If you want to grow tulips from seeds, you are facing a gardening challenge with an open ending. It is important to complete a time-consuming process in order to be surprised by the results years later. The following lines explain in practical terms how to sow tulip seeds correctly.
How to grow tulips from tulip seeds?
To sow tulip seeds successfully, you need to follow these steps: harvesting seeds correctly from brown, dried seed capsules, stratification through a cold period (4-6 weeks), sowing on a soil-sand mixture and caring for the seedlings. Use freshly harvested seeds for optimal results.
Harvesting seeds at the right time – this is how it works
You can only grow tulips from seeds if you ignore a central aspect of your care program. In order to harvest the seeds, the withered flowers must not be cut off. Only under this condition will the desired seed capsules develop from pollinated flowers. Tulipas usually take 8 to 10 weeks for this ripening process. How to properly harvest tulip seeds for sowing:
- Seed pods ready for harvest are completely dried and brown in color
- Carefully cut off the seed heads or break them off with two fingers
- Grush the capsules between your hands over a bowl
Use a sieve to separate the seeds from the capsule residue. If necessary, sift the seeds several times.
First stratify - then sow - how to do it right
So that tulip seeds do not germinate prematurely, Mother Nature has equipped them with a germination inhibitor. A cold period of several weeks is required before sowing to encourage the seeds to germinate. You can implement the process known in technical jargon as stratification in this way:
- Sow the fresh seeds in the clay pot (€10.00 on Amazon) on a mix of potting soil and sand and water them
- Sift thinly with sand and cover with a layer of small pebbles or aquarium gravel
- Place in a partially shaded spot in the garden for 4 to 6 weeks
The tulip seeds come to life after 2 months at the latest. As spring progresses, long, green seedlings sprout. During this time, keep the seeds slightly moist. Only when the shoots wilt and fall off will the longed-for tulip bulbs develop at their ends. Get the tiny ones out of the ground to plant them in the pot with lean potting soil.
If the winter is mild, put it in the fridge
If winter comes with consistently mild weather, tulip seeds in the garden do not receive the necessary cold stimulus. Now convert the refrigerator's vegetable drawer into a winter weather simulation room. Place the seeds in a plastic bag with moist sand or sphagnum. Store the seeds tightly closed for 4 to 6 weeks at temperatures between -4 and +4 degrees Celsius. Only then do you sow the stratified seeds in pots with potting soil.
Tip
You will look in vain for tulip seeds in specialist stores. The reason for this is that sowing dried seeds is doomed to failure. You will only grow beautiful tulips from seeds if you use fresh, hand-harvested seeds that you sow promptly.
