When is the best time to dig tulip bulbs for the winter - a good autumn time
Some housewives do not dig tulip bulbs for the winter, leaving them in the soil. Is it really necessary?
Tulips have this feature. With each passing year, their bulbs become deeper in the ground if they are not dug up. As a result, it is more and more difficult for sprouts to break through to the surface in the spring, so they grow smaller and smaller, and the size of the flowers themselves also decreases.
In addition, in such a situation, there is a danger that the bulbs will begin to rot without leaving the children. In addition, the bulbs left behind can be subject to various diseases.
The reasons that the bulbs need to be dug also include their reproduction, because for this you need to separate the children. Changing the location from time to time has a positive effect.
When the bulbs are dug up, spoiled, diseased ones can be thrown away so that they do not infect others. Varietals, fringed, Dutch need to be dug up every year.
Most often, the bulbs are dug up after flowering, when the leaves begin to wilt, leaving them until autumn. And in the fall they plant again. However, there is another option - when the bulbs are stored in winter and planted in early spring.
How do you know when it's time to dig up the bulbs? Tulips are early, medium and late in flowering. Of course, they have different digging times.
The region where tulips are grown and the climate also affect this. But there is a common feature that will tell you that the time has come. When the leaves of the tulips turned yellow, then they lay on the ground, while they did not dry out at all - the optimal time for digging.
If you try to wind the stalk on a stick or finger, and it bends perfectly and does not break - one more hint.
The time for digging should be chosen on a not rainy day. It is also better that there is no rain a few days before, since the ground must be dry.
After digging, the leaves and stems are cut off, the tubers are shaken off the ground. The bulbs are put in a shaded place for a couple of days, where they dry out slightly. Then the roots and scales are removed, but do not tear it off until the bulb is white.
Now you need to disinfect. To do this, lower the bulbs in a solution of potassium permanganate 5%, keep in it for half an hour. Can be put away for storage. For this, a basement, a cellar is suitable. If there is neither one nor the other, you can store in the refrigerator.
At the same time, it is important to wrap each onion in paper and fold it either in a fabric or in a paper bag, checking them from time to time so that moisture does not get in.
In felling, it is better to put the bulbs in a box, you can sprinkle them with sand.