With skillful planting in autumn, you are well on the way to the longed-for tulip blossom in spring. Now it's important to have a balanced care program that sets the course for the following season before, during and after flowering. All important questions about perfect tulip care are discussed here.
How can you optimally care for tulips?
To properly care for tulips, water them only when the soil is dry, fertilize them regularly with compost, cut flowers and leaves in two stages and protect against pests and diseases. Potted tulips require frost-free overwintering.
How and when to water tulips?
Tulips grow and bloom at a time of year that generally has sufficient natural rainfall. Only water your spring flowers when the soil is noticeably dry. This can be the case more often in pots and balcony boxes than in flower beds. Please let the water slowly run onto the root disc until no more moisture is absorbed. Since any waterlogging causes the flower bulbs to rot, if in doubt, water later rather than early.
Do tulips need to be fertilized?
There is a persistent rumor among amateur gardeners that tulips can survive without fertilizer. In fact, giving a concentrated load of complete fertilizer should be frowned upon. So that the bulbs have enough energy for flowering, nutrients should not be skimpy. How to do it right:
- Mulch generously with compost in autumn
- From the end of February/beginning of March, lightly rake in ripe compost and water it every 14 days
- 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 fertilizing at a normal rate until the fallen leaves are cut off.
When should pruning be done?
Please cut your tulips in 2 stages. The withered flower cups are cut off promptly to stop the energy-sapping 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. However, if your garden is in a region with deep ground frost, we recommend a layer of compost or leaf mold as winter protection. When grown in pots, tulip bulbs are always at risk in winter, so staying in a frost-free room makes sense.
What diseases can be expected?
Various species of fungi 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. The disease known as tulip fire results in stunted flowers, leaves and rotting bulbs. Effective control agents are not yet available for home gardens.
What pests can attack tulips?
Enemy number 1 for tulips is the voracious vole. So that the bulbs don't end up in the stomach of the furry insatiable person, we recommend planting them in the vole basket. Furthermore, in spring, armies of slugs arrive to feast on the flowers and leaves. You can keep the brood at a distance with snail collars, traveling barriers (€10.00 on Amazon) and, if necessary, snail pellets.
Tip
A two-hour bath in 45-degree water reliably kills pests hidden in tulip bulbs, such as the tulip bulb louse.
