Storing Tulip Bulbs in Winter: How and Where to Store Them

In spring, vibrant tulips delight the eye with their luxurious blooms. But to ensure they bloom in flowerbeds every year, proper care of these bulbous plants is essential.

An important agricultural technique is digging up bulbs after flowering is completeExperienced gardeners prepare containers and storage areas for planting material in advance. Where and how best to store tulip bulbs, whether during winter or until fall, is a personal decision. It's worth listening to expert advice on digging times, storage locations, and microclimate.

Why are tulip bulbs dug up?

The issue of digging up bulbous plants is controversial, but most gardeners (including professionals) still perform this procedure. Why dig up tulips:

1. Healthy planting material is selected, and diseased and weakened bulbs are discarded.
2. Each year, the dying bulb leaves behind a legacy—a replacement bulb and offspring. The nest grows, and without digging, the tulips sink deeper, shrink, and degenerate.
3. Heat-loving plants may not have enough warmth in the soil. "Overseas" hybrids and varieties not adapted to the Russian climate are particularly vulnerable. As a result, varietal characteristics are lost, and some beautiful parrot or fringed tulips produce buds that don't match their original characteristics.
4. During rainy and cool summer months, there's a high risk of bulbs rotting in the soil. It's easier to create the right conditions and monitor the condition of the planting material during storage.
5. Without digging, plants are often attacked by pests and infections. Diseased tulips will no longer delight you with their spring blooms.
6. Annual digging is an excellent opportunity to quickly propagate your favorite crop variety.

Often in the spring such tulips produce flowers of a completely different color and shape.

Flowers often grow mixed together in flowerbeds. Summer plants require fertilizer and watering, while faded tulips are busy growing their bulbs. Excessive moisture will cause the bulbs to rot. Therefore, it's best to remove the plants and provide them with optimal storage conditions.

Another argument in favor of digging is the ability to thoroughly prepare the flowerbed soil for new plantings. Dig, fertilize, let the soil rest, and then plant the bulbs in the prepared beds in the fall.

When and how to dig up tulip bulbs

No one can predict the exact date for digging, as the timing depends on the climate and the condition of the plants. Early-blooming varieties wilt first, followed by mid- and late-blooming tulips, which fade approximately 2-3 weeks later.

A clear sign is the wilting and yellowing of plant leaves after flowering. A change from green to yellow and brown indicates that bulbs are forming in the soil. It's important to dig up the plants promptly—not too early and not too late. The bulbs need to mature and develop brown covering scales, which protect the bulbs from wilting and drying out. Inferior planting material doesn't store well and won't survive until planting in the fall (let alone overwinter storage).

In the southern regions dig up tulips In June, or early July in the temperate zone. In rainy summers, gardeners shouldn't wait for the leaves to turn completely yellow, otherwise the plants will rot in the soil. The bulbs are removed and then thoroughly dried.

They work according to the tulips' blooming time. Those that have finished blooming in April are dug up earlier, while the bulbs of May flowers are dealt with later. They choose a clear, dry day, carefully removing the tubers from the soil with a pitchfork.

A shovel isn't suitable, as it will produce too many damaged bulbs. Planting material from dry, crumbly soil only requires lightly clearing the soil; if the soil is damp, it will need to be washed. After digging, trim off any remaining stems and leaves, and discard any specimens with signs of damage, defects, or disease. These should not be left behind, as they can quickly spread infections to healthy plants.

Preparing tulips for winter storage

After the bulbs are removed, they are carefully sorted, separating the "adults" from the "babies." They are then placed in boxes to dry for a few days, then inspected again.

The next procedure is disinfecting the planting material. A pink solution of potassium permanganate is most often used, soaking the tulips in it for 30-40 minutes.

After drying, they are sorted by size, variety, and color. If there is a large amount of planting material, they work for several days, never leaving the bulbs unattended.

Storing Tulip Bulbs for Winter: Planning

Experienced gardeners have developed their own plans for storing bulbous plants. First, they determine which bulbs will be planted in the fall and which in the spring. The latter require more careful consideration of the container and storage location, as they will be stored until spring during the long winter.

Baby plants smaller than one centimeter in diameter are removed, as they are likely to dry out during storage. Moreover, they will not bloom for another two years, not sooner. For winter storage, select plants with a diameter over 3-4 cm.

Storage containers

To preserve the planting material, prepare containers:

• baskets;
• wooden boxes;
• fruit boxes;
• fabric bags.

Trellis and cardboard egg crates are good storage options, although some gardeners prefer not to use cardboard. Tulips stored in boxes or crates must have free access to air.

It's best to keep the bulbs from touching, so it's best to layer them with wood shavings, dry sawdust, or newspaper. This will help them preserve better and prevent them from rotting. Arrange them in a single layer. Do not use buckets (iron or plastic), containers, or plastic bags. Glass jars are also unsuitable.

In a city apartment, tulips are well preserved until autumn in old nylon stockings (like onions) or old mesh string bags.

Storage room

To ensure lush spring blooms, proper storage of tulip planting material is essential. The storage location for the bulbs must be chosen with particular care. The room's microclimate, temperature, humidity, and light conditions are all important. Only by following all these requirements will you obtain healthy planting bulbs.

Requirements:

• absence of dampness;
• the ability to regulate air temperature;
• darkness (sunlight should not enter the boxes or cartons);
• mandatory preliminary disinfection of the cellar, attic or basement;
• absence of rodents that can significantly damage the planting material.

Storage locations are selected based on the following capabilities:

• cellar;
• dry basement;
• attic or loft;
• apartment;
• special thermal chamber.

Tulips are often stored on refrigerator shelves. This is acceptable for small quantities, but storing large quantities even until autumn is problematic. Furthermore, storage temperature is typically gradually reduced during storage. This requirement cannot be met in the refrigerator.

Storage microclimate

Proper temperature and optimal humidity levels are the key to maintaining healthy, full-fledged bulbs. These factors influence not only the quality of the planting material but also the flowering of the plants and the preservation of varietal characteristics.

Tulips (especially hybrids) are quite capricious flowers, and any deviation in temperature during storage affects the flowering time, the number of flower stalks, the fullness, shape and color of the buds.

Low humidity is unacceptable, as it will cause the bulbs to dry out. Dampness is dangerous, as it immediately promotes mold, rot, and premature germination. Standard values ​​are 65-70%.

Temperature indicators (for autumn-planted bulbs):

• within thirty days after drying and storage - +24ºC… +25ºC;
• then the indicators are reduced by approximately 5-6 degrees (+20ºC);
• After a month, reduce the temperature to +15ºC.

Under these conditions, the planting material survives well until autumn planting. The bulbs are dry, free of defects and premature sprouts.

Checking the seed material

The storage area is regularly inspected, monitoring temperature and humidity. If the room is dry, containers of water are placed nearby. If humidity is high, the room is ventilated, sources of dampness are eliminated, and the bulbs are inspected for mold or rot.

Regular inspection will protect tulips from the spread of possible infection and prevent planting material from going to waste.

Post-storage processing

After storage, before autumn planting, tulips are calibrated again and disinfected again in any suitable solution (ash, potassium permanganate). Ready-made solutions for preparing a disinfectant solution include:

• malathion;
• Epin;
• Vitaros;
• Fundazol.

When preparing solutions for disinfection, the proportions of the preparations, as well as the soaking time, are observed.

How to properly store tulip bulbs until spring

Tulips intended for planting in autumn, remain in containers until mid-September and October. The planting time is determined by the local climate and autumn weather.

Plants planted in the fall root faster and produce flower stalks earlier in the spring. However, if bulbs aren't planted after summer, they'll have to be stored until spring. Unlike summer storage, winter storage times are longer. Therefore, monitoring humidity and temperature in the storage area is especially important.

Storing planting material in the cellar

Tulips keep well in a cellar until spring. However, they should be planted in the ground, not in layers in containers. For this, prepare the soil and shallow boxes in advance.

Pre-steamed garden soil mixed with peat and river sand is suitable as soil. Vermiculite can be added instead of sand. The soil is poured into boxes and the bulbs are carefully planted. They will remain in this condition until spring, where they will root but not grow.

In the boxes

Bulbous plants are also stored in a basement or cool pantry during the winter. For this, prepare containers—wooden boxes with slatted sides and bottoms—and arrange the bulbs in layers, interspersed with sawdust.

To prevent rot, use wrapping paper instead of sawdust. Each tuber is carefully wrapped and stored. Storage temperature is maintained at up to 16ºC, with humidity at 70%. Humidification is recommended in dry areas, otherwise the tubers will dry out.

In an apartment environment

It's difficult to preserve tulip bulbs in a city apartment until spring, so whenever possible, it's best to plant them in the fall. If that's not possible, store them for the winter in a glazed balcony (temperature +5ºC…+6ºC) or in a cool, unheated pantry.

The room should be dry and dark. Do not store planting material near heating systems or in areas without protection from drafts. Inspect the tulips once a month, removing any suspicious specimens (such as those with spots or mold).

In the spring, the surviving tulips are planted in boxes and then placed in the garden.

Fridge

A small amount of planting material is stored in the refrigerator, on the lower shelves. However, maintaining a stable temperature in the unit until spring is difficult, as the doors are constantly being opened and closed.

This method is also not suitable for large quantities of flowers. Refrigeration is not suitable for storing large quantities, so a special cold storage chamber or storage rooms or loggias are used.

Thermal chamber

If a gardener has a special device—a thermal chamber—then the problem of where to store bulbs during the winter is easily solved. These devices feature automatic humidity and temperature control. The chamber is equipped with a ventilation system, making it easy to set the desired values ​​for a specific period.

The only drawback is the device's high cost, so it's most often purchased by those who grow tulips in large quantities for sale and professionally cultivate bulbous plants. Incidentally, if you're so inclined, you can build such a chamber yourself.

Shelf life

Storing tulip bulbs indoors during the winter is difficult. The planting material of these flowers is not suitable for long-term storage. It is best dig up the plants after flowering and store them They should be stored until they are dug up in the fall. Winter storage is only suitable in exceptional cases (for example, if you bought the bulbs late in the fall and didn't have time to plant them before the cold weather hits). If these conditions are met, the bulbs will keep well until fall.

If stored incorrectly, bulbs will spoil. How to determine:

• Droplets of moisture appeared on the surface of the integumentary scales - a signal of dampness and high humidity in the room;
• the bulbs have shriveled and become soft – the air in the storage area is too dry.

In the first case, household heaters are used for drying, while humidifiers and containers of water placed in the storage area will help cope with dryness.

Tulips need protection from mice and other rodents not only in flowerbeds but also during storage. Cellars and basements are disinfected in advance, bait is scattered, and traps are set. To protect tulips from mice, boxes are placed on shelves or hung in bags or stockings on hooks from the ceiling. By following simple rules for digging and storing tulips, you can always obtain healthy planting material. This means that in the spring, your favorite bulbous plants will delight you with a riot of blooms.