When do we plant tulips?
Tulip bulbs are planted in the fall, 6-8 weeks before the expected frosts, because they need time to root well before frost. In colder regions of the country it may already be September or October. In warmer parts of Poland, the bulbs can be planted even at the beginning of December - and they will bloom beautifully next year.
And what to do if we forgot to plant bulbs in the fall? Should the soil be planted in spring after the soil has thawed? Absolutely not! Tulips should not be planted in the spring.Plants may sprout, but they won't produce leaves, much less flowers. Most likely the onions will just rot.
Best position for tulips
Tulips prefer warm and sunny locations. The best places are quiet and sheltered from the wind. Before planting, let's take care of the soil, which should be fertile, humus, slightly acidic and permeable. Tulips do not like places with excessive humidity - bulbs are sensitive to fungal diseases. Before planting, dig the soil, wean and feed it with compost or multi-component mineral fertilizer with slow action.
How to plant tulips?
Plant the bulbs deeply. The rule of thumb is to plant them three times deeper than the height of the onion. Place the bulb with the pointed end facing up, then cover it with soil and press it firmly. And how to plant tulips densely? Preferably every 10-15 cm in a row. Tulips look equally beautiful when planted in a group at a distance of 5 cm.
To deter mice and moles, it is best to place the bulbs in special baskets with a lot of holes. How to plant tulips in baskets? Put a layer of substrate on the bottom, then place the bulbs with the heels down. We dig the container for the rebate so that its edge is level with the soil level. The bulbs planted in this way will be easy to dug up once the plants have bloomed. If there is drought for a long time, water the bulbs until the ground freezes.
Tulips grow very well in pots. The container should be half filled with universal substrate and the bulbs should be planted at a depth three times greater than their height, with several centimeters spacing between them. We plant the bulbs in September or October. Before the onset of frosts, the pots should be dug into the ground, wrapped with heat-insulating material (agrotextile or straw mat) or secured with cardboard or polystyrene. At the end of March, we take off the covers and dig out the containers that are pitted.
Tulips after flowering
Planted in the fall, tulips bloom all spring, depending on the variety. After the flowers are dry and the leaves are dry, dig up the tulip bulbs. Then we dry it, clean it of leaves and put it in a dry and dark place. By digging out the onions, we make them grow into he althy and lush flowers the next season.
