When we want to grow vegetables, it is always important to keep in mind what types exist, what their needs are and whether it is better to have them indoors or outdoors. Bulbous are favorites to grow, because they are generally very resistant and beautiful. You don’t know what they are? Here we explain it to you and give you some examples of outdoor bulb plants.
If you want to add more vegetables to your garden or garden, I recommend that you keep reading. Along with explaining what bulbous plants are and what their benefits are, we’ll also talk about five popular outdoor bulb plans.
Contents
What are bulb plants?
Before giving some examples of outdoor bulb plants, we will first discuss what exactly they are. Well, bulbous plants are vegetables like any other. However, they differ in developing what is called the ampulla. Normally, plants develop their roots under the stem, but in the case of bulb plants, they sprout them from their characteristic organ.
But what is the light bulb exactly? It is an organ belonging to bulbous plants that usually has a shape very similar to that of an onion. In fact, the onion itself is really the bulb of this plant. The size of the bulb can be smaller or larger, depending on the plant it is. Shades, layers and segments also vary.
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What are bulbous plants
It should be noted that there are plants that develop organs very similar to bulbs, such as rhizomes or tubers. While it is true that these plants are also classified as bulbous plants, they are not. What they create are underground organs with enough differences not to be called bulbs.
Benefits of bulb plants
Bulbous plants have many advantages compared to other vegetables that do not have this organ. Let’s see what they are:
- They can adapt their growth cycle to climatic conditions and the different seasons of the year: The bulb stores both water and food, so these plants are able to go dormant through the winter. In the spring, they regrow when the weather is favorable.
- They easily survive fires: Most plants can survive for long periods without their aerial part. This fact has made them very successful at the evolutionary level.
- most bulbous plants They can be planted on land and in water.
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How to plant bulbs
As you can see, bulbous plants they had an impressive capacity for evolution, favoring their survival over the years. Now that we know a little more about these curious vegetables, we will list the five most popular outdoor bulb plants and comment on some curiosities about them.
Garlic
One of the most famous outdoor bulb plants is garlic, whose scientific name is Allium sativum. Since it is a vegetable widely used in the kitchen, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most widely grown bulbous plants in the world. According to ancient documents, garlic has been used in cooking for over seven thousand years.
A curious fact about this vegetable is that it no longer exists in the wild. It has evolved with human beings to such an extent that it is not able to develop well if it is not cultivated and maintained by man. However, there are different types of garlic, some of which can be found growing wild. Of course, they are not used as much at the culinary level.
Onion
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plant onions
Like garlic, onion is also grown for culinary purposes, but also for medicinal purposes. In addition to providing many nutrients, it also adds a lot of flavor to food. The scientific name of this plant is Allium cepa. While it is true that there are many varieties of onions, each of them has a bulb which is the main part of this vegetable.
tulips
There are not only edible outdoor bulb plants, but also decorative plants. A good example is tulips, also called Tulipa sp. For its impressive beauty, no wonder they are one of the most widely grown ornamental bulb plants in the world. They get their name from the characteristic shape of their flower, whose petals form an almost perfect cylinder.
As of today There are more than 150 species belonging to the tulip family. This is partly due to the advances man has made in the field of genetics. Since the 16th century, these types of processes have been practiced in these factories. If you are considering growing and propagating these beautiful flowers, I recommend you take a look at this article on how to store tulip bulbs.
fire lily
Another of the very beautiful outdoor bulb plants to decorate our garden is the fire lily. Its scientific name is Cyrtanthus contractus and it is a kind of lily whose most striking feature is its reddish color. The name comes to mind Well, this flower also stands out for its ability to survive fire. Indeed, the bulb of this vegetable regenerates very easily when the surface of the soil is destroyed by the flames.
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How many kinds of lilies are there?
Not only is the fire lily a great bulbous plant to grow outdoors, but the lily family in general is a good choice for this. All existing variants of Cyrtanthus They grow from a bulb.
dog tooth
Also the bulb called dog’s tooth, or erythronium For scientists, it is a good choice for outdoor cultivation. There are about thirty species, most of which come from North America. Although best known for its ornamental features, the bulb of this vegetable is also edible.
Generally, growing bulb plants for outdoor use is not a very complicated task, as long as we take care of them properly. Hope you liked some of these vegetables enough to enjoy them in your garden.