Climatic and other requirements for Tulip cultivation

WE TRAVELED TO THE NETHERLANDS WITH THE TULIP CULTIVATION

The tulip is the quintessential flower of the Netherlands (87% of world production). However, we only intend that you can plant it in your garden, which you will be able to do easily step by step, as we discussed. Today, at Gardenprue , we learn all about tulip cultivation . 

The tulips are plants bulbous , and therefore have special culture conditions (we will see in the type of soil).

It belongs to the Liliaceae family and originates from Asia. Having  tulips  in the garden is synonymous with having a variety of colors in the garden. We are not exaggerating.

It has a wide variety of colors that go from light tones such as white or yellow, to darker tones such as lilacs, purples, and black tones… come on, none is going to be repeated.

Growing the tulip is simple. You simply have to take into consideration the type of soil or substrate and the irrigation that is incorporated.

We are going to see that next.

THE ARRANGEMENT OF TULIPS IN THE GARDEN

Tulips have an elongated and fine stem, of high bearing that ends with a wide and elongated flower as well.

In this way it   is indicated to group tulips or mix them with other bulbous species.

You can plant them between stones on the promenade, in gardens and rose bushes or bushes, near walls, stairs, in flower boxes, etc.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

The tulip does not make demands in terms of light , and its growth will not be affected whether or not it is light.

That is to say, in shady areas, with low lighting levels they can grow without problems. As for the temperature , it withstands the cold quite well but it does not suffer from high heat conditions . What value is high? Well, it is between 13 and 18º C.

It also requires high humidity (70-80%), values ​​that are easier to achieve for semi-shaded areas.

If you get direct sunlight in a hot climate, you run the risk of burning the leaves, greatly reducing the humidity of the plant and wilting the flowers.

THE SOIL IN TULIP CULTIVATION, WHAT SUBSTRATE MIX IS ​​IDEAL?

Being a bulbous species, it requires a soft and light soil  , with a high content of organic matter. You can also add a mixture of sand on the substrate, to which we will then add manure or compost .

The pH must be between 6.5 and 7.5. It is a pH that does not require special care.

Simple and only providing a good compost is enough or a bottom fertilizer with the following characteristics: ammonium sulfate, superphosphate and potash sulfate.

HOW TO PLANT TULIPS

We have a fairly high range of days to plant. Bulb planting can be started   from mid-summer to early winter. If you have chosen a variety of tall tulips, insert the bulbs to a depth of 15 cm in a 10 cm planting frame.

We already commented in another entry about bulbous plants, which when planted, require  plenty of water  during their growth, accompanied by a foliar fertilizer (powder or liquid along with irrigation) to stimulate flowering. T

It is also convenient to reapply a subscriber to prepare the flower output for the following year.

IRRIGATION

As we have said before, the tulip is a crop that demands humidity . We must provide it through irrigation. Make it frequent and ensure a moist soil at all times, always without causing waterlogging.

SOME TULIP CARE AND ADVICE

The tulip is born from a bulb that we have previously stored from previous years.

We will plant this bulb in autumn, at a depth of between 3 and 4 times the height of the bulb (that can be about 15-20 cm more or less), and placing (as in garlic for example) that the tip faces upwards . When calculating the space between bulbs , calculate about 10-15 cm, consider that the tulip stem is thin, and the more grouped they are, the more beautiful they are.

Think that you can make any shapes you want with them, for example, a circle of tulips that surrounds a bush, a tree, etc. Calculate how many bulbs you need and go forming a circle separating each tulip 10 cm. The possibilities are endless!

HOW TO FERTILIZE THE TULIP CORRECTLY

The perfect mix for tulip fertilizer will carry nitrogen , phosphorus and potassium . potassium ensures the rigidity of the stems, if you see that they loose, you need to apply a fertilizer with potassium content, which after application you will see how the stem and flower color improve. As you are going to have to loosen the soil periodically, a good way to do it is by periodically incorporating organic or mineral fertilizer . 

THE MULTIPLICATION OF TULIPS

When the stems begin to dry, it is time to collect the bulbs, in which some new ones that can be used for the following season are also generated.

For each old bulb , between 3 and 5 new bulbs are collected, which we will store in a cool and dry place and plant in the following autumn , checking that in conservation they do not rot, do not get water or if it is necessary to apply fungicides.

RECOVER THE BULBS FOR FUTURE TULIP PLANTING

Once the tulip season is over you can retrieve the bulbs to save and plant them for the next time. This saving them seems cumbersome but it will depend on the following.

If the climate of the area where you live and grow the tulips is cold, you do have to collect and store them.

But if it is a warm area with mild winters, you can spend that cold season on land without any problem. Don’t forget where you grew them!

 TULIP VARIETIES

Mendel:  simple flowers, bicolor in some cases, slender stems (40-60 cm). The flowers appear in mid-spring and are planted in groups, in protected areas (walls, between bushes, etc.)

Cottage:  late-blooming tulips of various shapes, large, pastel-colored flowers. They have a height between 50 and 80 cm. With this variety, large spaces of concentrated tulips can be formed, especially in sheltered places.

Rembrandt – This  is a fairly exotic group of tulips for the garden. They have stems between 50-70 cm and are highly appreciated especially for flower arrangements and to mount a good bouquet in a vase at home.

Darwin: they  are tall tulips (50-70 cm), with a single cup, and attractive colors. The best known variety and which produces the highest volume of flowers in this group is the  Darwin Hybrid.

Double Late: they  are double-flowered tulips with stems smaller than the previous ones (40-60 cm), but they have the condition that they need very sheltered places where they are not directly cold.

Hybrids:  hybrids are the most used by gardeners. In this group there are well-known species such as  Tulipa fosteriana, Tulipa greigii and  Tulipa kaufmanniana  . The  kaufmanniana  has large flowers that opena fan, with leaves striped, spotted and speckled.

We also have in this group species of tulips such as  Tulipa pulchella violacea  or «Violet Queen», with violet or pink flowers, similar to those of saffron and small stems of 15 cm,  Tulipa  eichleri, with large and bell-shaped flowers,  Tulipa clusiana , yellow and pink colors and  Tulipa dela , with white and yellow flowers and small stems.

There are many more varieties of tulips , although we have only put some of the best known.

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