Flower bulbs are on sale in abundance. But this way of propagating them in the garden costs money. This can be avoided. Because if a few bulbs have already been planted, free propagation is possible at any time.
How can flower bulbs be propagated?
Flower bulbs can be propagated in various ways: by breeding bulbs, dividing the bulb or seed propagation. Brood onions emerge from the mother bulb and can be carefully separated and planted. Division requires precise pruning and fungicide treatment, while seed propagation takes longer for plants to flower.
Methods of propagation
It may surprise you, but most flower bulbs can grow new growth in several ways. Some ways are labor intensive, require skill or require a long wait for flowering. Luckily you have a free choice between:
- Propagation by breeding onions
- Division of the flower bulb
- Seed propagation
Propagation by breeding onions
This method is most commonly practiced in private gardens. Because almost every flower bulb forms small breeding bulbs sooner or later. Although they are attached to the mother bulb, they can be easily separated from it. You can promote bulb formation with a few measures. This is how this propagation method works ideally:
- Cut off the open flower head as quickly as possible in the second year of flowering at the latest. However, leave the flower stem and leaves on until they wilt on their own.
- Repeat this procedure the following year.
- Dig the bulbs after flowering
off, the leaves should already be withered. There should now be small breeding bulbs on the large flower bulbs.
- Carefully break off the sprouting bulbs from the mother bulb or cut them with a clean and sharp knife. The roots must remain intact.
- Put the small onions into the ground. Pay attention to optimal planting depth and planting distance.
- Water the onions well.
- If the young flower bulbs want to bloom in the following growing season, remove the buds early. The energy should instead be used for onion growth.
Tip
Interfaces or breakages after the bulbs have been separated should be treated with a fungicide to prevent fungal diseases.
Division of the flower bulb
This method is only mentioned here with a few bullet points, because it is quite demanding and not the first choice in hobby gardening:
- first dig up large bulbs and clean them
- Scale bulbs are divided into individual scales
- each scale is treated preventively with fungicide
- then they are planted upright and covered with some soil
- Shelled onions are cut lengthways
- the round placenta at the end of the onion is halved
- After fungicide treatment, both halves are planted
Seed propagation
Seeds are easy to obtain from some flower bulb varieties. They must be stored in a cool, dry place until they are sown in spring. They are sown directly into the bed and kept moist. However, this method has a significant disadvantage: the plants obtained in this way often make us wait years for their flowers.
