Usually tulips are associated with the warm rays of the gentle spring sun. These flowers delight in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes. They decorate the backyard from the melting of snow to the beginning of a sultry summer. But like other plants, tulips require special care.
If you choose the wrong place for planting tulips, the bulbs will rot and none of them will grow. Ideally, the selected area should have a level surface and a waterproof soil layer. Typically, the depth of germination of the root system of tulips varies from 60 to 70 cm, which means that groundwater should not rise to this mark. Otherwise, it will lead to stagnation of water and rotting of the bulbs. Also, the site you choose should be well lit by the sun and be protected from strong cold winds. The best soils for growing these charming plants are considered to be humus-rich, highly cultivated sandy loams, as well as loams with a neutral reaction of the environment. Although you can still use other soils. So, if the "ground" is sandy, water the plants more often and do regular feeding. Enrich the clay soil with coarse river sand, peat, manure and other organic additives that improve the air permeability and water permeability of the "earth". The first time feeding the soil, where the bulbs will be planted, is carried out in early spring in the year of planting of these plants: organic fertilizers are introduced to a depth of 30-33 cm (except for fresh manure). The second top dressing is performed 20 days before planting the bulbs: this time, the soil mixture is enriched with mineral fertilizers (they are introduced to a depth of 23-25 cm). When planting plants, it is recommended to add nitrogenous fertilizers to the soil. The optimum temperature for rooting bulbs is 6-10 degrees. At higher or lower temperatures, roots are less formed. Usually early flowering plants are planted one to two weeks earlier than late flowering tulips. Inspect the bulbs carefully before planting. Their skins must be free from defects and clean, and the bulbs must be heavy and firm. Treat healthy bulbs with 0.2% foundation (place in this product for 25-30 minutes), dry, and then plant in prepared soil. Typically, the optimum planting depth is three bulb heights and the “density” is two bulb diameters. In mid-October, ammonium nitrate is added to the soil (at the rate of 15 g per 1 square meter). Then, with the onset of frost, the area where the bulbs are planted is covered with spruce branches: this is done to protect against rodents and freezing. In the spring, spruce branches are removed and the soil mixture is fed with nitrogen, because it is this substance that the bulbous plant that intensively develops during this period of time needs. After 10 days, the "earth" is fed again with nitrogen fertilizer, and after another 14 days, the soil is enriched with potassium sulfate. As for watering, tulips growing on light soils are watered more often, but with less water consumption than those bulbous plants that grow on heavy soils.
