How to propagate tulips and how to use them

One of the most beautiful plants on earth is the tulip. It inspires spring with its blooms, aroma and colors. It got its name from the Persian word “toliban”, which translates as “turban”, since the bud really looks like an oriental cap. Belongs to the Liliaceae family. The peak of flowering occurs mainly in April-May and for two weeks it delights us with its “masterpiece”. Today there are a huge number of species and varieties, which sometimes reach a height of up to 1 meter. It reproduces in two ways: seeds and bulbs (babies).

Before planting, you need to choose the right place. Tulips grow very well in bright, sunny places where there are no strong winds.

Content:

Propagation with bulbs
Propagation by seeds

Propagation with bulbs

U tulip very short growing season. After 2 weeks of flowering, the leaves begin to dry, and a new flower is already formed in the daughter bulb (which is formed in the mother bulb). Therefore, somewhere in the middle of summer, the daughter bulb is separated from the mother bulb. Dry in the fresh air under cover for a couple of days, and clear of roots and swamps. Next, they are stored at a temperature of 20 degrees for about a month, then transferred to a cooler place with a temperature of 10-12 degrees and air humidity within 80%.

With the arrival of autumn it begins landing tulip bulbs. This is usually September-October, so that the bulb can take root before frost.First you need to choose a flat place with sandy loam or slightly alkaline soil and add a little humus there. Then the soil is loosened and the bulb is planted to a depth of 10-15 cm. They are planted in a row, but so that there is a distance between them of 10 to 15 cm, and the distance from one row to another is within 40 centimeters. The larger the bulb, the larger the radius around it should be.

But before planting, you also need to inspect the bulb so that it is clean and firm. If specks appear, throw away.

As soon as the first frosts appear, the area with future tulips should be covered with a layer of straw, leaves or humus. And with the arrival of spring, be sure to fertilize.

Propagation by seeds

Basically, tulips are propagated from bulbs, and seeds are used very rarely, because seedlings produce their results in the fifth year. How to collect seeds? When the tulips begin to fade and dry, they need to be tied up so that they remain in the “standing” position. The seeds ripen on the flower shoot. And the first sign that they need to be collected is when the arrow has dried up and the seeds have begun to crack. As soon as this happens, take the box, carefully cut it off, and place it in a warm and dry place, where they will continue to ripen.

Then, just like the bulbs, in September-October they need to be sown, but only thickly and covered with soil. But first, prepare the bed. For them you need to work hard: thoroughly fertilize the soil, sift and mix a little with sand.

In the spring, shoots will appear (like onion sets). Processes happen very slowly. First, a tubular leaf is formed, then a root and a stolon, on which the bulb is formed. In the summer, the buds of a new bulb are formed in it, which only takes root in the fall, and the rudiments of a new future leaf.And only after a year and a half from sowing, a flat leaf appears. The bulb is dug up only after the third year and stored all summer until October, where it is planted in the ground again. Every year the organs of the tulip are renewed. And only in the 5th year can you see monochromatic flowering, and in the following seasons the color improves. Growing a tulip from seed is a very difficult job.