Planting tulips and daffodils in autumn

In anticipation of autumn, it’s time to think about planting bulbous flowers, primarily for daffodils and tulips. It is these spring flowers that are the first to open their buds, covering the flower beds with a colorful blanket of inflorescences for a couple of weeks. Both tulips and daffodils are quite unpretentious, it’s easy to grow them, you don’t need to take care of such flowers, the gardener will only have to dig up the bulbs immediately after flowering and plant them again with the beginning of autumn. Although these flowers have much in common, tulips and daffodils also have characteristic differences.

About when to plant tulips and daffodils in the fall, how to do it right so that their flowering is plentiful and bright, you can learn from this article.

Rules for planting tulips

Tulips came to the world from Persia, and this probably explains the great love of these flowers for the sun. Today, many types and varieties of garden tulips have been bred, among them there are dwarf varieties, and almost meter flowers for bouquets, plain and variegated, glossy and double buds.

Tulips are very resistant and viable plants. These flowers can grow on almost any soil, their roots sprout even through stony soil, and can develop in sand. Tulips also tolerate frost well, bulbs of perennial varieties can winter in unprotected soil, divide and replant without losing their qualities.

The development cycle of tulips consists of two phases: in autumn, the bulbs planted in the ground take root, after which their development stops, and with the onset of spring heat, green stems grow and buds appear. Fading, tulips “fall asleep” again, their bulbs need to be dug up during this period in order to plant again in the fall.

Where and when to plant tulips

Planting tulips, like other flowers, should begin with choosing a suitable growing site.

Although tulips can grow in almost any environment, they are suitable for all climates, These colors have their own preferences:

1. The site for the autumn planting of bulbs should be in the sun. Tulips love sunlight like no other flower. In the shade, their stems are too long, become thin and brittle, and the inflorescences themselves turn pale and smaller. If tall deciduous trees grow in the garden, you can plant bulbs between them, the foliage will still appear after flowering.
2. The terrain is preferably flat so that water does not stagnate on the site. Excessive humidity is detrimental to the bulbs, in order to save them from melt water, it is necessary to choose a place higher.
3. They do not like tulips and drafts, a strong wind can break fragile stems. A site protected from the winds is preferred. This may be a flower bed near the fence, a place near the wall of the house or outbuildings, or a flower garden protected by shrubs and tall perennials.

With regard to soil, tulips also have their own preferences:

• these flowers do not like acidic soils, because there they have a reduced number of buds;
• the soil in the area for tulips should be neutral or slightly alkaline;
• tulips do not need manured land either, because the bulbs are afraid of rot and fungal infections, which are often carried along with fresh organic fertilizers;
• the earth is preferably loamy, not very loose, capable of retaining moisture. Tulips do not grow well in sandy soil, as sand does not hold water. In very loose soils, bulbs sink to a great depth, which slows down the development of tulips, and they bloom much later.

If you plant tulips too early, the bulbs will begin to rot in damp soil, be damaged by wireworms and other insects, and become infected with various fungi. In addition, the bulbs begin to germinate in the heat, and when frost sets in, these sprouts will inevitably suffer, which will lead to the death of the entire plant. Late plantings lead to the freezing of tulips, because the bulbs do not have time to take root well and prepare for winter.

Experienced gardeners say that it is quite possible to plant tulips until January, but at the same time, holes with bulbs should be covered or planted directly in the snow.

How to prepare the soil before planting tulips in the fall

Tulips are planted in nutrient soil, only in this way the inflorescences will be large, and the plants themselves will be healthy. Therefore, scarce soils must be fertilized before planting the bulbs.

As a fertilizer, mineral and organic top dressings are suitable in such quantities:

• well-rotted cow dung at the rate of two buckets per square meter of land;
• instead of manure, you can use leaf humus or compost in the same amount;
• flowers and wood ash are well perceived – about 200 grams per meter;
• dolomite flour or chalk is necessary in case of acidification of the soil, take 0,5 kg per square;
• flowers need superphosphate for abundant flowering – you need about 50 gm²;
• potassium sulfate or potassium nitrate will help restore the balance of potassium in the soil – about 30 grams;
• on the day of planting, ammonium nitrate can be added to the ground – no more than 25 grams;
• complex mineral compositions are also well perceived by tulips (for example, before planting the bulbs, you can add nitrophoska – 100 grams).

Proper planting of tulips in autumn

So, autumn warm days are chosen for planting bulbs. Preparation begins in advance by fertilizing and digging up the ground on the site. The landing itself is carried out in accordance with the scheme:

1. The depth of the holes depends on the size of the bulbs. The rule for planting tulips says: “You need to deepen the seeds to a distance equal to three diameters of the bulb.” If the winters in the region are not very cold, you can reduce this depth by twenty percent so that the tulips bloom earlier. The approximate depth of the holes is 10-15 cm.
2. The distance between the bulbs also depends on their diameter. As a rule, it is customary to plant large tulips every 8-10 cm, in a row.
3. Usually 20-25 cm are left between the rows, then the flower garden will be well filled with flowers. But here, too, much depends on the variety of flowers, their height, and the size of the inflorescences.

In principle, each gardener determines the scheme for planting tulips on his own, taking into account his own wishes and the individual sizes of the bulbs. In Holland, for example, it is customary to plant 100 bulbs per square meter of land, and the flowers are staggered. So, the flower garden will be lush and very elegant, but you will need a decent amount of expensive planting material.

Before the autumn planting, the bulbs are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, copper sulphate, or phytoncide of the Maxima type is used. These antiseptics will help prevent rotting of tulips and their fungus.

It is recommended to pour a handful of wet sand into each hole before planting. The bulbs are inserted carefully, they are not pressed to the ground, so as not to damage the bottom. From above, the hole is covered with loose soil or peat.

Planting daffodils in autumn

Growing tulips and daffodils is practically no different. The only thing that the gardener must take into account is that daffodils without transplantation, grow in one place for about four years. That is, the bulbs of these flowers do not have to be dug up annually, it is enough to do this once every 3-4 years.

Where to plant daffodils

Daffodils are also undemanding to the environment and soil composition, like the tulips discussed above. The bulbs of these flowers must be planted in the fall so that they take root and get stronger before the onset of frost. At the same time, buds are laid in them, from which the flower itself should grow in spring.

In autumn – in September or in early October – they choose a place for planting daffodils:

1. A sunny or semi-shady spot in the garden is perfect for daffodils. If you plant the bulbs in deep shade, the flowers will become smaller, and the flowering time will noticeably shift. It is noticed that in the bright sun, daffodils bloom with larger flowers, their flowering time stretches for 2-3 weeks.
2. There should be no drafts in the area – daffodils do not like this.
3. The soil needs light, well-drained soil so that moisture does not linger in it too much. Like all bulbous flowers, daffodils are afraid of high humidity, their bulbs rot from this.
4. Plant daffodils in loamy soil rich in trace elements and moisture. These flowers need more water than other bulbous varieties, and they also like fertilizer.

How to plant daffodils

Autumn planting of daffodils is carried out when the ground at a depth of 10 cm cools down to +10 degrees. The rooting time of daffodils is about 25-30 days, during this period there should not be severe frosts, but sudden warming is also detrimental to bulbous flowers.

Planting daffodils is performed as follows:

• it is necessary to deepen the bulbs of daffodils, depending on their size and soil composition. Large daffodils are planted deeper (up to 25 cm), smaller bulbs are not deepened much (about 10 cm). Daffodils do not dig deep into hard and dense soils, but in light sandy soils, on the contrary, daffodils can be planted even deeper – their stems will easily break through loose soil.
• Closer than 10 cm from each other, daffodils are not planted – they will not be able to develop normally. It is recommended to plant daffodils with an interval of 12-15 cm.
• Before planting, holes are prepared, a handful of dry sand is poured into each.
• Planted daffodils are watered and covered with loose soil or peat on top.

Results

Properly planted flowers will certainly please the owner in the spring: daffodils and tulips are the first large flowers to bloom after winter. A very important step is to determine the time of planting the bulbs, in order to choose the right date, you need to monitor the weather in the region.

The gardener must also take into account that in frosty and snowless winters, bulbous plants often freeze out, therefore planting daffodils and tulips is recommended to be mulched with a thick layer of peat, leaves, sawdust, and with the onset of heat, remove this shelter. Then all the bulbs planted in the fall will sprout, and the flower beds will look neat, without “bald spots”.