How and where it is better to store tulip bulbs, rules and choice of location

Variegated scatterings of tulips in flower beds are a sure sign of the onset of spring. Spectacular flashes of bright colors will not leave anyone indifferent. It is not for nothing that in the distant past these plants cost a fortune. Years have passed. Exotic guests became available to everyone and rightfully took pride of place in the flower beds. In order to grow this miracle in your garden, you need to know how to store precious tulip bulbs.

Reasons for digging up tulips

In order to grow beautiful flowers, you must adhere to the basic rules of agricultural technology. One of the main requirements is the annual digging of bulbs. The procedure ensures that the varietal qualities of plants are preserved and large bulbs are obtained for autumn planting. In addition, regular digging helps avoid rot and disease. An exception is made only for children - miniature onions. They need to get stronger and grow up.

The nodules are dug into the garden bed and left alone for 2 years. By regularly removing the corms, you can safely begin remodeling the flower garden without fear of damaging the plants. After flowering, the corm left in the soil is deepened into the ground. This maneuver allows the tulips to survive the winter cold. In spring, the plant will begin to strive for light, and the bright beauty will continue its life cycle. But every year the bulb goes deeper into the ground. Making its way through the thickness of the earth, the plant spends a lot of energy instead of accumulating it.

As a result, the flowers become smaller and the tulips become frail and unsightly. Often, several daughter bulbs grow in such abandoned nests. They are sorely lacking space and nutrition, so the tulips grow unsightly.

Ways to preserve bulbs until spring

Tulips are planted about a month before the first frost. If for some reason this was not possible, it is better to postpone the event until spring. There are several ways to store planting material.

Dry storage

If there are few corms, you can use the dry storage method. To ensure that the seed is preserved without damage, each bulb is wrapped in paper.Then the packaged copies are placed in a common paper bag and put in the refrigerator. The optimal storage place is a vegetable drawer. This is usually the bottom of the refrigerator. Owners of private houses can recommend a basement as storage. In this case, the planting material is placed in a wooden box filled with sand or sawdust.

The dry method is convenient and simple, but tulips after such hibernation will bloom a little later than usual.

Wet germination

If you want to wait for the Dutch beauties to bloom at the right time, you can use the wet germination method. To do this, you need to prepare a perforated plastic container. Disinfect and fill the container with sawdust or peat.

Place the bulbs on the prepared substrate, placing them bottom down. Then the nodules must be sprinkled with peat or sawdust and stored in the cellar until germination. In the spring, hatched tulips need to be planted in a flower bed.

Early forcing

By subjecting the bulbs to various procedures, you can get blooming tulips for any holiday. By changing the temperature during storage, you can slow down or speed up the flowering period. A fragrant, bright composition will decorate the festive table on March 8 or transform the house on Christmas night.

If you want to receive flowers by March 8, you need to prepare in advance for forcing tulips. For this purpose, the best specimens are selected in the spring. Plants are looked after and fed individually. This is necessary so that the bulbs accumulate more nutrients.

3-4 days after the buds open, the flower heads of the selected tulips are cut off. After digging, specimens intended for forcing are dried and stored separately. During storage, the air temperature is gradually reduced.If in August the optimal temperature is 20 degrees, then in October the corms are stored at 16 degrees.

From November, planting material for germination must be kept in the refrigerator. The planting container and substrate are prepared in advance. The pot or box must have drainage holes. You can prepare the substrate yourself or purchase it at a flower shop. The composition of the soil mixture should consist of 3 components in equal parts:

• garden soil;
• river sand;
• humus.

The bulbs are removed from the refrigerator and carefully inspected. Having selected healthy specimens, soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes. The soil is disinfected with the same solution and the container is filled with substrate. In order to avoid the process of rotting of tubers, Glyokladin tablets are added to the ground. The treated corms are lightly pressed into loose soil. Tulips are planted quite densely, at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. The planted material is sprinkled with substrate and moistened, leaving only the tips of the bulbs on top.

The future composition is put into the refrigerator, where it will be stored until the right time. Take out the box a month before the plants are supposed to bloom. The emerging sprouts must be illuminated using a phytolamp. After the end of flowering, the tulips are cut off, but continue to be watered, because their life is not over yet. A month later, the bulbs are removed from the ground, dried and stored until autumn.

The Christmas run is done a little differently. By the winter holiday, the corm should already have fully formed all parts of the future flower. For a Christmas composition, the bulb is dug up ahead of schedule, and then kept for a week at a temperature of 32-34 degrees. The shock procedure will speed up important processes.Further actions will be the same as in the previous case. Dutch bulbs marked “Giant” are best suited for forcing.

When should the bulbs be removed?

The changes occurring with tulips will tell you when to dig up the faded beauties. Signs of readiness for digging:

1. Yellowing of most of the leaves (about ⅓).
2. The scales of the bulbs become brown.
3. The stem of the flower has become flexible. You can wrap it around your finger in a circle.

If the corms are removed prematurely, the plant will not have time to stock up on nutrients. This has a detrimental effect on the decorative qualities and general condition of the flower. In addition, fewer replacement bulbs will form in the underground part of the plant, and their quality will leave much to be desired.

Late digging is also undesirable. As a result of delayed actions, the risk of tulips being affected by infectious diseases increases. Horizontal tears appear on the replacement bulbs. This significantly worsens the presentation of the planting material. When digging late, it is difficult to extract the tubers without loss. Nests of replacement bulbs disintegrate, and a good portion of future tulips remain in the ground. The procedure is carried out in dry, but not hot weather.

After digging, the planting material is inspected, sorted into groups by size and variety, and then laid to dry. Sick and severely damaged specimens are removed. Plants are treated for 4 weeks at a temperature of 23-25 ​​degrees. The bulbs are then stored for storage in order to be planted in the ground again in the fall.

What kind of space should be suitable for storage?

Professional flower growers use such a miracle of technology as a thermal camera.The equipment is expensive; for a simple flower lover it is not necessary to purchase such equipment.

To store planting material, you can use any well-ventilated, dark room. The storage must be protected from direct sunlight. It should not be hot; 30-degree heat can lead to dehydration and death of the bulbs. The optimal storage temperature for tubers is 20 degrees. The attic, terrace or veranda of a country house is quite suitable for this purpose. You can store the bulbs in a dry basement or cellar. The tubers will feel quite comfortable in a city apartment if you allocate a suitable room for this purpose.

The bulbs are placed in a box in one layer. It is recommended to cover the seeding material with sawdust. They will help keep the tubers dry.

Preparing containers

A wooden box is ideal for storing planting material. Experienced gardeners recommend making a hole in the container and placing a thermometer there. This will help control the temperature of the bulbs.

There is no need to resort to such tricks. Lattice fruit boxes, wicker baskets or fabric bags are perfect for storage. It is recommended to disinfect the selected container before use. Do not use cardboard boxes. They can easily get wet.

Basic rules for storage before planting

The beauty of the future flower garden depends on the quality of the seed.

1. The bulbs must be dry and clean. Dry the material at a temperature of 23-25 ​​degrees.
2. Humidity level should be 70-80%
3. Choose a well-ventilated, dark room.
4. The air temperature should be 20 degrees. In September, lower it a little - to 17 degrees.
5. Before storing, the corms are treated in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Possible problems and their solutions

High humidity and incorrect storage temperatures can lead to rotting of the bulbs and mold. Damaged specimens are treated with Fundazol or a solution of potassium permanganate. All material is sorted out, healthy specimens are separated and stored separately. Severely affected tubers are thrown away.

If the onions are slightly damaged, the affected areas are cut off and the wounds are treated with brilliant green. Planting material is often besieged by rodents. In this case, the corms are placed in a stocking or net and suspended from the ceiling.

Treatment after storage

Before planting, the corms are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect the material from invasion by pests and diseases. In addition, the procedure will help satisfy the manganese needs of tulips.