Since tulips are perennial bulbous flowers, after they have faded, care must be taken to further care and storage so that they can please you for many years. Tulips are not particularly whimsical, with the exception of hybrid terry varieties, but there are several rules that must be followed so that these flowers always look beautiful and healthy.

What to do when tulips have faded

Immediately after flowering, do not disturb the plants, because in the next 2-3 weeks they are stocked with nutrients that will help them winter. Also, the bulb is actively growing at this time, and premature removal of the aerial parts can delay its development.

Do I need to crop

Pruning tulips is necessary, but only after their aerial part completely fades. Somewhere 2-3 weeks after flowering, flower stalks with arrows can be removed so that seeds do not form, which can adversely affect the development of the underground part of the plant. But if you want to propagate the variety you like and grow large bulbs, you need to cut off the flower heads a week after they started to bloom, preventing shedding.

Important! Be sure to mark with chopsticks or branches the places where the tulip bulbs are located so that they do not get lost and are not damaged when digging.

It is better not to touch the sheets, because they still help the plant to form the bulb, providing it with the necessary nutrition. They are desirable to bend to the ground and wait until they fall on their own. And only after that they can be removed. Different varieties bloom at different times, from March to the end of June, and therefore they fade in different ways.

With circumcision, it is better not to rush much and take into account the characteristics of each individual flower.

Leaving after flowering in the open field without digging bulbs

In regions with a fairly warm climate, tulips can be left to winter in the open ground. But in the spring it is still advisable to dig them out in order to thin and plant them at a distance from each other. In this case, they will germinate and begin to bloom a little later, but will be larger than not transplanted. In summer, it is necessary to mark those places where there were flowers, so that in the spring they will not be damaged.

Did you know? At the beginning of the 17th century in the Netherlands, a whole house could be exchanged for one tulip bulb.

Do I need to dig bulbs

It is advisable to dig out tulip bulbs where warm winters are, and it is simply necessary where cold. If you leave them in the ground, they will plunge deeper into it every year, hiding from the cold. If after the first and second wintering the flowers can germinate normally, then after the third they will become small and weak, and the next year they may disappear altogether.

And also tulips, if they are not dug up for the winter, lose their varietal features. Small bulbs grow around the main bulb, because of which it cannot germinate and sinks down, taking with it the attributes of its own variety that are not inherent in its small “children”.

Therefore, as soon as the tulip leaves are completely wilted and fall off, the flowers must be dug up by immersing the shovel as deep as possible in the ground so as not to damage the roots.

Excavation care

They dig up tulip bulbs until the end of July, when they begin to dry. For this you need to get a few pieces from the ground and check if brown dry husk appeared on them.

If they are ready, you can dig out all the bulbs of this variety. After that, they are cleaned of the remnants of the earth and organic waste, damaged and damaged parts are removed.

Next, the bulbs must be treated with a weak potassium permanganate solution, dipped in it for 20 minutes, and then dried well. This must be done to destroy the larvae of pests that can stay on them for the winter, as well as for the prevention of diseases.

It is necessary to separate the bulbs from each other. The smallest can be immediately thrown away, because they are unlikely to have the strength to germinate. If it is a pity to throw it away, you can try to plant them in a pot: perhaps by the spring it will turn out to grow a strong plant, ready to be transplanted into a flower bed.

They need to be stored until spring, depending on the variety, but most often - until the soil is warmed up above + 10 ° C. You can plant the bulbs right on the bed, but in order not to expose them to possible frost, you can plant them as seedlings, wait until they germinate, and then transfer them to a permanent place.

Care for tulips after flowering at home

After the tulips have faded, they need a lot of nutrients to ensure the growth and development of the bulbs. At this stage, mineral fertilizers with potassium and phosphorus must be applied.

But chlorine and nitrogen on these flowers are fatal, therefore, such compounds can in no case be included in top dressing. The required amount of complex fertilizer is 40 g per 1 m². And, of course, you must not forget to water the flower beds, pouring from 1 to 4 buckets of water per 1 m², depending on weather conditions.

Storage rules

In order for the tulip bulbs to be properly stored until next spring, you need to perform these simple steps:

• clean them from the remnants of the earth;
• separate and discard damaged and rotten bulbs or parts thereof;
• put in wooden boxes;
• mark them, indicating the time of collection and grade;
• cover with a dry cloth that does not allow sunlight, but allows the bulbs to slightly ventilate;
• send for storage in a dry place inaccessible to mold, fungi and drafts;
• storage temperature should not be very high, but subcooling is not allowed (the most optimal - + 17 ° C).

Important! When airing, in no case should you take out the tulip bulbs in the sun: from this they can dry out and become unusable.

At the beginning of storage, the temperature should be kept at +23 ... + 25 ° С, from August it drops to + 20 ° С, and from September - up to + 17 ° С. Varieties resistant to cold can be stored in the refrigerator, but do not allow the thermometer to drop to zero, otherwise the bulbs may deteriorate.

It is better to fold in one layer so that there is no fogging and spoilage, and ventilate at least 1 time per month, while throwing out spoiled ones. Each piece can be wrapped with paper to prevent damping and the spread of disease.

To conveniently store tulip bulbs separately, you can use egg trays.

All bulb flowers need to be dug after flowering. But, depending on their type and variety, this can not be done every year. Tulips, too, can sometimes be left to winter in the flowerbed, but no longer than three years in a row.

At the same time, their quality may decrease, therefore, for better development and preservation of varietal characteristics, it is advisable to cut and dig flowers at your dacha or in the garden every year and at the right time. And, of course, it is necessary to observe the storage conditions of the bulbs.