week in a warm, shaded, ventilated place. After this, the planting material is cleaned of roots and old scales, sorted by size, and diseased and damaged specimens are discarded.
This is what ripe bulbs look like during harvesting Tulips are stored until planting - for 2–2.5 months. Into this time goes by laying a flower bud for next year, so it is important to create optimal conditions. Temperature V initial period storage should be higher (23–25⁰С), after 1–1.5 months it is reduced to 15–18⁰С, at the time of planting it is brought closer to natural conditions (10–12⁰С). To allow the bulbs to “breathe,” sprinkle them in 1–2 layers and do not allow the outer scales to dry out.
How to plant a flower bed after tulips?
The unsightly appearance of faded tulips and withered leaves spoils the appearance of the garden. When designing tulip flower beds after flowering, gardeners use several proven methods.
Growing in baskets
Planting bulbs in special perforated containers is gaining popularity among gardeners. This is convenient when digging up planting material - the bulbs do not “spread”. But, most importantly, immediately after flowering, the baskets, along with the soil and bulbs, can be removed from the flowerbed and, with a little digging, left to ripen in an inconspicuous corner of the garden. This method completely solves the problem of when to replant tulips after flowering in order to have time to decorate the flower beds with summer flowers.
Planting annual seedlings
If you plant tulips in dense groups, then by digging up the bulbs in mid-June, you will have time to plant the vacated beds with late-blooming annuals. To do this, grow seedlings in individual containers. Salvia, zinnia, petunia, begonia, and marigolds take root well, do not get sick, and grow quickly. You can plant annual dahlias, antirrinum, chrysanthemums - they will delight you with flowering until late autumn.
Selection of decorative neighbors
The design technique of “decorative proximity” is widely used, which allows you to disguise the unsightly appearance of faded plants. Select plants from different periods growing season and flowering, but so that they actively move into growth no earlier than the second half of May. Generally recognized “neighbors” of tulips - perennial hosts, astilbes, ferns. If you don’t plan to dig up tulips, groundcovers such as sedum, phlox, periwinkle, and purslane are ideal.
Pay attention! If ripening tulip bulbs are adjacent to other plants, be careful with watering. Excessive waterlogging can lead to rotting of the planting material.
