Planting tulips at home for March 8th

Getting tulips to bloom at an unusual time requires a lot of effort and labor. When and how should you begin preparing tulip bulbs for planting indoors? How do you calculate the right time to plant them?

And how can you speed up plant growth so that buds appear on time?

What varieties of tulips are best to plant for the holiday?

Not all tulip varieties are suitable for early planting. When choosing flowers for quality and beauty, consider a few characteristics:

• tulip variety;
• ripening and flowering periods;
• plant color;
• height of stems;
• survival at home;
• disease resistance.

Predisposition to disease is a very important factor; illnesses can spoil the product, because gift flowers must look impeccable for Women's Day.

The best variegated varieties are considered to be hybrids: Foster, Greig, and Kaufman. These varieties have beautiful, unusual colors, short but strong stems with large flowers—these varieties are rightfully suitable for creating a festive bouquet.

Suitable for forcing are the Darwin varieties: Forgotten Dream, Maureen, Olympic Flame, as well as the Triumph variety: Parade and Record. From early February, it is recommended to grow the hybrids Oxford, London, Diplomat, Kees Nelis, and Vivex. The buds of the Darwin group barely open, but the color remains rich; they are cut on the third day of flowering.

If you want tall plants, it's best to buy Dutch bulbs. They undergo a special treatment with stimulating substances.

Attention! Before planting, you need to check the bulbs; they should be: healthy, large, dense and round, weighing 30 grams or more, and about 4 cm in volume.

The seed material is collected in July, dried in the open air and stored in a dark place with a temperature not exceeding 18 degrees.

The process of preparing for planting tulips

In autumn, tulip bulbs accumulate nutrients that fuel vigorous growth. Preparing the planting material for forcing is a crucial step in the flower growing process. A specific temperature and light regime can awaken the plants ahead of schedule.

The bulbs are left in a dark place for a month at a temperature no higher than 9 degrees Celsius and 80% humidity. The start of the chilling period is calculated from the tulips' flowering date, subtracting 4-5 weeks for growth and the chilling time itself. This hardening off allows the bulbs to be planted 6 weeks before bud formation.

Planting tulips

The entire growing process, from planting to flowering, takes on average one and a half to two months. Therefore, to get beautiful bouquets by March 8th, plant tulips in January or early February, depending on the variety. Chilling the bulbs should begin in December.

After cooling, the seeds are planted in prepared containers. The room for planting tulips should be warm and bright. The pot or container should be at least 8 cm deep and have drainage holes.

The planting soil is made from garden soil, manure, and regular clean sand (2:1:1). Peat moss (3 cm thick) and a small amount of wood ash are added to the mixture. Nitrogen, magnesium, and calcium are essential for proper plant development. The soil should be moist and loose. A neutral soil medium is best for tulips.

The bulb is planted in the soil after it has cooled, with the flat side facing the side of the pot. The lower leaves will not interfere with neighboring plants. It is pressed deep into the soil so that after watering, the top of the bulb is exposed, just below the top rim of the pot. The tulips are spaced 20 mm apart. The soil is watered. The containers are moved to a cool, dark place. To prevent fungal diseases, the containers are not covered with plastic. The optimal temperature for planting is no more than 10 degrees Celsius.

The first shoots will appear in early February, despite the bulbs being chilled during this time. After a couple of weeks, the young plants will grow to 3-5 cm. At this point, the pots are moved to a bright, warm room.

Tips for successfully forcing tulips for Women's Day:

• To ensure timely flowering by March 8th, containers with bulbs are transferred to a prepared room in early February. The temperature is maintained at 12-14 degrees Celsius for 10 days, then raised to 18 degrees Celsius, with humidity around 70%.
• Before planting the bulb in the ground, carefully remove the outer scales. This prevents the bulb from being pushed out of the soil by its own roots and accelerates growth.
• It is better to grow simple varieties of tulips; it is not easy to get double flowers at home.
• Lighting is provided by daylight and diffused light; in case of insufficient light, fluorescent lamps are used.
• Temperature regulation can speed up or slow down growth. Increasing the temperature promotes vigorous plant growth, and vice versa.
• Water every 3 days, but do not overwater, otherwise the bulbs may rot.
• To prevent flowers from lodging, the planting material is watered with a 0.2% solution of calcium nitrate.
• The room should be ventilated, but without drafts.

Caring for tulips

If the buds appear ahead of schedule and have acquired the desired color, they are cut off, wrapped in paper and placed in the refrigerator for storage until the planned date.

When growing tulips for a holiday, you need to know the rules:

• High temperatures can cause flower deformation.
• If the cooling of the bulbs was short, then the stems of the plants will be small, and long cooling leads to curvature of the stems.
• Direct sunlight stimulates plant growth, but buds do not appear at all.
• Calcium nitrate is applied once at the beginning of planting, and should not be applied again later.
• Timely fertilizing will help grow large, beautiful flowers. Calcium nitrate 1.5% is added during the tulips' growth phase.

If you have a greenhouse, three weeks before the holiday, transfer the seedling boxes to the greenhouse and maintain a temperature of 14 degrees Celsius for three days. Then, raise them to room temperature. Water only with warm, settled water.

If everything is done correctly, the first flowers will appear in late February. Tulips are cut selectively: choose tall, straight stems, large buds with rich color, and a plant without any damage. After cutting, leave at least one leaf; this will help the bulb continue to mature.

Until the holiday, flowers should be stored in a cool, shaded area to prevent the buds from stretching and opening. You can use a refrigerator, but the plants should not be stored near food.

Within a season or two, the bulbs will recover, and several small bulblets will appear, which can be transplanted into other pots, and they will bloom the following year.

By following all the rules for planting and growing tulips, you can achieve excellent results and delight women with the first spring flowers in March. Tulips presented in a beautiful pot will also bring joy.