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The bloom of tulips is associated with the onset of spring. The delicate flower is loved all over the world. We try to decorate most of our garden plots with tulips. Bulbs are planted mainly in autumn. Let's talk about how to plant tulips according to the rules in the Urals zone.
Why do you need to dig up bulbs in spring?
When you start talking about the requirement to dig up bulbs, store them and plant them again in autumn, many gardeners do not understand why this is necessary. This rule forced many gardeners to abandon growing tulips.
It is important to note that the right approach to cultivation gives excellent results. Today, many manufacturers are trying to make the work of gardeners easier. For bulb lovers they sell special lightweight baskets. They are inexpensive, you can put bulbs of the same variety in them and not worry about them spoiling when digging.
When planted in autumn, the bulb takes root. This is facilitated by favorable cool weather, which prevails until frost. During this period, all necessary nutrients are absorbed through the root system.In spring, the plant wakes up and blooms with particular splendor; the buds are large in size.
Let's talk about how to do this correctly for the residents of the Urals.
Rules for planting tulips
Tulips are beautiful, delicate flowers. There are a huge number of options for shades of petals, with fringe, two-color, three-color. But in order to achieve lush flowering, it is necessary to plant correctly. Planting tulips requires a lot of time, this is the main disadvantage of such work. No one wants the tulips to not come up after hard work in the garden or not to please the gardener with their blooms.
Planting tulips in the fall in the Urals should be done according to the rules. The basic requirements are:
- tulips are planted in an open space where there is plenty of sunlight;
- these flowers love fertile, loose soil;
- When planting tulips, they follow the deadlines so that the roots become stronger before frost.
Let's talk about planting rules in more detail.
Selecting a location
Choosing a place is always very difficult. You need to decide on this in advance. Several factors need to be taken into account:
- tulips love space: the distance between the bulbs is approximately 10 centimeters, which allows the root to feed well;
- the planting depth of tulips is 15-20 centimeters;
- the place for the flowerbed must be reliably protected from the winds;
- a flower bed with these flowers should be large and take its rightful place in the garden.
It's a pity that tulips don't bloom for long. If they do not have enough space, the stem will stretch out and the flower will be small.In some cases, you won’t get flowering at all if you plant directly in the shade.
Soil requirements
We have already written that this flower loves rich soil. In addition, a flower bed with tulips can be arranged on poor soils, adhering to certain rules. Basic soil requirements:
- the soil should be loose;
- an abundance of sand is welcome;
- The groundwater level must be low;
- pH neutral or slightly alkaline.
If there is an abundance of clay on the site, dig up the soil and add sand to it. If the groundwater is very close to the surface, the roots will constantly rot. You can solve this problem by building a flower bed on a hill.
Fertilizers
Even if the soil on the site is ideal for planting bulbs, fertilizing will not hurt. It is recommended to use as fertilizers:
- ammonium nitrate;
- phosphorus complex fertilizer.
Feeding should be done three times a year. In the fall you can only apply ammonium nitrate, but in the spring you will need potassium and phosphorus fertilizing. They will ensure good growth of stems and excellent flowering.
If your tulips do not have lush leaves, then comprehensive feeding is required. This is not worth saving on.
Choosing a landing time
Tulips need to be planted in the fall at a certain time. It depends on when frosts start in the region. Speaking about the Urals, you need to understand that the climate in this vast territory may be slightly different.
Sometimes the weather makes its own adjustments. Autumn comes a little earlier or, conversely, warm days last throughout September.In this case, you need to use the following rule:
- daytime temperature should not fall below 7 degrees;
- night temperature is below 3 degrees.
At least three weeks are allowed for rooting. According to this data, the optimal time for planting bulbs is a month before the onset of frost.
It’s also not worth planting early in the fall, because after rooting the plant can “wake up” and begin to grow, and this can lead to the fact that in the spring the seedlings will be very weak.
Preparatory work
We'll tell you how to properly plant tulips in the fall. Work begins with preparing the soil. Preparatory work begins two weeks before the expected planting. Having chosen the most suitable area, the soil must be dug well to the depth of planting the bulbs, that is, 20 centimeters. If there has been no rain for a long time, then the soil needs to be watered.
When digging, add sand to heavy soil. After this, the soil needs to be leveled with a rake. Avoid holes and hills.
The bulbs are also prepared for planting. You need to take either those just bought in the store, or those saved from the spring. All rotten and small ones are removed to the side; only large and medium-sized ones are allowed to plant. The quality of the planting material determines what flowers it will produce in the spring.
Before planting a bulb You can soak it in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and, if you really want, sprinkle it with a growth indicator. That's it, the material is ready for planting!
Planting process
The most labor-intensive process begins - planting. Having chosen the place and the right time, you can start working. When planting flowers, place medium-sized bulbs at a depth of 15 centimeters, and large ones at 20 centimeters. Extreme precision in this matter is not important.
If a composition is created in the form of a flower bed, then it is necessary to plant large bulbs in the center, and medium ones - along the edges. The average ones will have smaller flowers and shorter stems. You also need to maintain a certain distance between the bulbs themselves. This is 6-10 centimeters. The distance also depends on the size of the bulbs.
For those who use tulips of different varieties in flower beds, I would like to remind you that their flowering periods may differ. Don't plant them randomly. In flower beds, tulips are most often planted in a checkerboard pattern. If tulips border the path, plant them in a pre-dug level trench.
The landing process itself is simple.
Dig a hole or trench of a certain size. A tulip bulb is placed in it with the rhizome down. There is no need to press it, as this can damage the thin roots. Then the trench or hole is covered with earth. After planting all the bulbs, the ground is carefully leveled. If the weather is sunny and no rain is expected, you can lightly water the soil.
Digging up faded tulips
In spring, flower beds with tulips are a delight to the eye. This flower rightfully occupies one of the main places in the gardens of Russians. The abundance of colors and splendor of flowering are the advantages of tulips. Among the disadvantages is the short flowering period, but this applies to all spring beauties. For those who are still new to this issue, it is important to know the basic rules of care.
Before flowering in early spring, fertilizers are applied to the soil. Faded tulips are cut off so that they do not spoil the appearance. After flowering, you will need to wait a while for the foliage to fall before digging up the bulbs.
If the gardener has established tags for different varieties in advance in the fall, it will be convenient for him to dig up and sort the plants.Place them in dry baskets, boxes or other containers convenient for storage.
Bulb storage
In order for the bulbs to be well preserved from spring to autumn, it is important to follow simple rules:
- planting material is stored in its pure form without roots, lumps of earth and leaves;
- Before storing them, they must be dried;
- You can soak the bulbs in a weak solution of potassium permanganate before drying;
- It is good to store them in dry sawdust, which will absorb any excess moisture.
Storage conditions are also quite simple:
- temperature range - from +20 to +25 degrees;
- by autumn the temperature is reduced to + 15 degrees;
- The room must be ventilated and humidity must not rise.
Winter care
Many gardeners ask whether it is necessary to care for tulips planted in the Urals during the cold season. As a rule, such care is not required, but we still advise gardeners in the Middle Urals to insulate the bulbs.
This can be done using spruce branches or snow. If the frosts are severe for a long time, you can cover the planting site with a snowdrift. So, the bulbs will overwinter better.
As a rule, tulips winter well and in the spring they delight the eye with their delicate bright colors. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of planting them according to all the rules!
