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Tulip Miranda is a plant from the Liliaceae family, belonging to the peony-like terry hybrids. Thanks to the large number of petals, it will be a wonderful decoration for any garden plot. The culture is relatively unpretentious and easily propagated.
Description of Miranda tulips
Like most varieties of this plant, Miranda was bred in Holland. It is a classic peony-shaped tulip, in which a second flower is formed in place of the inner whorl, and additional petals instead of stamens. The Miranda tulip is a late tulip: flowering begins at the end of May and lasts about 2 weeks.
The length of the plant stem is from 45 to 60 cm. The diameter of the bud is 12-15 cm, height 6-7 cm.
The color of the stem and leaves of the Miranda tulip is greenish with a bluish tint, the flowers are red
Up to three peduncles can form from one bulb. The petals are arranged in five layers, their total number is several dozen.
The outer petals become very fragile in the later stages of flowering and can fall off the inflorescence at the slightest touch or strong gust of wind.
Planting and caring for terry Miranda tulips
Adult Miranda tulip bulbs are planted in mid-autumn. This will allow them to adapt before the cold weather sets in.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
The soil in the area with Miranda tulips should be loamy or sandy loam. Acidity – slightly alkaline or neutral. Acidic soils should be limed, since in them the plant does not absorb nutrients well and has an increased risk of disease.
The plant should be planted in sunny areas protected from the wind. Planting 50 cm from the southern walls of buildings has proven itself well.
Landing rules
Usually planting is done in beds several meters long. The distance between the bulbs is 10-15 cm. The planting does not have any special features.
It is recommended to bury Miranda tulip bulbs approximately three times their diameter.
After this, they are sprinkled with soil and slightly moistened.
Watering and fertilizing
The Miranda tulip does not like excess water in the soil, so depending on the temperature, it is watered once every 3-4 days in hot weather or once a week in normal weather.
Fertilizing is carried out 2-3 times per season:
- in early spring;
- during the budding period;
- after flowering.
A third application of fertilizer is optional. In all cases, complex mixtures for ornamental plants are used. Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers should be avoided.
Reproduction of Miranda tulips
The main method of propagating Miranda tulips is by planting children. In the fall, when the bulbs are removed from the ground, they are inspected and sorted by size. At the same time, the largest and healthiest children are selected. They are stored separately from adult bulbs.
The children are planted in the spring of next year. It is advisable not to mix different generations of flowers in one area.
Overwintering of bulbs can be carried out in any convenient container, for example, in egg trays
It is not recommended to dig up the Miranda tulip for wintering every year. This significantly weakens the bulbs and makes them vulnerable to disease. It is better to carry out the reproduction procedure once every 2-3 years. Every 4-5 years, Miranda tulips should be replanted to a new location.
Seed propagation is almost never used. Collecting and germinating seeds from this variety is too difficult and time-consuming.
Diseases and pests
One of the common diseases affecting Miranda tulips is white rot or sclerotial rot. Its causative agent is discomycetes fungi. Most often they spread in acidic soil with high humidity.
Symptoms of sclerotial rot are a characteristic whitish coating on the bulbs of Miranda tulips, which turns brown over time
External manifestations are noticeable already in early spring - uneven growth of individual plant specimens. In some cases, there will be grayish spots on the green part of the flowers. Fungal spores live for several years and may not manifest themselves for a long time.
There is no treatment. Sick plants and bulbs should be destroyed, and healthy neighboring ones should be transplanted to other areas. In this case, both old and new planting sites must be treated with a 3% carbation solution (up to 10 liters per 1 sq. m).Preventive measures, including the same operations, are repeated annually.
Among the pests of the Miranda tulip, the fall armyworm can be noted. The larvae of these insects usually parasitize Cereals, but often attack Liliaceae as well.
Cutworm caterpillars typically eat tulip leaves, leaving characteristic holes in them.
Adult butterflies lay eggs mainly on various weeds, from where the caterpillars end up on Liliaceae. For prevention, weeding around the plantings should be carried out in a timely manner, and the plants should also be dusted with Boverin.
Conclusion
Tulip Miranda is a relatively unpretentious double peony variety. The main application is the design of flower beds and borders, as well as cutting. His agricultural technology is simple, and even an inexperienced gardener can handle it. Only the composition and acidity of the substrate are critical, as well as the protection of large inflorescences from wind and mechanical stress.
Reviews of Miranda tulips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6ZrSe-yFYw
