How to grow tulips by March 8

Tulips are considered a symbol of femininity and remind us of the arrival of spring. They abound on store shelves on March 8th. Traditionally, these are the flowers that men give to the fair sex on International Women’s Day.

In most of our country, at the beginning of spring it is too cold outside to grow everyone's favorite flowers. For the holidays, they are bred in greenhouse conditions. This is a profitable seasonal business - all grown plants are sold out in just 1-2 days. Growing flowers for sale requires knowledge of the technology of forcing tulips by March 8 in a greenhouse. Without this, it will not be possible to obtain formed buds on the desired day.

Suitable varieties of tulips for growing in a greenhouse

Before you start growing tulips in a greenhouse, you should choose the varieties that are best suited for this purpose:

1. Maureen. It has buds of a classic shape with a height of 8-10 cm and a diameter of 10-12 cm. Their main color is white and only at the base it turns into cream. The stems are straight and thick, reaching 50 cm.
2. Kis Nelis. It has large buds of a classic shape. Their height varies between 10-12 cm and diameter 11-14 cm. The buds do not open completely during flowering. The bottom part is painted bright pink, and the edges have a rich yellow tint. The stems are thick, straight, reaching 60 cm. The foliage has a reddish tint.
3. Oxford. The goblet-shaped buds have a diameter of 8-10 cm. The petals are bright red. The inside of the base has a yellow-green tint. The variety is immune to viral diseases.
4. Vivex. The bud has an elongated goblet shape. Does not open up in the sun, remaining graceful until it fades. Each petal features a combination of rich coral, pale red-orange and pink stripes. The base of the flower is yellow.
5. Eric Hofsue. Large, heavy buds are goblet-shaped. Flowers do not open when exposed to the sun. Petals are crimson with cream edges. Sturdy stems reach a height of 75 cm.
6. Parade record. Large goblet-shaped petals are bright red. The base of the buds is yellow with black spots. The stem is strong and tall.
7. Aristocrat. Large buds are goblet-shaped. The flowers are light blue, gradually turning white.

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%.

Planting tulips by March 8

Planting tulips is the most important stage of growing flowers by March 8th. Whether the plants will produce buds by the right time depends on how correctly the bulbs are planted.

Calculation of planting dates

When determining planting dates, the following factors are taken into account:

1. Room temperature. To quickly grow tulips and make them bloom by March 8, it is important to create the necessary temperature indicators at certain periods of time.
2. Bulb rooting time. This period takes from 4 to 8 weeks.
3. Time from planting to flowering. Vary between 16-20 weeks.
4. Tulip variety. Depending on the variety, the duration of cultivation varies.

To simplify the calculations, use the following formula: from March 7 (the time of picking flowers), subtract 3-4 weeks (the period of germination of the bulbs) and 16-18 weeks (the period from germination to flowering). To get flowers by March 8, they are planted from December 26 to November 7.

Preparing the greenhouse and soil for forcing tulips

Before planting tulips, you need to prepare the soil. Otherwise, the plants will get sick.

The soil should be light and well permeable to water. To make it, sand and sawdust are mixed in equal proportions. Be sure to use drainage: crushed brick, expanded clay, small crushed stone, shell rock.

To disinfect the soil, it is calcined in the oven at maximum temperature for ¼ hour. When the soil has cooled, it is watered with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or “Fitosporin”. Drainage is treated in the same way.

The bulbs are planted in wide boxes 15 cm deep. They are disinfected by soaking in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or pouring boiling water over them.

The greenhouse is fumigated with sulfur, and the walls are wiped with a solution of copper sulfate - 1 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water.

To force tulips you will need special equipment. It is necessary to use phytolamps and heating devices - without them it will not be possible to create the necessary conditions.

Preparation of planting material

It is important to prepare planting material before planting:

1. Calibration Before planting, the bulbs are sorted and checked for stains and damage. Smaller specimens germinate later, so they are planted several days later than larger ones.
2. Cooling. In order for the bulbs to germinate faster, they are placed for 2 weeks in a room with a temperature of +9°C.
3. Cleaning. The bulbs are cleaned of brown husks. To ensure the quality of the planting material and speed up its germination, the bulbs are checked for damage, mold and stains.
4. Disinfection. Planting material is soaked for 40 minutes. in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or a decoction of celandine.

Step-by-step planting instructions for beginners

Tulips tolerate dense planting well. The bulbs are placed close to each other. Per 1 m² – up to 300 plants.

The bulbs are planted in the ground with the bottom down. They are buried 3-4 cm and covered with sand. Then they are watered generously with water at room temperature. If the bulbs become bare, they are covered with soil again.

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.

Useful tips and possible difficulties

When growing tulips, problems may arise:

1. The buds are dry, feel like paper, or the petals are too thin. The reason is poor air exchange or too high a temperature. To correct the situation, ventilate the greenhouse and reduce the temperature in it.
2. Drooping buds. This is a sign of high temperature in the greenhouse. Cooling the room will help save the plant.
3. Peduncles are weak. This happens if tulips do not have enough calcium or the night temperature is higher than the day temperature. In case of a similar problem, plants are fed with 0.2% calcium sulfate and the temperature is normalized.
4. The bulbs do not take root. This occurs when indoor humidity is low. If the problem remains relevant when the walls of greenhouses are sprayed daily, then an air humidifier will have to be installed in the room.
5. Bulb rotting. The problem lies in elevated soil temperatures. This happens if the tulips are watered with insufficiently cold water.
6. The greenery grows, but flower stalks do not appear. This happens if the planting material was too small.

The flowering of tulips will be accelerated by watering with water at room temperature (+20°C). This is done 3 days before the buds appear.

It is important that water does not get on the leaves of tulips and buds. They are watered at the root. Moisture on greenery will cause plant disease.

Note! Most growing problems arise when the temperature regime is not maintained. It is very important that the temperature indicators of the room and water correspond to the norm.

Proper harvesting

How long the buds will last fresh and whether the bulbs will be suitable for planting next year depends on how correctly the buds are cut.

There are three harvest options:

1. Cut tulips as low as possible along with the leavesAnd. This is done if you do not plan to use the bulbs for planting next season. Since in this case, the planting material will not receive a sufficient amount of microelements and the chances that it will germinate are reduced.
2. Cut the tulips so that the ground part remains in the ground at least 7-10 cm high. In this case, the flower will have a shorter stem, but there will be enough greenery left so that the bulbs are saturated with useful substances. This will make them suitable for planting next year.
3. Dig up along with the bulbs. Then the tulip bulbs are washed clean from the soil and sold in this form. Such flowers will remain fresh much longer.

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Conclusion

Growing tulips in a greenhouse requires special equipment and constant attention from the plant owner. If the temperature regime is violated, there is insufficient humidity or improper watering, the plants will get sick and will not bloom.

Despite all the difficulties, even a novice gardener can cope with growing tulips by March 8th. The main thing is to follow the instructions for planting and care.