How to take Care of Tulips

Tulips are elegant, bright colored, cup-shaped flowers with a smooth, green stem. It belongs to the family of liliaceous plants. They are the first flowers that bloom during the spring. Tulips have been cultivated for about 500 years. A number of hybrid varieties of tulips are available today. Tulips are classified into 15 classes on the basis of parentage, season of bloom and various floral characteristics. There is a huge demand for tulips in the flower market throughout the globe.

How to Take Care of Tulips?

If you are thinking about how to take care of tulips, then you should know about its planting and watering. You need to be very careful right from planting stage of tulips.

• Planting the tulips: The tulips should be planted in the sunny location. You should plant the tulips in mid to late October. A well-drained, airy, loamy soil is recommended for cultivation of tulips. Clay or heavy soil needs the addition of sand in order to increase the water drainage, since tulips can’t tolerate standing water. Dig individual holes or trench of 6-8 inches deep and place the tulip bulbs in the ground with pointed side upwards. After planting, water the tulip beds until the soil is completely moist in order to enhance root formation. Cover tulip beds with 1-inch mulch of bean straw, which protects the soil and makes it to hold water.
• Watering: The tulip beds require watering after planting in the fall or during early spring, as well as before blooming and after blooming. Tulips need additional watering in long dry periods during winter. When the tulips bloom, keep the beds watered to prevent the surface soil from cracking.
• Protection of tulips: You need to protect the tulips from little critters. You should spray the tulips with an animal repellent spray in order to protect them from small animals such as squirrels, rabbits or gophers. Otherwise, you can build some kind of barrier around the tulip garden. Voles or squirrels can damage the tulip plants by digging and eating the tulip bulbs. You can sprinkle a blood meal on the top of the soil around the tulip bulbs. Or, you can install a chicken wire over the top of the garden in order to protect the small shoots of tulips. Don’t allow the fallen petals stay in the tulip bed. Keep the garden clean in order to prevent blight.

Care of Potted Tulips

The potted tulips can be kept in living room or bedroom, which offer a very fascinating look and refreshing touch. Indoor tulips should be planted during September and October. A pot should have a drainage hole and a saucer to collect the excess water. You should keep the potted tulips in bright, indirect light. Keep it away from any kind of heat sources such as stereos, heating vents, etc. Never place the potted tulips on the top of a television. Keep the pot moist but not excess wet. Alternate watering is recommended for potted tulips. You can place the pot in a cool room in order to slow down the flowering period.

Care of Cut Tulips

You can place the cut tulips in your drawing hall or bedroom, which creates a magnificent look and refreshing environment. However, you need to take great care of the cut tulips to prevent them from drying. Remove any foliage, leaves from part of the stem that would be under water in the pot. Cut off the white portion of the stem, this helps for better water intake. You need to change the water frequently as clean and fresh water is essential for a long lasting cut tulip. Re-cut the stems every 4-5 days, which would promote the intake of water. You should keep the cut tulips in a cool place so that the blooms last longer.