There are occasions when tulips are given exotic names in memory of famous personalities. In fact, it occurs with many plants such as the Julio Iglesias rose. But what about tulips? One of them is Princess Irene Tulip.
It owes its name to Princess Irene since 1949. But what do you know about this variety of tulips? Is it monochrome, tricolor or does it look like a lily? This, and a few other things, is what we want to talk about next. Go for it?
How is tulip princess Irene
First of all, It is important that you know what type of tulip is Princess Irene. It is a cultivar that can reach about 30 to 35 centimeters in height. Its lance-shaped leaves and stems are dark green but don’t stand out as much as the large, two-tone flowers. That is to say that they will not only be of one color but will have two predominant ones: orange and red. These are cup-shaped and mostly orange. However, red (or reddish-purple) streaks develop on the petals. Sometimes they may have slight orange undertones, or even appear yellow, but their color is actually orange.
It has a prize, won in 1993, the Award of Garden Merit, and awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society. This made it much more well-known and nowadays it is easy to find it in stores. Its price is not too expensive either (compared to other varieties) and it is usually associated with white tulips or flowers of another species also in white to make them stand out.
Princess Irene Tulip Care
Now that you know the Princess Irene tulip a little better, how about its maintenance? As we have already told you, it is not difficult to get it, both the flowers and the bulbs of this variety. And you can plant them in the garden or in a pot and enjoy them. But for them to flourish and do well, it is necessary to provide them with the care they need. And what are they? We discuss this below.
location and temperature
The first thing you will need to decide is where you are going to put it. and in this case The Princess Irene tulip needs sun, lots of sun and. But beware. If it starts to germinate and you put it in full sun, and with very high temperatures, the plant may not resist it. Although they are very tough and shouldn’t be a problem, you need to be a little above them at first to avoid their growth not being the most suitable.
Even so, the best location is in full sun, as it requires a large amount of direct light. The more you give, the better.
Now, as for the temperature, the heat supports it very well, as well as the cold. However, in case of frost, and if you leave the bulbs planted, we recommend that you protect them a little (with mesh on the ground). The bulbs should be planted between October and December, before the frosts arrive. And it must be done at a good depth (10-20 centimeters) so that they do not deteriorate. But if you also protect them in the way we tell you, you’ll have a better chance of them succeeding.
Of course, remember to separate one bulb from another between 15 and 20 centimeters to prevent them from competing with each other and in the end the plants will die.
Substrate
This tulip is a little more demanding. And that’s that it really likes lightly compacted soil (the kind you pick up with your hand and crumbles entirely, even when watered). For that, our recommendation is to use a universal substrate with a little earthworm humus (or moisture-resistant earth), and perlite or expanded clay.
This way it will be very loose and the roots of the bulb will have no problem spreading out.
If you are going to plant it in the garden and the soil is usually very compact, the best thing to do is to make a slightly larger hole and fill it with the soil mixture we have discussed. This way you will ensure that it will have enough space nourished and with the soil that the plant really likes.
Irrigation
Princess Irene tulip is a plant that does not need excessive watering. He likes to have the ground moist, but not too much (and not too little), so a happy medium will have to be found.
Depending on how often the soil dries out, you need to water more or less. But in general, irrigation takes place only in spring and summer, since in autumn it is not watered to prevent the bulb from rotting.
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Fertilizing will depend on whether you removed the bulbs from the pot or garden, or left them alone. If it’s the first option, You shouldn’t fertilize because when you add new soil, it should contain the nutrients it needs.
But, if the soil has existed for some time, it is advisable to fertilize it a little to give it more energy and nutrients, which are necessary for the plant to flourish.
Plagues and diseases
Tulips are hardy plants. But not invincible. Thus, at some point in their development, they could be affected by pests and diseases.
In the first case, the most common are aphids, snails and slugs. It is important to be aware of them to eliminate them as soon as possible. Of course, keep in mind that the plant is poisonous, so handling it with gloves is recommended.
As for diseases, it is necessary to pay attention to the “tulip fire” (brotytis), and to fusarium. Either way, he can be saved if caught in time.
Multiplication
Finally, the propagation of the Princess Irene tulip is done by dividing the bulbs. This is done in autumn, cutting the bulbs in order to obtain new plants. Of course make sure that when cutting you let it air out for a few days so that it cures. If you plant it directly, the only thing you will get is that the plant will eventually die because it can get more diseases.
As you can see, the Princess Irene Tulip won’t give you too much trouble caring for it. But with this guide that we have left you, you will be able to provide everything you need and, above all, you will make it last much longer because you will have suction cups that will replace the older bulbs and will no longer be able to grow plants again . Do you dare to have a place in your garden full of tulips?