A beginner who is thinking about planting tulips for the first time always has doubts that the plants will not take root, will not bloom, will not survive the winter.
To dispel your fears, it is worth familiarizing yourself with frequently asked questions about caring for these flowers.
Many people face the problem of tulips blooming. The reason for this may be low-quality planting material. Very small and damaged bulbs often rot in the ground or produce weak blooms, says Anastasia Kovrizhnykh .
Planting at the wrong time, such as early autumn, will result in them producing shoots that will freeze when winter comes.
For the same reason of early germination, it is necessary to observe the planting depth, ideally it should be three times the height of the bulb. Tulips are sun-loving plants that do not like winds.
If for low-growing varieties low stems are normal, then for standard varieties they indicate a lack of nutrients in the form of nitrogen, insufficient light and moisture.
Tulips can be affected by the variegation virus, which is transmitted to other plants with the sap carried by leaf-eating insects. The disease is not treatable, so if variegated leaves are found on a single-colored plant, it is immediately dug up and destroyed.
Cut off blooming tulips or faded ones, leaving 2 lower leaves so that the plant can get stronger and germinate by the next season. After flowering, it is necessary to feed with mineral fertilizer, which will contain phosphorus, potassium, manganese, zinc.
The timing of planting tulip bulbs directly depends on the latitude of residence. Late September-early October - for the middle zone. Moving to the south, this is done later, and in northern latitudes - a little earlier.
Digging up the bulbs begins when the leaves turn yellow and the stem becomes soft. The entire process should be carried out in dry weather. If this is not possible, after digging up the bulbs, they are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and dried.
Rodents are frequent guests of bulbous plants. For protection, they resort to planting poisonous bulbous flowers, such as daffodils. An annual cynoglossum planted around the perimeter also repels mice.
Sometimes treating the bulbs with kerosene before planting helps. Only isolated planting in pots or baskets can definitely protect against mice.
By taking into account simple tips, you can easily add variety to your flowerbed with the wonderful tulip plant.
Previously, we reported on what you should not feed raspberries with .
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
