Bulbous perennials- popular garden flowers, which are not difficult to grow. Caring for them is also simple, but the bulbs of most species should be dug out after flowering: if this is not done, over time the plants become smaller, die in frosts or are destroyed by rodents. We will tell you how to prepare the bulbs for laying and in what conditions the bulbs are stored.
Storing the bulbs
The bulbs of winter-hardy flowers are dug out after flowering in mid-summer, and with the onset of autumn, 2-3 weeks before frost, they are again planted in the ground. These plants include snowdrops , crocuses and tulips .
Bulbs buttercups , crested and frittillarium , dug out after flowering and stored until autumn, are planted in the ground from September to November.
Gladioli and lilies dug out in mid or late September. Bulbs of gladioli and heat-loving lilies are stored until spring. Cold-resistant species and varieties of lilies are planted in the ground in October, and in warm regions even at the beginning of November.
Heat-loving calla lilies , freesia and dahlias dug up in late October or early November and store until spring. And flowers like daffodils , muscari and crocosmia , can be left in the soil for the winter for several years.
Preparing the bulbs for storage
The removed bulbs are cleaned from the ground, spoiled, damaged and soft specimens are rejected and sorted by size (analysis) and varieties. In adult bulbs, the roots are cut completely, and in children, roots are left about 1 cm long. The stem is also shortened as much as possible.
The healthy bulbs selected for storage are washed under running water and placed for half an hour in a fungicide solution or in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then removed and dried for three weeks at a temperature of about 30 ºC in a well-ventilated room. Then the bulbs are kept at a temperature of 20 ºC for a month and a half.
Storage conditions for bulbs
The storage temperature for bulbs in winter should be between 3 and 7 ºC, and the air humidity should be about 70%. If the air is dry, sprinkle the bulbs with water regularly. The room should be good air exchange... Inspect regularly during storage planting material to identify rotting bulbs.
Where can bulbs be stored
It is best to store bulbs in a moderately dry basement or well-ventilated cellar. where does not happen sharp drop temperatures. The planting material is laid out in one layer in wooden boxes and covered with moss, peat or covered with dry sand.
A small number of bulbs can be placed in the vegetable section of the refrigerator for the winter: there is always a stable temperature. Store the bulbs sprinkled with moist peat in a plastic bag, making several punctures in it with a needle.
For storage in a garage, on a balcony or loggia, the bulbs are placed in a thermally insulated container, which can be used as a heat chamber, cardboard or plastic container. Place the onion containers so that so that cold air does not flow to them: they are placed on a thick layer of Styrofoam and wrapped in an old rug or blanket. If there is no extreme cold, the blanket can be removed.
The many-sided flower world is striking in its scope in June. But at this holiday there are those who already have to retire - faded and wilted bold harbingers of spring: daffodils, tulips. The time for their "fun" is over, but their life goes on!
There are some basic rules for storing flower bulbs, although they are a little boring, but still worth remembering when growing bulb flowers.
The time of harvesting bulbous flowers depends entirely on the weather. It is necessary to start harvesting tulip bulbs, provided that the leaves have turned yellow, but at the same time have not yet dried.
Many practitioners use the following technique: if the end of the stem of a tulip flower easily wraps around a finger, they start harvesting.
The time to dig out the daffodil bulbs, when the leaves and old roots of the bulbs dry out, while the new roots should not have time to germinate. Hyacinths are also harvested at the same time.
Use a shovel to remove the bulbs. The soil needs to be pushed a little deeper than the bulbs are in it. Do not knock the earth off the bulb, so as not to damage the embryonic buds, but carefully clean it with your hands.
It would be nice to disinfect the bulbs before drying in order to get rid of pests and diseases. Proceed as follows: rinse the bulbs in running water, and then hold them for 30 minutes in a 0.3-0.4% solution of karbofos.
You can also carry out heat treatment. Heat the water to 50 degrees, dip the bulbs in them and leave for 10 minutes. Then remove and dry. This procedure will speed up development, especially when planning forcing.
Storing flower bulbs
Arrange the bulbs in a single layer in the boxes. Air for a few hours outdoors in the shade and store in a dry place, preferably with a draft. The temperature regime in the room is 20-25 degrees. It is necessary to dry the bulbs for 3-5 days, then peel them of old roots, excess crusts and debris, and then divide the bulbs by size, while separating the babies (if possible) from the mother bulb.
After sorting, store the bulbs in a shaded, ventilated room, but without drafts, falling asleep in loosely knitted low boxes thin layer... You cannot keep the bulbs in a closed box, because they produce ethylene, which contributes to the death of grandchildren.
Feel and inspect the bulbs weekly to find damaged bulbs and pests in time. These bulbs must be discarded. Tulip bulbs are subject to destruction if whitish or yellowish spots are found on the outer skin, since they are signs of putrefactive diseases.
Darkened daffodil bulbs should also be removed - this is a clear sign of fungal infection, as are soft hyacinth bulbs that have bad smell- a sign of bacterial decay.
In the room where the flower bulbs are stored, it is necessary to maintain an air humidity of about 70%.
store at room temperature until September 1, and then the temperature must be reduced to 15-17 degrees and its planting in the soil should be maintained.
After peeling the bulbs, hyacinths need a temperature of up to 30 degrees for one week, and after, 25 degrees for 2 months, after it is reduced to 15-17 degrees.
Store the bulbs also at a temperature of 15-17 degrees, and for very early and early forcing, one month before planting, put the bulbs in storage for 2-3 weeks, where the temperature will be about 6-9 degrees. At this temperature, the phytohormone gibberellin is synthesized in the bulbs of daffodils.
Advise on how to store tulip bulbs. In the spring, I bought a gorgeous variety with terry inflorescences, the seller immediately said that it needed to be dug up. I live in a private house, there is a basement, it is dry and cool. Can bulbs be kept there?
Tulips are permanent residents of private plots and city flower beds. They bloom early, do not require special care, but thanks to selection they have many shapes and colors. In most cases, tulips are on their own. Having planted the bulbs, summer residents immediately forget about them, spinning in the garden troubles. Watering and cleaning withered leaves - that is, perhaps, all the care procedures. However, in order to maintain the size of the buds, it is recommended to dig out the bulbs for the summer. In addition, this procedure will help to avoid thickening of the plantings and protect the flowers from pests. They are returned back to the ground in the fall or in the spring. How to store tulip bulbs before planting them - we'll talk about this today.
When to dig up the bulbs?
You can start digging out the bulbs at the end of flowering, but not immediately. First, you need to wait for the nutrients from the aerial part to transfer to the roots.
When the foliage turns yellow and wilts, it's time to dig (usually at the beginning of summer).
How do I prepare the bulbs for storage?
The dug out bulbs should be prepared, namely:
- Free them from the ground.
- Soak for 30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will help keep the tulips free from fungus.
- Dry well by spreading out in one layer under a canopy and leaving them in this form for a week.
The dried onions must be sorted out. Remove old scales, select roots and remnants of leaves. Divide the whole nests into separate bulbs and detach the babies.
How to store tulip bulbs
The best option for storage are wooden or plastic boxes. Paper and carton boxes better not to use. In them, the planting material can rot, and the containers themselves can get wet.
The boxes must be without a lid. There is no need to "plug" tulips, as they release ethylene during storage. For adult tubers, it is harmless, but undesirable for children.
Onions are placed in boxes in one layer. If there are a lot of tulips, but there is not enough space, you can lay them out in layers, sprinkling with sawdust or wrapping them in newspaper.
Tulips, like most spring bulbous plants, the biological calendar is special - the growing season is short (3-4 months), the rest of the time the bulb ripens and the potential for the next year is laid. Digging and the period of summer dormancy for them is an indispensable element of agricultural technology and a guarantee of the preservation of varietal characteristics. Hence the numerous questions, where and how to store tulip bulbs, so as not to spoil and get profuse flowering in the spring?
A blooming tulip field - a gardener's dream
5 reasons why tulips need to be dug
Digging a tulip bulb after ripening is a biological necessity. What happens to the plant if you don't?
- A faded bulb dies off, but at the same time gives life to a whole "family" of its own kind - a replacement bulb and children. After a year, the division process will be repeated in geometric progression... There will be less space and nutrition for normal growth and vegetative renewal, and tulips will begin to shrink and degenerate.
- The lack of heat and excess moisture is felt more acutely in the soil, especially if the summer is cold and rainy. This can prevent the formation of full-fledged replacement organs and peduncles.
- If tulips are not dug up, the risk of infection with fungal diseases, damage by pests, for example, the larva of the May beetle, increases.
- Over time, non-transplanted bulbs go deeper. From there, it is more difficult for the seedling to break through in the spring, there is not enough heat to lay a flower bud.
- Annual digging and storage of tulip bulbs until autumn planting- this is reliable way quickly multiply valuable varieties.
Summer storage features
Within a month after flowering, the bulb ripens. At this time, there is an intense outflow nutrients from the stem and leaves, they gradually turn yellow and wither. The bulb itself becomes yellowish-brown. When ⅔ of the leaves are withered and the stem becomes soft and pliable, the tulips can be harvested. V middle lane Russia - this is the second half of June.
Seed preparation
The dug nests of bulbs, along with roots, covering scales and soil residues, are placed in baskets or boxes (perforated) and left to dry for a week in a warm, dry and ventilated place. At home, a canopy, a shed, a veranda is suitable. Avoid direct sun exposure - this can burn delicate scales.
"Family" of tulips after digging
Next, the bulbs are disassembled. They are cleaned of integumentary scales and old roots, rotted, damaged specimens are discarded, calibrated by size. If the defects are insignificant (mold plaque, superficial sores), they are removed mechanically - washed off, scraped off with a knife. To protect the planting material from further infection, it is etched in a manganese solution and dried.
Storage conditions
How to store tulip bulbs until autumn so that they do not rot, dry out, and germinate prematurely? Disassembled planting material is laid out in containers in 1-2 layers. During July-August, complex processes of laying the organs of the future plant (leaves, flowers) will take place in the bulbs, and for this it is necessary to provide conditions.
- The main thing is the temperature regime! For the first three weeks - 25–30⁰ С, all subsequent time before disembarkation - no higher than 20⁰ С.
- The correct humidity is 60–70%. Excess moisture can lead to the appearance of putrefactive infections or untimely germination, a lack of moisture can lead to drying out of the fleshy scales. If you notice that the bulbs are shriveled, humidify the air with a spray bottle or place an open container of water next to it.
- The third condition is air access. Never store bulbs in plastic bags- they just won't live to see the landing!
Sorted bulbs prepared for storage
Certificate correct storage- a clean, dry, firm bulb, without signs of bottom germination at the time of planting (mid-September).
Note! If there is a risk of damage to the bulbs by rodents, it is better to keep them hanging. For this purpose, vegetable nets, old tights, stockings are suitable.
Ways to preserve bulbs until spring
If you purchased tulip planting material in the fall and do not have time to plant, there are several options for how to keep it until spring. The fundamental condition is that the bulb must undergo mandatory stratification (cooling at a positive temperature, close to 0⁰C), otherwise the tulip will not bloom in the spring.
Dry storage
If there are few tulips, you can put them in the refrigerator - in a container with vegetables and fruits. First, wrap each onion in a separate sheet of paper, put it in a bag made of breathable material (fabric, paper).
In a private house appropriate place with a low but positive temperature - basement. To bring the conditions as close as possible to natural, sprinkle the bulbs with a dry substrate - sand, sawdust, vermiculite, etc. In plants planted in spring, the growing season will slightly shift, they will bloom later, but the bulb will have time to ripen by the autumn planting.
Wet germination
Wet storage of tulip bulbs is a good option. Pour a layer of lightly moistened sawdust or high-moor peat into a plastic box with holes. Spread the bulbs upside down, cover with a moist substrate on top. In this form, the boxes are sent to the basement. During the storage period, roots and seedlings are formed, and the planted tulip will bloom at its usual time.
Early distillation as a storage method
If you have doubts that the planting material will last until spring, you can try early forcing followed by rearing in open ground... This is not even a storage method, but an opportunity to preserve and multiply this or that flower variety.
Large bulbs must be planted in flower pots with the usual garden soil so that the tip smooths out of the ground. Until frost, they can be left on the balcony or veranda, then, together with the container, wrap with plastic and lower it into the basement. The duration of "winter dormancy" is quite long - 3–3.5 months. During this period, once every 2-3 weeks, they need to be ventilated, if the soil is dry, moisten them. After emergence, the plant is exposed to light.
Early germination at home
After the forcing has faded, allow the bulbs to ripen. Containers with them are taken out into the street or with a lump of earth are transplanted into open ground.
Video about winter storage tulips:
How good seed you get for the next year depends on the correct digging and storage of tulip bulbs. You do not need to wait for frost to get the children out of the ground, but you should not start this agricultural practice too early. When all the planting material has left the garden and sorted, it is necessary to create for the tulip bulbs the right conditions storage, observing temperature and humidity conditions. Multi-field crop rotation for personal plot almost impossible if the tulip collection covers a significant area. You can limit yourself to a 2-field crop rotation, when after tulips the land goes under fallow. With strict adherence to all agricultural techniques and rules, tulips can be grown in the same place for several years. Cases of the appearance of fungal and viral ones serve as a signal for a change of place. On this page, you will learn how to dig and store tulip bulbs at home.
How tulip bulbs are dug
The tulip bulbs are harvested annually. With annual digging, the multiplication factor increases, the yield of large bulbs increases and losses from diseases decrease, because diseased bulbs are discarded and destroyed annually. It is permissible to grow only a baby for two years without digging. Digging the bulbs is important element complex of agrotechnical measures. Digging begins when 2/3 of the leaves turn yellow and the covering scales of the replacement bulb acquire a light brown color. An earlier digging has a negative effect on the reproduction rate and on the ornamental qualities of the plants in the next year. However, a delay in digging can cause just as much damage. With late digging, it is sometimes impossible to determine the location of the nest, as a result of which the amount of mechanical damage and loss of the baby and even large bulbs increases.
In addition, with late digging, the susceptibility to fungal diseases increases and the presentation of the bulbs deteriorates due to the numerous ruptures of the covering scales. The horizontal breaks are only caused by late excavation. The following describes how to sort and store tulip bulbs prior to planting.
How to sort and store tulip bulbs before planting
After digging, tulip bulbs are scattered into varieties in 2-3 layers in boxes with a mesh bottom for drying. they contain a lot of moisture and easily rot and mold. The bulbs are dried under a canopy for one to two days, after which the “nests” easily disintegrate, and the bulbs are cleaned of old scales, roots, stems and pickled in a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes.
Double pickling of the bulbs in a solution of potassium permanganate (after harvesting and before planting) not only protects the bulbs from diseases and pests, but basically also satisfies the manganese needs of the future plant. Boxes and rooms where bulbs were stored are disinfected. Sort pickled tulip bulbs as shown in the table. Sorting tulip bulbs table:
| Parsing | Bulb diameter (in millimeters) | |
| Darwin hybrids | Other classes | |
| "Extra" | more than 40 | more than 35 |
| I | 35-40 | 30-35 |
| II | 30-35 | 25-30 |
| III | 25-30 | 20-25 |
| Category I baby (countable) | 15-25 | 15-20 |
| Category II baby (weight) | less than 15 | less than 15 |
In August, the temperature is lowered to 20 ° C, and in September to 17 ° C. Each grower maintains a temperature based on the availability of premises and household appliances.Compliance temperature regime when storing tulip bulbs at home, it is of exceptional importance, because during this period, the process of formation of buds of the replacement and daughter bulbs, as well as the flowering stem and flower of the plant, is taking place in the bulb.
At the end of June, regardless of whether the bulb is dug out or continues to be in the soil, the formation of leaf rudiments occurs in it. In July, the rudiments of a flower are laid: tepals and stamens of the outer circle.
In August, the formation of the rudiments of the stamens of the inner circle and the ovary with a pistil ends. Violation of the temperature regime during storage of tulip bulbs after storage digging can have the most negative consequences when using bulbs in forcing and lead to the appearance of "blind" buds during the flowering period.Proper storage of tulip bulbs significantly reduces disease losses and lays the foundation for a good harvest.