The long-awaited tulips wither far too quickly. A single flower lasts an average of 14 days before the colorful petals end their life. If the harbinger of spring receives the right care after flowering, next year's floral performance is ensured. Find out all the information about the professional treatment of wilted tulips here.
How do you properly care for wilted tulips?
Withered tulips should be cut off in two stages: First, remove the flower cup immediately after it has faded and then leave the remaining foliage until it has completely yellowed. Continue to fertilize, water and, if necessary, summer the onions in the cellar.
Cut off wilted tulips in 2 stages – this is how it works
Despite the miserable appearance, not all life has left your tulips after they bloom. In fact, activities towards survival are now in full swing. The ovary of a pollinated flower increases in volume to produce the seeds. Since this process is extremely strenuous, it should be stopped. The foliage initially still has an important function, so professional care requires pruning in stages. This is how it works:
- Immediately after flowering, cut off the flower cups
- Leave the rest of the plant standing
- Only cut off the leaves close to the ground when they have completely yellowed and dried out
The tulip invests all its energy in growing bulbs and not in seed heads. This is entirely in our spirit, as propagation with daughter bulbs is much more straightforward than the time-consuming and lengthy process of sowing. The leaves make an important contribution to this. These are full of nutrients that are no longer needed for seed growth. The rich plant sap is instead diverted into the bulb to form a deposit there for the next flowering period.
Do not stop care immediately after flowering
Don't abandon your tulips after they've bloomed while they're eager to provide you with numerous daughter bulbs for breeding. With the right care, you can already set the course for the blossom festival next spring. The gradual pruning is only a partial aspect of the program. We have summarized what else is important for you here:
- Fertilize tulips after flowering with compost (€12.00 on Amazon) and horn shavings
- Add some liquid fertilizer to the water in the pot and balcony box
- Continue watering in dry conditions until you can cut off the leaves
You can either leave the tulip bulbs in the ground or take them out of the ground to oversummer them. Wrapped in newspaper, in a box with peat, sawdust or sand, the flower bulbs stay in the dark, cool cellar. This makes particular sense if you are planning to change location due to soil fatigue. To ensure that tulips maintain their vitality, they should be transplanted every 3 to 4 years.
Tip
Wondering how gardeners get their tulips to bloom at Christmas time? This is easily achieved by exposing suitable flower bulbs to cool temperatures between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius for 12 to 16 weeks. Then place the tulip bulbs in special vases in which only the roots are in the water. After another 4 weeks at 15 degrees Celsius in a bright location, place the tulips on the warm windowsill to enjoy the flowers.