Soil Preparation:
Provide the bulbs with well-drained, loose, porous soil. The addition of compost,
sawdust, peat moss, and other humus-rich substances can improve heavy clay soils. These
materials should be put with soil to depths of 12 to 18 inches so that the new root
systems have a chance to thrive. Bulb fertilizer should be mixed into the layer of soil on
which you place the bulbs on the planting day.
Planting of Tulip:
Tulips must always be planted in a well-drained and airy soil. Wet soil promotes fungus
and disease and can even rot bulbs, especially tulip bulbs. Wet soil can also cause bulbs
to drown out, which is actually due to suffocation. Suffocation can also be caused by
tight soils that don't hold much oxygen. Adding compost and coarse sand to a soil will
make it more airy. Raised beds would be better in wetter areas and it should have at least
a 10-inch depth of loose airy soil. Proper soil drainage is very important when planting
bulbs.
Fertilize and water the bulbs when planting. Though too much water is not good, sufficient
water at the time of planting is necessary to get them growing and to ensure the start of
a strong root system. Plant tulips about 6 to 8 inches deep measuring from the base of the
bulb.
After the tulips have passed their peak, top the old blooms and let the plants die down
normally. This will help the new bulblets grow bigger.
TULIP Bulb Care:
In the spring, at the end of the season, top the blooms off, of your tulips before the
petals fall in the foliage. If ignored, the dropping petals would cause the tulip plants
to rot and die down before the new bulb(s) had a chance to grow. Six to eight weeks after
removing the blooms, dig the tulips and the process of drying, cleaning, grading, and
temperature treating should be done.
"Reprinted with permission from
the Expert Gardening Tips of Washington Bulb Co., Inc.’s website
http://www.tulips.com."
|
