Tulips are one of the first spring flowers that beautifully enliven the earth and delight the eye with their bright and so different shades.
In order for the decorative types of tulips not to degenerate, and the flowers do not shrink, experienced gardeners recommend digging up the bulbs of the plant every year. Thanks to this, they grow faster, and the bulbs become larger. At the same time, it must be remembered that children are usually not dug up, but grown for several years in one place. Be sure not to miss the period when tulip bulbs can be dug up most easily. The leaves of tulips during this period acquire a light yellow color, and the bulb becomes light brown. In no case should you dig up the plants before this time, because this can damage the bulbs and the next year, instead of a bright red flower, a small, blind bud may hatch. It is advisable to use a garden pitchfork when it is rather difficult to dig up tulip bulbs without damaging them. If, nevertheless, there was some damage, such bulbs should be destroyed, otherwise they often become ill with a fungus, infecting he althy ones.
If it so happened that you realized it when the foliage of tulips completely fell off, you can still dig up the bulbs, though it will be quite problematic to find them. Still, it is better to observe the plants and remove from the ground when it is possible to dig.
Tulip bulbs removed from the ground are first sorted, separating low-quality bulbs. For example, tulips with irregularly shaped bulbs damaged by various spots. Most problems can be avoided if you know how and when to dig up tulip bulbs. Digged and sorted plants must be dried. Usually they are put in lattice boxes (baskets are also suitable) and put away in the shade, under a canopy. Dried bulbs are cleaned of earth and roots, and then placed in a solution of potassium permanganate for about half an hour. Before planting, plants should be periodically examined for manifested diseases or possible decay, such flowers must be immediately isolated from he althy ones.
Ventilation plays a very important role in the process of drying the bulbs, the room in which the flowers are located must be ventilated.
The temperature of storage of excavated plants is also important: the bulbs begin to dry at about 250 С, in a month they lower it to 200С, in September the temperature should not exceed 170С.
And what to do when it is impossible to dig up tulip bulbs in summer? In this case, you should leave the tulips to winter in the soil, you should not dig them out in the fall.
Don'tit is recommended to treat the plants with chemicals, it is better to treat the bulbs with potassium permanganate immediately before planting, this will be quite enough. good progress in breeding even very decorative varieties of these spring flowers.
