The cultivation of tulips attracts me with simple agricultural techniques. These gorgeous bright flowers are propagated by bulbs. It is important to dig them up in a timely manner, and then save them until disembarkation.
Digging and processing
I am especially careful when digging tulip bulbs. It is important not to inflict mechanical damage on them. I practice this operation throughout July, when the leaves have already turned yellow and withered, but have not yet dried up.
I clean the onions from grains of soil, destroy dry ones, as well as those damaged by insects, diseases, and a shovel. I sort the healthy bulbs by size. Separately, I lay out, signing labels, different varieties.
Then I rinse the bulbs with cool water, after which I carry out disinfection. For this purpose, I immerse the planting material in a low-borne solution of potassium permanganate. Withstand 35-40 minutes.
Then I lay out the bulbs in one layer on horizontal wooden surfaces in a warm room. It is important to provide the planting material with high-quality ventilation. The drying process lasts on average 7-8 days. During this period, I turn the bulbs several times. I immediately reject specimens with marks of rot, mold.
How to properly store tulip bulbs in winter
I practice both autumn and spring planting of chic tulips. The list of measures for caring for a flower garden depends on this.
If I plant bulbs in the fall, then I timed this event for the first half of September. Such plants bloom earlier the next season, but there is a danger of freezing if excessively cold weather sets in in winter.
Spring planting is preferred. In this situation, it is important to correctly organize the storage of the bulbs. The room selected for this purpose must be dry and well ventilated.
I wrap each onion with a separate sheet of paper. I put it in boxes with ventilation holes. I keep a small amount of planting material in cardboard egg cassettes. I periodically inspect the bulbs in order to timely notice and discard rotten specimens.
Planting material is kept well in the refrigerator. Here I give the tulips a separate bottom shelf on the door. It is important that the bulbs do not sit side by side with vegetables and fruits.
A good result can be obtained if the bottom of the container is covered with perforated polyethylene. I place a 10 cm layer of dry crushed peat. I spread the tulip bulbs and then peat again. I install the container in the cellar. You can keep it under a warm blanket on the insulated balcony.
Storage conditions
Tulip bulbs are well preserved if the temperature in the room does not rise above + 15... + 17 ° C.
The humidity of the surrounding atmosphere should not exceed 70%. It is necessary to ensure the absence of light, good ventilation. Before laying, you need to think about ways to isolate the bulbs from each other. In addition to wrapping with paper and sprinkling with peat, I use sand or sawdust.
If the humidity is exceeded, mold can be found on the scales. At the first sign, I wipe the planting material with a soft linen napkin. After that, I treat it with a solution of "Fundazol". I also use a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then I dry the bulbs. I throw away rotten copies.
An elevated temperature can provoke premature growth of sprouts. So that these specimens do not die, I move them into the room, planting them in a pot with a loose substrate. In the spring, I transplant it into a flower garden, having received an earlier flowering.
Excessively low humidity readings are especially dangerous. In such conditions, the bulbs dry out and cannot be saved.
In the spring, just before planting, I definitely carry out culling, leaving only healthy tulip bulbs. I disinfect them with potassium permanganate. With proper storage organization, bright, large, chic buds bloom abundantly on the site.
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