When to plant tulips in autumn in the suburbs: terms and rules of procedure

After winter, when all nature sleeps, the first bells of spring appear - tulips. The bright colors of flowers make all living things awaken. Lush flowering in spring is obtained if the bulbs are planted in the ground in autumn. Many inexperienced gardeners are concerned about the question of when to plant tulips in the fall in their native suburbs in order to have such masterpieces near the house in the spring.

Benefits of autumn planting

Spring planting of tulips may not bloom during the season. Therefore, planting in autumn wins:

bloom the first year;
bulbs have time to adapt in open ground;
heralds of spring;
root system is developing well;
get moisture and nutrients for flowering.

At the slightest warming, the ground part appears.

When to plant tulips in autumn in the suburbs?

Tulips need 4 weeks to accumulate strength, develop the root system. It is sometimes difficult to predict the weather for a month. Therefore, the reference point for the timing of landing in the suburbs is chosen:

temperature conditions of the soil. If at a depth of 10 centimeters the earth has cooled to 6-9 degrees, then this is a signal for autumn planting. Cooler temperatures delay the process;
planting tulips in the interval: end of September to October 20;
"Indian summer". Work at this time will definitely benefit.

If you follow the recommendations, the bulbs will have time to adapt, take root before winter.

Storing tulips until planting

After flowering, tulip bulbs are dug up and prepared for storage. To do this, perform the following functions:

clear the ground;
dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour;
dry in the shade;
after a week they inspect the planting material, calibrate, separate the children, sprouts and dry for some more time.

In summer, planting material is stored at a temperature of 20 degrees. Humidity is maintained at 70%. In winter, the storage temperature is lowered to 17 degrees - this is in the case of spring planting.

Tulips are put in boxes and sprinkled with sawdust or wrapped in paper.

The storage place can be a ventilated basement, an insulated balcony, a refrigerator (compartment for vegetables), a heat chamber.

How to do autumn planting?

The flower bed should be marked so that there are boundaries between varieties. Small bulbs are planted along the edges of tall crops. Light should reach all tulips. A pillow of sand is poured at the bottom of the site, 2 centimeters thick. A loose layer will help to strengthen the root system without effort. Planting depth - from 15 to 20 centimeters. The grooves between the varieties leave up to 0.5 meters.

Each planting material is laid carefully. Do not allow air spaces under the bulbs. It is undesirable to press with a hand with effort. Such actions will lead to a violation of the bottom of the tubers.

The distance between the rows is 25 centimeters. The top layer is well leveled. Again, do not allow recesses for stagnant water. Plantings are sprinkled with soil mixed with mineral fertilizers and organic matter in the form of humus.

Choosing the location of the flower bed

Tulips prefer sunny, windless places. Flowers do not tolerate stagnant water. When choosing a site, it is worth paying attention to the depth of groundwater. It is better to place the flower bed on a hill with good drainage.

Soil preparation

Tulips are planted on fertile soil with a neutral reaction. On such land, the flowers will be large, with a powerful root system.

Any deviations in soil composition from the norm are easily corrected:

Acidic soil is diluted with dolomite flour, lime.
Sand, humus are introduced into heavy soil.
Light soil is ennobled with soddy soil, compost, humus.

The soil is prepared 2 weeks before planting. The sites are cleared of previous crops. Fertilizers are added: potassium nitrate, wood ash. Dig a shovel onto a bayonet. Then carefully align. There should be no depressions or irregularities on the site.

Herbaceous plants are good predecessors of tulips.

Preparing bulbs

Planting material is calibrated before planting. For planting, it is better to use bulbs of a large fraction. They root well and produce huge buds in spring. Each bulb is visually inspected. Damaged, rotten specimens are removed.

Remove gently the husk without disturbing the structure of the bulb. Dipped in a growth stimulator before planting.

Planting depth

Depth is of great importance during autumn planting. It depends on her how tulips will overwinter. All experienced gardeners use the "golden rule". It says that all bulbous crops are planted 3 tuber diameters deep. That is, if the diameter is 5 centimeters, then the depth should be 15, 3 - 9, and so on. There are some deviations from the rules.If the ground is heavy, the depth is reduced by 3 centimeters, on light ground it is increased by 3.

Scheme for planting bulbs

Tulip bulbs of a large fraction are planted before winter at a distance of 10 centimeters from each other. 7 are enough for average specimens. Between the rows, a step of 0.25 meters. According to this scheme, 50 onions will be required.

Also, tulips are planted in a checkerboard pattern - 10x10 centimeters. This scheme uses 100 pieces of planting material.

Flower care rules

Care for tulips from the moment the first sprouts appear:

Inspect the flower bed and identify the cause of the unsprouted bulbs. If some specimens are rotten, they are removed from the site.
Watering is carried out moderately, as the soil dries.
As soon as the earth dries up after rain or irrigation, loosening is carried out so that oxygen is available to the roots.
The first dressing is applied when shoots appear. During this period, the plant accumulates green mass, therefore, it needs nitrogen and other trace elements.
The second top dressing is carried out when 3 leaves appear with complex fertilizers.
The third feeding is needed during the budding period. Potassium and phosphorus are added to the plant.
The fourth feeding is required in the active flowering phase - with mineral fertilizers.

All top dressing is carried out after rain, watering. This will eliminate the possibility of burning the root system. Blooming tulips need to be watered intensively. At least 2 buckets of water are poured per square meter. After mass flowering, faded buds will appear. During this period, watering does not stop.

With drooping flowers, irrigation is applied for another 2 weeks. The bulbs need to accumulate nutrients before they are dug up.

Algorithm of actions after flowering:

Fallen, withered petals are removed from the flower bed to prevent rot from developing in the axils of the leaves.
A week after flowering, cut off the heads of the buds you like for reproduction.
The stems are cut after the leaves turn completely yellow (when the color of the husk is burgundy), the roots form.

They choose sunny weather. The roots dry well.

Preparing for winter

Equipped grooves give a great approach to tulips to care for. If there is no rain in autumn, tulips are watered. As soon as the first frosts are foreseen, plantings should be mulched. Various materials are used as mulch: straw, fine fraction bark, sawdust, peat. In winter, a layer of snow is poured on the flowerbed

Tulips sometimes do not survive until spring - they are eaten by rodents. This must be taken care of in advance. It is worth planting "neighbors" that mice are afraid of - daffodils, fritillaria.

Perhaps this will interfere with the intended composition, then kerosene is used as protection. All bulbs are placed in a bag and sprayed with a fetid agent. After 30 minutes, a film is formed that is harmless to plants, but repels rodents.