We owe some of the most magnificent tulip varieties to chance developments in the course of private breeding. As a hobby gardener, are you toying with creating your own individual variety? With a little luck and these instructions, the plan can succeed. This is how tulip seeds are transformed into promising flower bulbs.
How to grow tulips from seeds?
To grow tulips from seeds, harvest ripe seed crops in the summer, stratify the seeds in the fall, germinate them, and grow young bulbs in the spring. The first flowers appear after about 5 years.
Harvest ripe seeds in summer
With their colorful flower cups, tulips attract bees and bumblebees. These carry valuable pollen with them, which helps pollinate the flowers. At the end of the flowering period, the flowers invest all their energy so that up to 300 seeds ripen in the ovary. Therefore, do not cut off the withered tulip flowers, but continue the care program undiminished. The dry, brown seed heads are harvested just before they start to tear sideways.
How to get tulip seeds in the mood to germinate
Stratification is one of the fundamental prerequisites for successful tulip breeding. The seeds will only be motivated to germinate when a cold stimulus signals that winter will soon be over. This can be done very easily in the garden, where the seeds are exposed to the effects of the weather from mid-October. How to do it right:
- Fill clay pots with a mix of sand and potting or garden soil
- Sow the seeds on top, sieve thinly with substrate, water and cover with a layer of chippings or gravel
- Set up in a partially shaded location on the balcony or in the garden
If the seed containers get covered in snow, this is particularly advantageous for overcoming germination inhibition. If there is no snow or rain, please water regularly, as the seeds die in dry conditions.
Spring brings us little tulip bulbs
If the seeds have convinced themselves over the course of 2 months that the winter has been overcome through exposure to cold, the green, long shoots will sprout. Until the end of spring, there are small tulip bulbs in the substrate at the ends. Please wait until the shoots wilt and fall off. Then dig up the flower bulbs and place them in small pots with potting soil (€6.00 on Amazon).
It will take another 5 years until your pupils bloom for the first time and the results of your breeding become apparent.
Tip
Hard-working tulip growers are often plagued by skin irritations. The toxins contained in the plant sap cause tulip dermatitis when they come into contact with the skin. Therefore, please carry out all work relating to the cultivation of tulipas with gloves.
