Their toxic content in no way protects tulips from infections. Some pathogens do not shy away from harassing your lovingly cared for signs of spring. The following lines explain what these are and how they can be combated and prevented.
What diseases can affect tulips and how to protect them?
Tulips can be affected by tulip blight (Botrytis tulipae) and Fusarium bulb rot. To protect them, you should water moderately, maintain a large planting distance, fertilize organically, take breaks from cultivation and pay attention to dryness and air circulation when storing the bulbs.
Tulip fire causes the flowers to rot
Within the worldwide gray mold genus, the pathogen Botrytis tulipae has specialized in infecting tulips. The effects are correspondingly fatal. The leaves appear stunted as soon as they emerge and are covered with grey-brown, rotten spots. Infected specimens are hopelessly lost and should be disposed of to prevent further spread. How to effectively prevent cunning fungal spores:
- Water tulips moderately, only when the soil is completely dry
- Place in the ground at an airy planting distance
- Fertilize preferably organically and do not use nitrogen-based complete fertilizers
The name tulip fire is due to the fact that the disease spreads rapidly in wet weather, with the flowers appearing as if they had been burned by fire.
Fusarium bulb rot kills tulips prematurely
If brown, sharply defined spots appear on tulip bulbs, this symptom puts us on high alert. Now it doesn't take long until the entire flower bulb is covered with a white-pink fungal coating. The infected flower becomes sick, the leaves turn yellow and the blossom withers. Unfortunately, the disease strikes in the camp, leaving behind black, shriveled mummies. How to prevent the dilemma:
- Check stored tulip bulbs regularly to destroy diseased specimens
- Observe a four to five year break in cultivation in the bed
- Fertilize with low nitrogen or use special preparations for flower bulbs
Avoid any injury to tulip bulbs as pathogens are waiting for such an opportunity. Please always store the tubers in an airy, dry and cool place.
Tip
If tulips thrive as part of a flower meadow, please wait until the leaves turn brown before mowing. Until then, the onion extracts the nutrients from the leaves in order to create an energy depot for the next flowering period.