With the skillful planting in autumn, you are well on the way to the longed-for tulip blossom in spring. What matters now is a balanced care program that sets the course for the following season before, during and after flowering. All important questions about the perfect care of tulips are examined here.

Tulips only need to be watered when there is little rain

How and when to water tulips?

Tulips grow and bloom at a time of year when there is generally sufficient natural rainfall. Only water your spring flowers when the soil is noticeably dry. This can be the case more often in pots and window boxes than in flower beds. Please let the water run slowly onto the root disk until it stops absorbing moisture. Since any waterlogging causes the flower bulbs to rot, if in doubt, water later rather than too soon.

Do tulips need fertilizer?

There is a persistent rumor among hobby gardeners that tulips can do without fertilizer. In fact, giving a concentrated load of complete fertilizer should be frowned upon. In order for the bulbs to have enough energy for flowering, they must not be stingy with nutrients. How to do it right:

  • Mulch generously with compost in the fall
  • From the end of February/beginning of March, rake in the mature compost every 14 days and pour it over
  • Pamper tulips in pots and balcony boxes with organic liquid fertilizer

The end of the flowering period does not mean the end of the nutrient supply for tulips. Continue to fertilize in the normal rhythm until the drawn-in leaves are cut off.

When should the pruning take place?

Please cut your tulips in 2 stages. The withered flower cups are cut off in a timely manner in order to prevent the exhausting seed growth. Only cut the leaves when they are completely dead.

Can tulip bulbs overwinter in the ground?

A normal Central European winter cannot harm your tulips in the ground. If, on the other hand, your garden is in a region with deep ground frost, we recommend a layer of compost or leaf mold as winter protection. In pot culture, tulip bulbs are always endangered in winter, so it makes sense to stay in a frost-free room.

What diseases can be expected?

Various species of fungus have their sights set on tulips. In addition to the usual suspects, such as powdery mildew and downy mildew, a pathogen has specialized in Tulipa. We are talking about gray mold spores of the genus Botrytis tulipae. Known as tulip fire, the disease manifests itself in stunted flowers, leaves and rotting bulbs. Effective control agents are not yet available for the home garden.

What pests can infest tulips?

Enemy number 1 for tulips is the voracious vole. So that the onions do not end up in the stomach of the furry insatiable, we recommend planting them in the vole basket. Furthermore, in spring, legions of slugs come to feast on the flowers and leaves. Keep the brood at a distance with snail collars, moving barriers and, if necessary, slug pellets (7.49€).

tips

A two-hour bath in 45-degree warm water reliably kills pests hidden in tulip bulbs, such as the tulip bulb aphid.

Category:

Vegetable garden