Forcing tulips by March 8: preparing the bulbs, growing technology

In this article you will learn what to do to ensure that the tulips bloom by March 8th.

Tulips are one of the most favorite flowers of many women. There are many varieties of them, differing in color, bud shape, and flowering time. However, many gardeners are afraid to grow these flowers in their garden plots, because they believe that tulips require a huge amount of care and special skills.

We will look at those varieties that you can grow yourself on the eve of International Women's Day, as well as the basic rules for planting bulbs of these plants. In addition, we will analyze how to make tulips bloom and what soil will be most successful for growing them.

Description of the flower, photo

Tulips come from the lily family. In addition to them, this family includes: lilies, muscari, hyacinths, fritillaria, etc. A characteristic feature of these flowers is the presence of six petals (hybrid varieties have more petals) and six stamens with elongated anthers. Most often, one plant produces one bud; in some species, several buds are possible on the stem.

The shape of the petals can be oval, semicircular, pointed with fringed or corrugated edges. Flower sizes can vary from small, just a few centimeters, to huge ones, about 20 cm.

The color palette is very diverse, it includes all existing paints, tones and halftones. Thanks to the painstaking work of breeders, new types of tulips appear every year.

The stem of the flower is erect, cylindrical in shape. Its height depends on the type and variety of flower: 10-20 cm or 60-100 cm.

Leaf plates of tulips are formed from 1-12 pieces; they are very important for the formation of the bulb for the next year. If they are lost during the growing season, the flower may die.

Tulips are bulbous flowers. The bulb is a bottom with scales, which are covered on top with protective scales, which perform a protective function. The life cycle of the bulb is about 24 months, after which it dies and forms daughter bulbs.

Temperature

When planting is completed, you should lightly moisten the soil and provide comfortable conditions for the bulbs. To do this, containers with them must be placed in a dark and fairly cool place (the temperature must be maintained from 12 to 15 degrees C) or placed on a windowsill, but then they must be covered with thick cloth or paper. The entire rooting process usually takes two weeks.

You can place the planted bulbs in the bottom of the refrigerator or in the basement. At this time, tulips benefit from a temperature of about +5 degrees C.

When storing tulips planted in the ground in the refrigerator, do not cover the containers with them with cellophane so that the soil does not become moldy and the bulbs do not rot.

In the cool weather, the roots of the bulbs planted in the ground will actively develop, and in January green sprouts will appear. And in early February, when their size reaches 5 cm, the containers can be moved from the refrigerator to a lighted room where the temperature is +18 degrees C. After 30-35 days, the tulips will bloom.

Selecting a variety for forcing

The fundamental factor when forcing tulips is the choice of varieties. The main role here is played by the necessary cooling of the bulbs, which subsequently determines the growth and development of the flower.

For early forcing for the New Year or the beginning of January, only a few early varieties are used, which are included in the group of Triumph and Simple Early tulips. Even though they require a short cooling period, when forcing them, additional cooling of the bulbs will be required for one month at a temperature of + 9°C.

The following varieties of tulips are suitable for forcing for the New Year:

1. Olga.
2. Diamond Star.
3. Christmas Marvel.
4. Ibis Mon Tresor.

In addition to the previous varieties, the following varieties are suitable for February forcing: Kis Nelis; Gander; Battle; Lustige.

All Darwin hybrids and late Terry hybrids are suitable for forcing by March 8, the best of them are:

1. Beauty of Apeldoorn.
2. Apeldoorn's elite.
3. Eric Howsue.
4. Parade - Record.
5. Hamilton.
6. Maureen.
7. Strong Gold.

Lighting

If there is enough light, then additional lighting will not be needed. You will only need to turn the pot occasionally so that the stems grow straight and do not bend. If there is not enough daylight at home, then you can arrange additional lighting with fluorescent or ordinary lamps. 40 W will be enough.

If you raise the air temperature to +20 degrees C, the tulips will bloom 2 or 3 days earlier, and if you want to delay flowering, then it is enough to lower the room temperature to +13-14 degrees C.

Preparing bulbs for forcing

Before you begin the process of forcing flowers, the bulbs must first be prepared. Preparation begins in the spring; tulips, the bulbs of which will later be used for forcing, have their buds cut off without allowing them to open, but leave as much of the stem with leaves as possible.

Under this condition, all nutrients will be directed by the plant to the development of the bulb. They require special care, including timely watering and fertilizing in accordance with the agricultural techniques for growing tulips.

Important! When preparing planting material for forcing, the main role is played by keeping it at a certain temperature. The development of tulips, as well as the timing of their flowering, can be regulated by temperature.

There are two stages of temperatures for maintaining and storing bulbs for forcing: using high temperatures and a certain cooling period.

Tulips are dug up at the usual time, then they are stored in a dark, dry place. The storage temperature for a month should be 20-23°C; this temperature regime provides for the formation of flower primordia in the selected planting material.

When storing bulbs during the month of August, the temperature should not exceed 20°C, in September it should be 16-17°C. This storage mode in the first stages of preparing the bulbs will not cause much trouble, because these temperatures correspond to the weather conditions during these months. Small fluctuations are acceptable, as they will not significantly affect the tulips.

If there is a significant discrepancy in the storage temperatures of planting material at this stage, it can lead to irreversible consequences: the initiation of the peduncle rudiment slows down, which gives impetus to the development of the “blind” bud anomaly.

After this, the preparation of the bulbs begins for further planting in the substrate. Bulbs are selected that are at least 3.5 cm in diameter; this size guarantees a good yield of peduncles during forcing.

Processing the bulbs is also an important factor; for these purposes, fungicides are used, for example Maxim or Fundazol, they are diluted according to the instructions and the planting material is immersed for the specified time.

Subsequently, the bulbs are dried and cleared of the upper scales. Why do this? First of all, by peeling the shell, you can clearly see hidden damage or defects of the bulbs; it is better to do this in advance. Also, a bare bulb absorbs moisture and nutrients better, which in the future will give a quick and friendly start to growth.

Diseases of tulip bulbs

During storage and during the growing season, tulips can develop various diseases.

1. White rot . The growing point and neck of the bulb are covered with a white felt coating, which later turns brown. Sometimes the disease manifests itself as a weeping spot around the neck. The growing point of the tulip dies.

The disease can be noticed during leaf germination. They are severely stunted and have gray-blue spots on their surface.

Sick specimens are removed from the garden along with a lump of earth. The place where they grew is treated with fungicides or at least sprinkled generously with ash. Tulips cannot be planted in this place for 5 years. Do not plant tulips after lilies, daffodils, and crocuses.

1. Fusarium . Appears as brown spots on the bottom of the bulb. These spots are clearly delimited along the edge by a red line, so the disease is easily recognizable. Gradually, the spot darkens, pathogens penetrate deep into the bulb, and it rots. At the same time, a sharp specific odor is released. High humidity of more than 90% in the place where the bulbs are stored and temperatures above +20° contribute to the rapid spread of the disease.

In addition, fusarium spores, if they fall on healthy bulbs already planted in the ground, can cause disease during the growing season.

Many varieties have increased immunity to this disease, but there are no varieties that are completely protected.

Therefore, it is very important to treat the bulbs before planting. The temperature in the storage should be between +15-18°, and the humidity should not exceed 60%.

1. Root rot . In mild cases, only partial rotting of the roots occurs, which does not significantly affect the growing season of plants. But with severe damage, stunted plants appear in the garden bed. When digging, transparent watery roots are found that break easily. Later they acquire a dark brown color.

The spread of the disease is facilitated by high soil moisture. It is desirable that the site is drained and that groundwater does not lie close to the soil surface. If a disease is detected after digging up the bulbs, they must be treated with a fungicide in the same way as the soil where the diseased tulips grew.

1. Penicillosis . Bulbs that are stored for a long time for forcing are affected by high humidity. The disease manifests itself in the form of yellow-brown spots with a blue coating. The bulb does not die, but even treated before planting it produces weak peduncles and deformed leaves. In case of severe damage, when the bulb is completely covered with plaque, it is impossible to save it.

Rules for planting in pots, in hydrogel, in the basement

Before planting the bulbs, it is a good idea to prepare the soil; for this you can use the Aktara insecticide, spilling the soil with its solution at the rate of 1.4 g of the product per 10 liters of water, this will get rid of the larvae and possible worms located in the substrate.

Planting bulbs is a crucial moment. The soil should be loose, absorb moisture well and have a neutral acidity pH 6.5-7. The best option may be a mixture of sawdust and river sand, or you can make a substrate using: peat, garden soil, perlite, sand. Dutch breeders force tulips in river sand.

Important! When preparing the soil, you need to take into account that tulips will tolerate a lack of nutrients, but excess moisture can have a detrimental effect on the bulbs.

Before planting, the planting material is kept for two weeks at a temperature of 9°C. Any container will do, as long as there is a drainage hole. The prepared substrate is poured into prepared containers in a layer of 10 cm, the tulips are deepened by 3-4 cm with light pressure and placed at a distance of 2 cm from each other.

Then sprinkle with a layer of soil and water abundantly. If after this the tops of the bulbs begin to peek out, then add substrate on top.

Boxes with bulbs are brought into a room with a temperature of 7-9°C (basement) and kept for 16 weeks. Cooling promotes rooting of the bulbs and the accumulation of substances responsible for the growth of the peduncle. Until the end of cooling, the tulips are watered and kept without lighting as the moisture evaporates. By the end of this period, the bulbs should have a stem 5-7 cm tall.

It is also possible to force tulips in a vase using hydrogel. To do this, you need to stock up on tulip bulbs in the fall and put them in a cool place for 2.5-3 months.

When the time is right, they are taken out and transferred to a warm room. After pre-soaking the hydrogel granules in water, they should increase in volume to 1.5 cm in diameter, and then fill them into glass vases and bowls. The bulbs are placed halfway in the hydrogel and placed on the windowsill.

Gradually, roots and stems will begin to appear. As necessary, water is added to the vase, but so that the level of hydrogel does not exceed half the level of the bulbs.

This option for growing tulips is suitable as an original design solution, as well as an interesting gift for your loved ones.

Selection and receipt of planting material

In order for all the tulips to germinate, produce beautiful buds and not get sick during the growing process, it is important to choose suitable planting material. Flowers are grown from bulbs that are purchased in gardening stores, nurseries, markets, or grown independently.

When choosing tulip bulbs, it is important to pay attention to the following parameters:

1. Scales. The shell should have a not too dark brown tint and be elastic. A hard and dark brown shell is a sign that the bulbs have been left in the ground for too long.
2. Size. The optimal diameter of the bulb varies between 3-4 cm. It is possible to purchase smaller specimens, but they take longer to germinate.
3. Appearance . Planting material must have the correct shape, uniform color and be perfectly smooth, without mold, stains, damage or other signs of disease.
4. Stem. Small size, no mold or stains. Only the tip sticks out of the bulb.
5. Weight and density. A high-quality bulb feels dense to the touch. When pressed, no juice should come out. If the planting material is suspiciously light, it means it is rotten inside.
6. Bottom part. The bottom is dense, with tubercles from which roots will appear.

The optimal time to buy tulip bulbs is from the beginning of July to the end of September. At this time, it will be possible to purchase high-quality planting material.

It can be easily obtained independently from plants grown in season in open ground. There are several nuances to consider:

1. To ensure that the planting material is saturated with useful microelements and turns out to be of high quality, after the buds open, they are cut off. This happens 3-4 days after the tulip blooms.
2. Unopened buds should not be cut off. This negatively affects the development of greens and bulbs.
3. Planting material is dug up when the greens and stems turn yellow by about a third. This occurs at the end of June or beginning of July.

After collection, planting material is sorted by size. Large specimens are placed in one direction, small specimens in the other.

Important! Only round bulbs are suitable for forcing.

For the first month, planting material is stored at a temperature of +20°C. Then this indicator is reduced to +17°C.

The bulbs are placed in boxes or on pallets with a mesh bottom. Indoor humidity for the formation of a developed root system is 70-75%.

Technology for forcing bulbous plants

3 weeks before the expected flowering date, containers with bulbs are brought into a warm room with dim light and a temperature of 12°C. At this temperature, the plants are kept for four days. Subsequently, the temperature is raised to 16-18°C during the day and 14-15°C at night, and the lighting is increased.

Important! When forcing flowers, lighting is required; daylight hours must be at least 10 hours. Artificial lighting must be at least 40 W/sq.m

If the lighting rules are not followed, the plants may become elongated, the buds may become smaller, or “blind bud” syndrome may appear. Watering is done in the morning and only with cold water. An excellent solution for irrigation is melt water due to its low content of various impurities.

It is necessary to avoid getting moisture on the sheet plates. Regular watering as the substrate dries out, as well as fertilizing with calcium nitrate (0.2%) within two times will help increase decorativeness and have a positive effect on the quality of flowering plants.

When the buds appear, their temperature decreases to 15°C, this will contribute to the intense coloring of the buds, and the stems will become stronger and longer.

Important! To speed up flowering by 2-3 days, you need to increase the temperature to 20°C.

How to cut flowers

Tulips are cut after the buds have colored. The work should be done in the morning, the plants should not be watered. Tulips are cut at the base of the stem along with the leaves using a sharp knife. If necessary, flowers can be stored in a cool room with a temperature of 5 °C.

Helpful advice! If the flower stalks turn out to be too short after forcing, the tulips are pulled out of the ground along with the bulbs. After this, it is necessary to cut off the bottom of each onion and clear the stem of onion scales. This way you can lengthen the stem by 6 cm.

A new design technique is used in floristry today. Tulips are placed in a transparent vase along with the bulbs. By the way, in this case the bouquet will last much longer. If for some reason the tulips were ready for cutting earlier than necessary, they can be stored in the refrigerator, after wrapping several pieces in paper. In such conditions, tulips will continue to grow even without bulbs and will remain well preserved for 2 weeks.

It is important that the plants are completely deprived of access to light, otherwise the stems will bend. Upon completion of storing the flowers, a new cut is made, they are again wrapped in paper and placed in water. Within 30 minutes, the tulips will be saturated with moisture and restore turgor, after which the paper is removed. Now the bouquet is completely ready. You can decorate the interior with flowers or give them as a gift.

Boarding times in a city apartment

Calculating the start date for bulb cooling is quite simple, but you need to take into account which date you need a bouquet of tulips. If flowers are needed by March 8, then counting 21 days from this date (the content is already warm) turns out to be February 14, after which we still count 16 weeks (the duration of the cooling period). The result is October 25-26, the date for planting the bulbs for cooling.

Advice from professionals

For early forcing, no later than March 8, experts recommend choosing only the largest bulbs. Small planting material can germinate successfully, but not produce buds.

If cooling the bulbs is carried out in the refrigerator, they should be kept away from fresh fruit. The latter emit ethylene, which is harmful to flowers.

The first March tulips are grown from the largest bulbs

During the cooling process and during forcing, it is important not to over-water the tulips. If the soil is too wet, the bulbs will simply rot. You also need to observe moderation in feeding; in particular, bursting leaves indicate an excess of nutrients.

Forcing tulips in February

To get tulips to be forced in February, it is necessary to plant the bulbs in early October. The optimal temperature for this should be 9°C; from November 20, the temperature regime is reduced to 3 - 5°C. After December 15, the temperature should be 0 - 3°C.

Tulips are brought into the heat from January 3 to January 6, after which they are kept for 2 days at a temperature of 10 ° C and with dim lighting. Over the next three days, the temperature is increased to 15°C, then kept stable at 17°C. A prerequisite is a ten-hour daylight hours. At these temperatures, tulips will begin to bloom after February 10th.

Important! During the entire forcing process, waterlogging, sudden temperature changes, and air stagnation should not be allowed.

Planting tulips in spring

Although planting in the fall is the preferred option, it is quite possible to plant tulip bulbs in the spring. To do this, you need to fulfill a number of conditions.

1. The soil at a depth of 10 cm should not be below +9°C. Bulbs cannot be planted in very cold soil. With a sudden change in conditions, the bulb may become stressed and then the shoots may not be expected.
2. Before planting, the bulb should be cooled by wrapping it in a bag and placing it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for at least a week.
3. For cold regions, planting in open ground is more difficult. First you need to plant the onion in a pot so that it germinates at least a little. It is advisable to keep the pot in the refrigerator before planting.

Planting time depends on the climate zone. In the south, this work can be carried out already in February at those moments when the so-called February windows are formed or throughout March. In any case, the weather should be warm and the earth should be well warmed up.

In the Moscow region and the middle zone, the optimal planting time is the first half of April. In the northern regions, planting in a pot, as mentioned above, is carried out at the end of March. After 40-50 days, the pot with seedlings is transplanted into open ground.

Tips for growing tulips by March 8 for beginners

There are several basic rules for successfully forcing tulips:

• Only high-quality planting material is selected;
• Sudden changes in temperature conditions are not allowed, both during storage and during distillation;
• do not use a substrate for bulbs that has already been used;
• insufficient watering at the rooting stage can lead to drying out and death of the roots, as well as an underdeveloped root system;
• mandatory use of drainage in containers for good moisture permeability;
• insufficient cooling temperature will lead to short peduncles;
• an extended cooling period leads to the growth of long and thin stems;
• lack of ventilation and excessive air humidity leads to plant diseases, defects in leaf parts and buds, as well as the appearance of gray rot.

If these conditions are met, excellent results when forcing tulips are guaranteed.

Stratification is an important stage of forcing

The success of forcing tulips is impossible without stratification. It involves exposing planting material to low temperatures. Only cold, then replaced by warmth, can encourage the bulbs to grow. Stratification is carried out in advance: 4 months or at least 12-15 days before planting the tulips. The temperature should be between +1°C and +7-8°C. The bulbs can be placed in the refrigerator - in the lower container for vegetables - or kept in the basement, garage, on a frost-free balcony, loggia. The goal of the event is to deceive the bulbs, creating spring conditions when they begin to grow.

Forcing tulips and daffodils by March 8

In addition to tulips, you can also force other bulbous flowers, such as daffodils. The principle of the process of forcing daffodils for March 8 or another holiday is similar to the process of forcing tulips, but there are several minor differences.

The process of preparing daffodil bulbs for forcing

Daffodils need to be prepared for forcing, just like tulips; it all starts with careful selection of bulbs. They should be large, without obvious defects, and rather heavy in weight (approximate weight of the bulb is 25-30 grams).

There must also be phases of preparing daffodil bulbs for forcing. The first phase includes after digging up the bulbs, they are stored in a dry place at a temperature of 20-30°C for two weeks, which promotes the accelerated formation of flower buds inside the bulbs. The second phase consists of a cooling period before planting at a temperature of 7–9°C.

Important! To make sure whether the daffodil bulbs are ready for forcing or not, you need to cut a selection of several bulbs in the center. If the cut shows the rudiment of a flower bud, this means that the bulbs are ripe and are quite ready for forcing.

Conditions and timing of planting daffodil bulbs

To grow a bouquet of daffodils by March 8, the bulbs are planted on November 15-18. For an earlier flowering period, planting is carried out in early October; for a late date at the end of November early December.

Important! To grow daffodils by March 8, any variety of flowers is suitable.

To plant bulbs, use a substrate made of leaf soil with the addition of river sand; it must be quite loose. In the prepared containers, drainage and a layer of sand must be placed on the bottom, a substrate is poured on top, the layer thickness of which is 4-5 cm. After which the bulbs are planted, and their tops should look 1-2 cm from the ground.

The optimal temperature for root emergence is 5-8°C. After the daffodil sprouts reach 10-12 cm in height, the temperature regime is increased to 10-12°C and a full 10-hour daylight is provided with the help of lighting in the evenings.

With the correct cooling process followed by preparation of planting material, growing a bouquet of daffodils by March 8 will not be particularly difficult.

Preparing the soil for planting tulips

Tulips do not grow well in heavy loams and acidic soils. On such soils, 2 kg of dolomite flour is added per 10 sq.m. To improve the composition of the soil before digging, add 1 square meter. m. half a bucket of compost, humus and sand and a half-liter jar of ash. Fresh manure is not applied when planting bulbs.

The area is dug up, weed roots are removed and the surface is leveled with a rake. This work can be done immediately before planting the bulbs.

Growing tulips for business for sale by March 8

Forcing tulips by March 8th and then selling them is not such a super profitable business, but the advantage of this business is that tulips are one of the links in the chain of year-round plantings in a greenhouse.

To obtain flowers in large quantities, you need to stock up on a sufficient amount of planting material. For forcing tulips with their further sale, they buy “extra” class bulbs, with a diameter of no less and no more than 3.5 cm. Smaller diameter bulbs are not ready for forcing, and larger diameter bulbs will not be able to produce a beautiful flower in such a tense time frame. Therefore, you should not experiment with planting material.

The most suitable varieties of tulips for forcing for sale are:

• Forgotten Dreams;
• Parade;
• Gesner;
• Eric Hofsier.

These varieties, already proven, produce friendly and beautiful buds within the specified time frame, subject to all forcing rules. The design of greenhouses, or special devices for forcing large volumes of tulips, can be found out by visiting any thematic forum where amateur flower growers share their secrets and observations on this issue.

Growing technology and care

To sell tulips when they are in high demand, it is important to provide them with proper care. Forcing in a greenhouse by a certain date has its own subtleties and nuances.

Lighting

For the first 2 months, the greenhouse is shaded, since the planted bulbs must be in the dark. Until February, tulips have enough natural light. Then the plantings are provided with 12 hours of daylight.

Temperature

For the first 2 months after planting, the temperature in the greenhouse is maintained at +7...+9°C. Then the temperature is increased to +18...+17°C during the day and +14...+15°C at night. When the tulips bloom, the temperature is reduced to +15°C.

Humidity

Tulips love high humidity. To provide them with optimal conditions, the walls of the greenhouse are sprayed daily.

Watering

Every morning the plants are watered with water at a temperature of +8...+12°C.

Feeding

For the first 2 weeks, watering is alternated with fertilizing with 20 g of calcium nitrate diluted in 10 liters of water. During the entire growing period, tulips are fed twice with special fertilizers for bulbous plants, diluted according to the instructions.

How to preserve tulips after forcing until flowering

There are two ways to preserve the decorative appearance of tulips when it is no longer possible to grow them so that they do not bloom, and you still need to continue flowering for some time: dry method or in water.

The dry method involves wrapping cut flowers in paper in small batches of 10 - 50 pieces. After this, place them in the refrigerator without exposure to light at a temperature of 2 ° C; in this state they can be stored for up to two weeks.

In order for the flowers to come to their senses after such a procedure, you need to refresh the tulip sections and place them in water, leaving them in paper. Within half an hour, the turgor will return to the stems, and the paper can be removed.

When storing cut flowers in water, you need to place them in cold water, the temperature of which is not higher than 8°C; storage efficiency will be greater if calcium nitrate is added to the water.

From all of the above, we can conclude that forcing tulips by March 8 at home is a labor-intensive, responsible, but very interesting process. What can please you better than grown spring flowers on the windowsill against the backdrop of lying snow outside the window. They are like the first smile of spring, so you need to try, and everything will definitely work out.

When and how to cut buds

The best timing is selected taking into account the length of time the flowers are stored:

• for the holiday (store for three to four days). The buds must have a specific varietal color without a green tint;
• for sale (storage for one to two weeks). Tulips are cut when the buds begin to show the color characteristic of this variety, and the top is still light green.

Cut flowers are wrapped in paper or newspaper and taken to a cellar or basement: storage is carried out only at low temperatures.

It is useful to give flowers water before and after cutting for sale or making a bouquet for a gift. First, cut the bottom of the stem, then place the specimens in a container with cold water and move them to a cool veranda or other cool area for 24 hours.