Tulip

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Tulip (lat. Tulipa) - bulbous perennial belonging to the Liliaceae family. It is one of the most popular flower crops grown on an industrial scale.

Description

Tulip is a herbaceous plant. The genus includes more than 130 species, differing from each other in shape, color and other characteristics. The progenitors of the plant are wild tulips found in the mountains and deserts of European countries, some Asian countries and the United States. The underground part of the culture bears a bulb, consisting of scales that perform a protective function, and a shortened stem (otherwise the bottom).

The stems of the tulip are strong, straight, cylindrical, its length, depending on the varietal accessory, varies from 10 to 100 cm. The leaves are green or light green, sometimes bluish, elongated lanceolate, with smooth edges, with a slight waxy bloom. They are located alternately, the lower leaves are the largest; in total, an adult plant has 4-5 leaves. In some varieties of tulips, the outer side of the leaves has a spotted color, such plants give flower gardens a special decorative effect.

The flowers of the culture are of the correct shape, the perianth consists of 6 loose leaves, 6 stamens and a pistil with a three-nested ovary. They can be of a wide variety of colors, but the most common are red, pink, yellow and white tulips. There are varieties with goblet, oval, lily-shaped, double, star-shaped and fringed flower forms. In diameter, flowers can reach 10 cm, with full disclosure - up to 20.

The fruit is a polyspermous trihedral capsule. Seeds are yellow-brown or brown in color, flat, triangular, arranged in two rows in each nest of the capsule. The root system of the culture consists of adventitious roots, which are located on the lower part of the bottom. Young bulbs grow stolons.

Varietal groups

Currently, tulips are subdivided into several groups and subgroups, about ten thousand of them are known in total. Plants are divided into three main groups according to the flowering period - these are early flowering, medium flowering and late flowering tulips.

Tulips are also divided into the following groups:

* early with simple flowers;

* early with double flowers;

* tulips of the Triumph class;

* Darivin hybrid group;

* late flowering with simple flowers;

* lily-colored group;

* group of green-flowered;

* group of fringed;

* tulips of the Rembrandt group;

* parrot group;

* late blooming with double flowers.

Growing conditions

Tulip is a light-loving plant, well-lit areas are suitable for growing, in shaded places the bulbs rot, and the stem is stretched out. The culture prefers loose, sandy and fertile soils. Tulips have a negative attitude towards cold and strong winds. It is desirable that the growing area has a flat surface and a permeable soil layer.

The groundwater level should not exceed 65-70 cm, since it is to this depth that the root system extends. Tulips should not be planted in hollows; this will affect the bulbs. Vegetable and flower crops are ideal predecessors of tulips, except for nightshades and bulbs.

Landing

Planting tulips, more precisely, the timing of this procedure depends solely on the characteristics of the location, for example, in the steppe regions, the culture is planted in mid-October, since it is during this period that there is a favorable climate. The optimum temperature is 7-10C. When tulips are planted on time, they are practically affected by various diseases and are not late with flowering the next year. Before the onset of cold weather, the plants have time to form a root system. With earlier plantings, the plant can start growing and eventually die from low temperatures. It takes about forty days to develop the root system of the culture; with good rooting, the plants survive cold winters without problems without shelter in the form of foliage or sawdust.

Before planting, tulip bulbs are thoroughly examined, if sick and damaged are found, they are removed from the total mass. The garden bed is prepared 3 weeks before the intended planting, the soil is fed with mineral fertilizers and compost. The planting depth depends on the size of the bulb, for example, large ones are planted to a depth of 10-15 cm, small ones - by 5-7 cm. It is not worth deepening the bulbs below the indicated limits, this may affect the formation of children.

The optimum distance between tulips is 10-15 cm, again it all depends on the variety. The bulbs take root 15, -2 weeks after planting, but this largely depends on the composition of the soil and climate. In order to speed up the process, gardeners are advised to apply mulch.

Care

In areas with an arid climate, only planted plants are periodically watered. On the territory of Russia with cold winters, in particular in the Urals and Siberia, plants must be covered with special material or spruce branches.

In early spring, immediately after the emergence of seedlings, nitrogen fertilizers are applied, and during the formation of buds and flowering, plants are fertilized with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Also, the culture needs timely watering, weeding, loosening and preventive treatments against diseases and harmful insects.

Digging the bulbs and storing them

The bulbs are dug out after the foliage is completely yellow, usually this operation is carried out in the third decade of June - early July. By that time, the scales of the bulbs become light brown. Immediately after digging, the material is sorted and rotted specimens are rejected, after which they are scattered under a canopy and left for a couple of days to dry and for airing. Next, the bulbs are cleaned of earth lumps and husks, disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a 0.2% solution of basezol and dried again.

Store tulip bulbs in a dark room with good air circulation. The optimum storage temperature is 15-20C. Periodically, it is necessary to check the bulbs, removing rotten and diseased specimens..