Tulips are one of the most beautiful plants there is. Everyone knows the Dutch tulip fields, some of the most impressive (and they have several places to visit). But When it comes to having them at home, do you know how to take care of tulips?
Although they may seem very easy to you, they actually contain details that, if you don’t know them, can end up dying. Since we do not want that, we have prepared this guide so that you know how to take care of them so that they last a very long time. Dark?
Contents
how are the tulips
the tulips are well known for its flowers which can be of a wide variety of colors, although the most common are white, yellow, pink (there are also red, orange and even purple so dark it looks black).
They are perennials and bulbous plants. However, they are generally treated as annuals, that is, at the end of their flowering period, at the end of summer, the bulbs are cut and dug up for storage through the winter and the replant in the spring.
How to Care for Tulips
You want to have a tulip plant but you are afraid that they will die in two weeks? Don’t worry, they’re usually pretty sturdy and you shouldn’t have a problem with them. But to keep you calmer, here is a series of tips for your care.
location and temperature
than the tulips they love the sun It’s something we all know. They like to be in full sun. And it is that, to develop, it needs a lot of lighting, and the direct sun supports it well.
That implies that, if you have it inside the house, it is best to place it on a balcony or terrace where it receives the most light per day. Because? Because if you put it in partial shade or in the shade, it is very likely that you will end up losing it.
As for the temperature, its ideal is between 15 and 20 degrees, but can tolerate more degrees of heat. However, with the cold does not happen the same. From 5 degrees Celsius, it begins to suffer.
This is one of the reasons why many experts treat the plant as an annual, because the winters are cold and so that the plant does not suffer, they cut it down and store it until the following year.
In a pot or in the garden?
One of the common questions about tulips is whether they are best potted or in the garden, planted directly in the ground. The truth is that he is indifferent. This, yes, caring for potted tulips is more demanding than keeping them in the garden.
Therefore, the decision has to be made about how much time you can devote to them per day or per week.
Substrate
When caring for tulip country, it is normal to use any type of terrain because the truth is that they are not demanding. But if you really want to give it the best, then bet on sandy soils with many nutrients. It is not recommended, when planting, to crush the soil too much, it is better to keep it loose because in this way the roots will be able to develop much better (keep in mind that they are weak at the beginning).
Find a earth of neutral or at least slightly acidic acidity. Its ideal is a pH between 6 and 7. If the soil you obtain is alkaline, you can lower it with peat, pine needles, manure… On the contrary, if it is acidic, to increase the pH you can use a little lime.
It is also good to add some drainage to the soil as this will oxygenate the interior and at the same time help the roots to grow through the holes.
Irrigation
To care for tulips, watering is one of the most important factors. In fact, we cannot give you a guideline for watering x days a week as it will very much depend on whether they are indoors or outdoors, the ambient temperature, the weather they are experiencing, etc
Normally, outdoors, rain is allowed to water them, as long as they are regular, but if it does not rain it is important to water them so that they do not dry out.
What will tell you whether to water or not will be the soil. Dip a few fingers in it and see if it’s wet or cool.. If so, it has still accumulated water and you can leave it for a few more days. If you feel it dry, water it.
Indoors, it is necessary to water a little more, but everything will depend on the water demand that the plant makes (there are some that practically do not need water).
Subscriber
In spring and part of summer, it is advisable add flower plant fertilizer to help him and give him a “hit” of energy.
We recommend that you do not use the full dose indicated by the manufacturer in order not to overpay. Keep in mind that the soil will be new every year and it already contains nutrients, if you add too much you can run out of plant due to depletion.
Cut
The pruning tulips always takes place in autumn or early winter. But in reality it is the plant that will tell you. A tulip has a limited “lifespan”, there will come a time when the plant will begin to turn yellow, lose leaves, the stem will become limp, and eventually the plant will die out. It’s inevitable, it happens to all tulips and you have two options after waiting 5-6 weeks in case they grow back:
- The first option is to remove all the wilted parts and remove the bulb to store it in a cool, dry place until the following spring.
- The second option is to keep the bulbs in the pot and protect them from the cold as well as the new soil, as the nutrients from the old have most likely been lost.
Plagues and diseases
Like many other plants, tulips are not free from pests and diseases. The most common you can find are: snails and slugs (who come to eat the plant), gray mold, bulb rot, nematodes.
If you are suffering from bulb rot, it would mean that a tulip will no longer regrow.
Multiplication
The propagation of tulips is produced by separation of bulbs. Often these give shoots which, if you separate them carefully and do not plant them until the “wound” heals, can give you new tulips.
Has it become clear to you how to care for tulips? Do you dare to have some in your garden?