Tulips are perennial or annual plants
Sharing with you whether tulips are perennial or annual plants and the detailed content about the blooming period of tulips and related green plants. Next, let's introduce.
Tulips, also known as narcissus, belong to the genus Tulipa in the Liliaceae family and are a type of perennial herbaceous plant. My first encounter with tulips was in my childhood, in a foreign movie "The Black Tulip," where I saw tulips of various colors. Although I knew that tulips are poisonous flowers, their beauty left a deep impression on me.
The next time I saw tulips was after I got married. I remember once when I went on a trip, I saw many tulips of different colors and thought they were very beautiful, so I stayed to admire them for a while. Now that I have my own tulips, I think it must be from a beautiful dream in my childhood.
What are the propagation methods of tulips?
Division propagation
After a year or a few years of growth, the bulbs of tulips will produce many small bulbs. We can use the method of division to propagate tulips after the flowers have wilted and the leaves have dried up.
When dividing tulips, we can dig up the bulbs from the soil, remove the soil, and dry them, then store them in a dry and well-ventilated place at a temperature of 5-10℃.
In September to October, we can plant them again. Before planting, we can soak the bulbs in a carbendazim solution and then plant them.
When planting, we can choose the number of bulbs to plant based on the size of the pot, usually 3-5 in a large pot and 1-3 in a small pot. Use sandy soil that is thick in soil layer, rich in humus, and well-drained.
After covering the bulbs with 5-7 cm of soil, water thoroughly and keep the soil moist. Wait until the following spring for fertilization and watering. Generally, small bulbs can bloom in 2-3 years, and large bulbs can bloom in the same year.
Seed propagation
Seed propagation is generally used to cultivate new varieties and is mostly used by large-scale flower growers or experts. It is rarely used in home gardening. When propagating by seed, the seeds are usually collected after they mature and then stored in sand until October. The seeds are then sown in indoor pots and will germinate the following spring.
When the tulips sprout and grow to 3 cm, we can thin them out. We follow the principle of "removing the small and weak, keeping the large and strong," and when the seedlings grow to 5-8 cm, we can transplant them with soil balls. It takes 3-4 years for tulips propagated by seed to bloom.
Tulips are perennial or annual plants
Propagation of tulips by cutting
Tulips can also be propagated by cuttings. When propagating tulips, we can select vigorous tulip branches and leaves for cutting.
Cut the tulip cuttings into 10-15 cm lengths, then plant them in the soil, water them moderately, but do not let the soil get too moist, otherwise, it may lead to root rot.
Then place them in a shaded place. When the tulip cuttings grow new leaves, the propagation is successful. However, it is not easy to propagate tulips by cutting, so there are relatively few flower friends who use this method, and most will use bulb planting.
Post-care management methods for tulips
Temperature management
Tulips prefer a humid climate in winter that is not too cold or hot, and a cool and dry climate in summer. They are very resistant to cold but cannot tolerate heat.
The suitable temperature for tulip growth season is 8-20℃, with the best temperature being 15-18℃, and the temperature for bud differentiation is 17-23℃. If the temperature exceeds 35℃, bud differentiation will be hindered. Therefore, during the bud differentiation period, we can control the temperature to make the tulip flowers form more and bloom more.
Tulips have strong cold resistance and can withstand low temperatures of -35℃. They can grow smoothly at temperatures above 8℃. If the winter temperature can be controlled between 10-25℃, it can promote the rapid growth of tulips and the blooming period will also be提前.
Light management
Tulips prefer a well-lit environment and can tolerate semi-shady conditions. After planting tulip bulbs, we can place them in a shaded environment for about 15 days, and then move them to a sunny place after they grow new leaves.
When tulips start growing, we can place them in a well-lit area, which is conducive to the later differentiation of tulip flower buds. If the temperature is too high, we can provide some shade to make the tulip flowers more colorful.
Tulips are long-day flowers, so it's best to place them in an outdoor or sunny balcony during the growing season.
Watering management
We can water thoroughly after planting the bulbs to help them bond with the soil, which is beneficial for germination. After the bulbs have germinated, we can reduce watering slightly but should not let the soil dry out, otherwise, the tulips will grow slowly. When tulips are in their vigorous growth stage, we can water them moderately to keep the soil moist. When the tulips are in the flower stalk stage, we can water them more, but avoid waterlogging, as it may cause root rot. In winter, we can water according to the indoor temperature, watering more if the temperature is high and less if it is low.