Rules for autumn planting of tulips in the Leningrad region
Autumn is not the time to be sad. Time to take care of the flowers so that they will delight you in the spring. Tulips are beautiful, bright flowers, they are appreciated all over the world not only for their extraordinary beauty, but also for their ease of care. How should tulips be planted correctly in autumn in the Leningrad Region and how to prepare for it?
Rules for autumn planting of tulips in the Leningrad region
Preparation rules
As you know, tulips are bulbous plants. If you are planting them outdoors for the first time, follow these rules:
- Choose larger bulbs for flowers to grow in spring.
- Avoid damaged bulbs.
- The bottom must be firm.
- The roots and stem must not sprout.
After the first season, when summer is drawing to a close, the flower bulbs need to be dug up. The fact is that every season it is necessary to examine the bulbs for diseases and growths - the best ones should be soaked in a fungicide solution for half an hour.
Gardeners advise: if this solution is not at hand, use a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Then you need to dry them in the shade for about a week. Store in a dark, ventilated place. These flowers love loose soil in windy places, well lit by the sun. The soil in the Leningrad region is acidic, so planting flowers in open ground should take place after liming.
Two weeks before planting, you need to prepare the ground - dig up the soil 30 cm deep. You also need to add fertilizers: peat or manure humus, ash, chicken droppings. Fresh manure is not recommended due to excess acid.
Landing features
Spring or Autumn? - This is the main question when planting tulips. Most gardeners prefer to plant in the fall. The fact is that for optimal growth of the shoot and flower, the tulip bulb must withstand a cooling period, because it is during this period that useful substances are synthesized inside it.
Climate and temperature affect planting success. It is important to know that the planting temperature for tulips is 10 ° C. This means that tulips should be planted in autumn in the Leningrad Region in mid-September. At this time, the bulbs will not freeze and will not have time to germinate. Root development takes place within a month. If frosts hit in the fall, earlier than a month after planting, then mulching is necessary.
Tulips are recommended to be planted in mid-September
You need to lay the onion with the bottom down. Planting large bulbs in open ground should be separate from medium and “babies”. The optimum depth is three times the height of the bulb.
Large bulbs are planted 10 cm apart, small ones 5 cm apart. To prevent tall flowers from blocking the light of smaller ones, we recommend planting small bulbs on the sides of large ones. Do not press the bulb into the ground - this can break the roots.
If there is a problem with rodents, gardeners are advised to plant hazel grouses next to tulips, the smell of which is not tolerated by either mice or moles.
Recommendations
Regardless of the area in which you are planting tulips, follow these tips for caring for them:
- Every year, the bulb must be transplanted to a new place; it can be returned to the previous place only after 3-5 years.
- Do not forget to constantly loosen the soil for the tulips.
- In mid-March, it is necessary to remove the mulch, because at the end of March - mid-April the first shoots will begin to appear.
- If you notice that fewer shoots have sprouted than were planted, you need to remove the defective bulbs, since if they are sick, the infection can spread to healthy flowers.
- The first feeding is carried out at the emergence of the first shoots. At this stage, the flower needs fertilizers containing nitrogen. The next fertilizer is phosphorus, it is needed by flowers when buds appear.
- When the flowers are in full bloom, you need to increase the watering. Make sure that the water is not too cold and does not get on the shoot or flower, as it may burn.
- The most dangerous disease is variegation. It manifests itself during the flowering period. At the first sign, the diseased plant should be removed immediately, because this virus is spreading rapidly.
Conclusion
Following all these tips for planting tulips in the Leningrad region, rest assured that your flowers will be in excellent condition. If you work hard in the fall, you will be rewarded with a delightful appearance of bright and healthy buds.