How to preserve tulip bulbs?

Tulip bulbs keep well in boxes

After flowering, the leaves of the tulips dry, at the same time as their flowers, the only thing that remains – and that only if there has been luck – is a capsule with seeds. And it is that, if spring is the time of splendor of these plants, summer is that of vegetative rest. What to do with the bulbs while waiting for the right season to return for them to sprout again?

Its maintenance is much easier than it seems. So if you are wondering how to conserve tulip bulbs, it’s time to find out.

How to keep them?

Tulip bulbs are kept in dry places

Image – Flickr / brewbooks

The tulips They are plants that have been cultivated for millennia throughout the world, especially in climates ranging from tropical to temperate. Although they are native to India, the beauty of their flowers is such that they have conquered the gardens, terraces and balconies of millions of human beings.

But, if they are easy to care for when they are in all their splendor, as soon as that time ends, many doubts arise about it: do I leave them where they are? Do I take them out of the pot / soil? Do I have to water them? Well, before solving those questions You have to know first that the measures to be taken will depend, above all, on where they are: for example, if they are in containers, you will have to do different things than you would in an area where they are grown in the ground.

So, we are going to divide the article into two parts to make it more comfortable to read:

Conservation of tulip bulbs grown in pots

Tulips grown in pots are very well controlled plants, but when all that remains is the bulb, it can go completely unnoticed unless a name tag has been inserted into the container. In addition, it must be borne in mind that, although during the resting season it does not require as much water or nutrients as when it has leaves and flowers, it does it is advisable to water them from time to time.

But be careful, if you don’t want to take care of yourself, then can be easily removed from the potsclean them well with a small brush, and leave them outside for a day to dry well. After that time, they will be kept in paper or plastic bags or boxes with holes.

Conservation of tulip bulbs grown in the ground

If you have tulips in the garden you can leave them where they are, or you can extract them. How to decide? Well, very easy: do you know where they are exactly?

In the event that the answer has been affirmative, you have the option of removing them, since you will be able to dig some trenches about ten centimeters deep. With a hoe It will be easy for you to remove them. Once you have them, clean them well with water, leave them for a day or two in an area where they can dry out a bit, and finally store them in a bag or paper box with holes.

As these bulbs have been in the ground, it is highly recommended to treat them with fungicide (copper or sulfur powder) before putting them in the bag or box. In this way, they are prevented from spoiling.

On the contrary, if the answer has been negative, we advise you to leave them on the ground. Think that by not knowing the exact place where you planted them, with the hoe you could destroy them, unintentionally of course. But the risk is there. If there are frosts in your area, you can protect them by placing a anti-frost meshfastened to it with nails for example.

How to make tulips bloom again?

Tulips bloom in spring

We have talked about conservation of bulbs, but it is interesting to know when tulips bloom after they have been at rest, don’t you think? The flowers of these plants are very beautiful, so before ending this article, I am going to tell you what you have to do so that you can enjoy them again:

Plant them in fall

If you have kept them in boxes or bags, plant them in pots of about 15 centimeters in diameter or in the garden in autumn. It is important that the soil is fertile and that it drains the water well, as these plants fear waterlogging. For example, if you are going to grow them in pots, a good substrate is the universal one for plants.

On the other hand, if the soil in your garden puddles easily, make a 30 “x 30” hole and fill it with a mixture of universal substrate with equal parts perlite.

Water them from time to time

During the fall and winter it is common for it to rain regularly in many parts of the world, so irrigation will be moderate to little. But beware If there is a drought in your area, you will have to water more often, about twice a week.

Fertilize them as soon as their leaves sprout

So that they grow and have energy to spend with the production of flowers, It is highly recommended to start fertilizing them as soon as their leaves begin to sprout. Use fertilizers rich in phosphorus, or if you prefer, a specific one for bulbous plants (for sale here!). Of course, do not add more than what the container indicates, since you could run out of tulips.

And nothing more. From here on, your plants will look beautiful again in a few weeks.

How to preserve tulip bulbs?

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