When to plant tulips for perfect flowering
The tulip is one of the symbolic flowers of spring, but when do we have to plant it to make it bloom? In this article we find out how to grow them, the most suitable soil to grow them and the most popular varieties of this beloved Dutch bulb. Gardening, as we know, is one of the most relaxing activities because plants instill peace ... Do you want to know what are the other things that make us happy? Find out in the video below!
The origin of tulips
The tulip is a flowering plant, bulbous and perennial, which belongs to the Liliaceae family (genus Tulipa). Everyone associates tulips with Holland, but in reality this plant is native to the East, in fact it grows spontaneously in Asia Minor, where it has been cultivated for centuries. Tulips arrived in Europe around 1500 but began to spread in Holland about a century later. Here they became the subject of a real cult (tulip mania) which led to the birth of what is considered the first modern financial crisis.
The first Dutch tulip cultivation, in fact, was considered a real luxury item, so much so that prices on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange had reached stellar quotations. Once the fashion ended, however, these bulbs went from profitable investment to simple flowers in a very short time, causing the financial crack of the producers.
See also
When to plant tulips
The best time to plant Dutch tulip bulbs in the garden is autumn. If we want to have splendid blooms in spring, therefore, it will be necessary to plant these plants before the arrival of the great cold (ie in autumn) in a period included. between October and November. This flower, symbol of spring, so loved and cultivated, must be inserted in the flower bed, or in a vase, well in advance.
Modern cultivation techniques, however, allow for early (or even delayed) flowering through forcing. If, on the other hand, you do not want to resort to this procedure, to have the tulips in the months of March, April and May, you will need to plant them a few months before. Although the tulip is a flower that is also suitable for growing in pots, planting in the garden is the method that guarantees the highest probability of success.
Even in the garden, therefore, once the bulbs have been purchased, around the month of September / October, they must be planted by and no later than December, however much depends on the climatic zone where we live. In general, however, not they should never be planted when the frosts have already arrived because the hormones that regulate root growth need mild temperatures.
The flowering of tulips occurs at the beginning of the summer, that is when temperatures reach 15 ° for a prolonged period of time. However, there are both early and late varieties (called "cultivars") on the market, therefore at the time of purchase it is necessary to inform us about which variety of bulbs we are buying.
When to plant tulips for early flowering
Although tulips are flowers that bloom in spring, it can happen to see them in pots even in December at nurseries, supermarkets, florists or greenhouses. The tulips that we find in winter are those that have been subjected to the forcing technique, that is a forced flowering that has been developed in Northern Europe (obviously in Holland) to satisfy the desire to buy a bouquet or a vase of tulips also in mid winter.
The forcing technique consists in simulating a rapid passage of autumn and winter, and then subjecting the tulip to the heat and light of the greenhouse. This process takes about 13-17 weeks to complete, so if we want to enjoy blooming tulips at Christmas, we need to start forcing in August-September, at the latest in October.
How to grow tulips
Although some think that the tulip is one of the most difficult plants to grow, like roses, with the right advice it too will grow without particular problems. These seeds can be planted in the ground, i.e. in the garden, or in pots. Very nice is the effect of a row of bulbs planted at the edge of the garden: they make even the most rustic gardens super chic. You can be sure: the tulip, if it finds the right soil from which to get nourishment, will give you great satisfaction!
Among the most important tips to make them grow at their best is to choose a sunny position: the tulip, in fact, loves the sun but hates excess wind because it is still a fairly delicate bulb. As already mentioned, it will be enough to plant the seeds inside the earth in a period between October and December, at a depth of about 20 cm. Between one bulb and another it is better to respect the distance of 15-20 cm or they will grow too attached. Tulips love a sandy and well-drained soil in fact they do not tolerate water stagnation.
