If your perennial tulips (Tulipa spp.), which have finished flowering, seem smaller or less plentiful than before, digging up their bulbs can be an effective approach. To properly remove and preserve these bulbs for future planting, ensure you do so without causing any harm during extraction. Afterward, allow the bulbs to dry thoroughly before storing them in a cool location until it’s time to plant them again in autumn.
Initially, consider wearing gloves as some individuals may experience rashes when handling bulbs directly. Additionally, tulips pose toxicity risks for both pets and humans upon ingestion. Start this procedure by gently tilling the soil surrounding the bulbs to avoid causing harm to them. Carefully lift each bulb along with its stem either manually or using a gardening implement—preferably one with dull edges rather than sharp ones. Trim away the stem next. Dispose of any bulbs showing signs of disease, damage, or decay; detach smaller offspring bulbs from their mature counterparts so they can be planted elsewhere individually. Peel back the papery exterior layers akin to peeling an onion before giving the cleaned bulbs a quick dust-off.
Evenly distribute the bulbs on a drying rack for several days until they become thoroughly dried. Afterward, keep them in either a mesh produce bag or a burlap sack hung up in a cool, dark area. Another option is to encase them in sand for storage. It’s best not to use peat moss as it has an unsustainable harvest process contributing to climate issues. When autumn arrives, proceed with
All the typical steps you’d follow prior to planting tulip bulbs
Then proceed to plant your dried bulbs just as you would with any other bulb of that particular species.
Read more:
The Plant You Might Want to Include in Your Garden for Richer Soil
When (and When Not) To Lift Tulip Tubers
Your tulips might require digging up if your soil lacks nutrients, your garden becomes saturated with water leading to bulb rotting, or animals and frost cause your bulbs to be unearthed. Lift them once all of the foliage has wilted completely. Prior to this stage, remove spent flowers promptly as soon as the petals drop. Doing so stops the plants from attempting to create seeds, thus conserving valuable resources for bulb storage rather than seed production. However, ensure that all the leaves have fully yellowed and dried out before taking action; otherwise, if they remain green, it indicates ongoing photosynthesis and subsequent energy accumulation within the bulbs.
You might not have to dig up your bulbs at all. If your tulips consistently bloom healthily each year, there’s no necessity to lift them. Tulips are perennial plants. These flowers have adapted to preserve sufficient energy within their bulbs to regenerate annually, and numerous gardeners choose never to disturb these bulbs. Should you be seeking
the most suitable types of tulips for beginning a garden
Plant species tulips like ‘Greigii’ and ‘Fosteriana’, along with their hybrids that have been specially bred for naturalizing, as these varieties are more inclined to provide you with years of delightful blooms.
When it comes to certain tulips, attempting to lift them is futile. There are some varieties that people simply treat as annuals, opting to replace them instead of trying to preserve them or leave them be. A lot of the more flamboyant tulip types have been specially cultivated with the intention of using up most of their bulb’s stored energy to create stunning blooms during the initial season. However, these plants do not conserve sufficient energy to regenerate for another year. As such, they basically deplete their value as lasting assets in your garden. Appreciate their display for just one year before composting them and starting anew the subsequent year.
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