Planting Tulips in the Fall: Lunar Planting Dates for 2020 and Growing Guidelines

Tulips

Tulips are beautiful flowers that truly adorn a spring garden. They are easy to care for and don't require any special growing conditions or skills. To grow a beautiful plant, it's important to follow favorable planting times and certain rules for planting and caring for the bulbs.

The influence of the moon on flowers

Experiments revealed that the phase of the moon influences plant growth. The same plants planted on favorable days according to the lunar calendar grew better than those planted during unfavorable periods. The moon's influence on plants is as follows:

During the waxing moon, it is recommended to plant flower seeds, this is due to the fact that they will gain good green mass;
it is permissible to cultivate the soil and feed it with mineral fertilizers;
During the Full Moon, you can only treat the plant against pests.

The most unfavorable period for working with flowers is the New Moon. Only light watering is permitted. Any soil manipulation is unacceptable, as it can damage the seedlings.

When to plant

There are several reasons why you should plant tulips in autumn Into open ground in 2020. This is primarily due to the fact that this is the period when the groundwork for subsequent flowering begins. However, to initiate this process, it's important to plant the bulbs in soil that is at least 8-10 degrees Celsius. This can be checked with a special thermometer. The exact planting period can be determined based on the region and favorable days, based on the lunar phase.

By region

It's important to consider the lunar calendar when planting tulips. It's equally important to plant according to the local climate. The timing for planting tulips outdoors varies by region.

Region	Planting time
Central Russia	The period from the end of August to the end of October
Moscow region	Early autumn – from early September to late September
Siberia	Mid-August – late September
Ural	Mid-August – late September

It's important to consider not only the climate but also the weather conditions in the region. If the autumn is warm and frosts are not expected, you can sow seeds or bulbs 2-3 weeks later. It's important that the soil temperature does not drop below 8 degrees Celsius.

Attention!

Tulips will only germinate if the seeds have already taken root by the time they're planted. Otherwise, the bulbs will freeze over the winter.

By the Moon

The following are favorable days for planting tulips:

Month	Number
September	2, 3, 7, 8 11, 12 18-21 29, 30
October	4, 10, 14 17, 18, 21-23 26, 27, 31
November	2, 6, 7 12, 22, 24, 28, 29

There are also unfavorable days when it is not recommended to plant flowers or perform any soil cultivation. Watering is an exception. These days include September 1, 4, 5, 14, 15, 26, and 27; October 1-3, 16, 24, 25, 28-30; and November 7-9, 14, 15, 25, and 26.

How to plant

After flowering tulips Dig up the bulbs and clean them of soil. Store them whole and pest-free in a cool, dark place for planting. It's recommended to disinfect them first by soaking them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 5 minutes, then drying them with a paper towel.

Choosing a location

Tulips, like other flowers, should be planted not in locations where they will be pleasing to the eye, but where favorable conditions for their growth are met. A sunny spot, where snow is expected to melt first, is ideal. Avoid nearby meltwater, as flooding will cause the bulbs to rot and die.

Soil preparation

Prepare the soil within the recommended timeframe for planting tulips. The planting material will germinate well only in light, permeable soil. Before planting, add coarse sand or neutral peat moss and a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Alternatively, you can use ready-made mineral fertilizers for bulbous plants. The nutrients will be absorbed by the bulbs, causing them to germinate faster and produce large, beautiful buds.

Preparing the bulbs

When planting tulips in the fall, check the bulbs again for signs of disease or pest damage. Any defective planting material should be discarded. No other preparation is required before planting.

Attention!

Rodents love to eat tulip bulbs. To prevent this, place mousetraps near your tulips when storing them indoors.

Landing

The key to beautiful, vibrant tulips is proper planting. To ensure beautiful flowers, they should be planted correctly—at a distance of 1-2 bulb diameters apart, based on the bulb's size. Another important factor is planting depth: the deeper it is, the longer the plant will take to germinate. It's best to plant the tulips at a depth of 1-1.5 times their height.

Care

Even if you plant tulips according to the favorable days chart, they may still fail to germinate or produce scanty, small buds if they weren't properly cared for during cultivation. This boils down to the following:

Avoid excess liquid and protect the soil from being wetted by meltwater, otherwise the bulbs will easily become infected with fungal diseases.
During winter, mice are starved of food, so they can attack flower bulbs. To prevent attacks, cover the flowerbed with 15-20 cm of spruce or pine branches. The thorny branches will prevent rodents from penetrating the soil.

In central Russia, established tulips tolerate frost well. In regions with harsh and long winters, such as Siberia or the Urals, it is recommended to further insulate the soil by covering it or the spruce branches with hay. Snow should also be regularly piled onto the flowerbed, ensuring that no bare soil is visible.

Helpful tips

Experienced gardeners highlight several important tips to follow when growing tulips.

every year they need to be dug up and then planted in a new place, in a prepared flower bed; they can be planted in their original place no sooner than after 4-5 years;
Bad predecessors for planting tulips are garlic, onions and gladioli, as they share common pests and microbes that cause diseases;
If white stripes appear on the leaves, the flower is infected with the variegation virus. The disease is incurable, the flower should be dug up and burned, and the soil disinfected.

Florists recommend planting tulips not just in the ground, but in special boxes or containers with drainage holes, burying them to the desired depth. Following this little trick will make it easier to find the often-lost baby plants when digging, eliminating the need to sift through all the soil.

Tulips are beautiful and vibrant flowers that always delight the eye. The first rule in growing this plant is proper planting. It's best to plant in the fall so the bulbs can begin to sprout in the spring, after the snow has melted. Be sure to follow the favorable timing, planting guidelines, and subsequent care.