Bulbous flowers are among the most popular garden plants, which are grown not only for cutting to decorate homes, but also allow flower growers to create exquisite flower beds and elegant flower beds in gardens, and also refresh our balconies and terraces in the summer. Flowers, united under the general name “bulbous”, in fact, sometimes are not at all similar to each other - they are in different times planted, they differ not only appearance, but also care requirements; The bulbs of some flowers need to be dug up and stored after flowering, but there are those whose bulbs overwinter safely in the garden. About when and how to dig up bulbs for the winter, where it is better to store tubers of certain colors, how to store them correctly, how long bulbs can be stored, how to store bulbs at home if you do not have cold rooms - we will tell you about all this in our article.
Listen to the article
How to store gladioli in winter
After you have removed the gladiolus bulbs from the ground, let them dry, clean them from the soil and examine them, then discard any damaged or spoiled ones. Cut off the roots of adult corms so that they do not evaporate moisture during storage, shorten the stem, leaving only a centimeter so that the plant is not affected by thrips - one of the most dangerous pests of gladiolus. By the way, it is for these reasons that gladiolus bulbs need to be dug up before the air temperature in the garden drops to 10 ºC, since after the cold snap the thrips descend the stem and, in preparation for wintering, climb under the scales of the gladiolus corms.
Remove the old corm, and trim the roots of the children to 1 cm, wash them under running water, removing any remaining soil, and place in a disinfectant solution for 30 minutes. There are fungicides and insecticides that can be combined to destroy pathogens of fungal diseases on the bulb in one solution and at the same time kill pest larvae. You can find out which drugs are compatible from the seller at the flower shop or read the instructions for the drugs. In the end, a solution of potassium permanganate can be used as an insecticide and fungicide at the rate of 5 g per 10 liters of water. Before storing gladiolus bulbs, they are first dried for three weeks at a temperature of 25-35 ºC, and then for about a month and a half at a temperature of 20-25 ºC, after which the bulbs are sorted by size and variety, placed in wooden boxes, and covered. dry peat and placed for storage at a temperature of 3-7 ºC with an air humidity of about 70%. Such conditions can be created in the basement or cellar.
For those who do not have such auxiliary premises or they serve other purposes, listen to how to store gladioli at home. If there is not much planting material, it is placed in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, where it can be stored for up to two years, but in this case the bulbs should be placed not in boxes, but in paper bags. If there are a lot of bulbs, or you have already occupied the refrigerator with something else, place planting material gladiolus in the coldest place of the apartment - this could be a cage on landing, a cardboard box located on the floor near the door to a glazed balcony or loggia - the main thing is that there are no heating devices nearby.
How to store dahlias in winter
When to dig and how to store dahlias
It is very important not to rush in this matter - the better the corms ripen, the better they will be stored in the winter, so they need to be removed from the soil no earlier than the first ten days of October. The dug up dahlia tubers are carefully freed from the soil, washed under strong pressure of water, and then kept for a week in a room with high humidity and low but positive temperature to cause the so-called suberization of the skin, which during winter storage will protect the bulb from moisture loss. Then the bulbs are cleared of roots, their stems are cut off at a height of 3-4 cm from the neck, and the cut areas are treated with fluff lime. After this, each tuber should be placed in a paper bag, vermiculite should be added to it, the bag should be sealed or tied and stored at a temperature of 5-7 ºC, that is, in a basement or cellar that does not freeze in winter. Storage in the refrigerator is also possible, if there is room in it for dahlia tubers.
There is another storage method that protects dahlia planting material from drying out - treating the corms with paraffin before storage. To do this, paraffin is dissolved in a water bath to a liquid state and each bulb or baby is dipped into it. This should be done on an electric stove with a closed spiral, since paraffin is highly flammable. A day before the procedure, bring the drying bulbs from a cool room to where the temperature is about 15 ºC, let them warm up, then dip each one in paraffin heated to 70-80 ºC and, after the paraffin has hardened, put the treated bulbs in a box and place to the coolest place in the apartment.
How to store lilies in winter
Lily bulbs are dug up at the first frost, after cutting off the leaves at a height of 7-8 cm from the ground. Usually the first cold weather occurs in mid-October. After removing the bulbs from the ground, they need to be washed with cool running water and carefully examined for mechanical damage and disease damage, then place healthy bulbs for half an hour in a solution of Fundazol or Karbofos. After this, the planting material suitable for storage is dried for several days in a cool, dark place - a barn or garage. A heated room for drying is not suitable, since after cold soil the heat can cause mold to appear on the bulbs. The best temperature for drying is about 15 ºC. After 5-7 days, the bulbs are sprinkled with fungicidal powder, placed in paper bags, adding vermiculite to them. You can put the bulbs in cardboard box With ventilation holes and pour vermiculite into it - the main thing is that the bulbs do not touch each other and cannot infect each other in the event of rot. You can lay a layer of bulbs on river sand poured onto the bottom of the box or wooden box, then completely cover the bulbs with sand and place the next layer of bulbs on it, which also needs to be covered with sand, etc.
How to store lily bulbs in the basement
At what temperature should planting material be stored so that it does not spoil until spring? The worst enemies of lily bulbs are moisture and rot, so the bulbs should be stored in a dry, dark place at a temperature of 0 to 2 ºC - this is ideal, but the temperature can be a little higher. If you store the bulbs in a box with vermiculite or sand, you will be able to monitor their condition throughout the storage period, and if you notice that the bulbs are starting to dry out, you can spray them with water, thus increasing the humidity.
How to store cannas in winter
Canna tubers are dug from mid-September to early October. First, the stem is cut at a height of 15-20 cm from the ground, then the tubers are carefully dug up with a pitchfork, trying to leave an earthen lump on them, they are inspected for damage, rotten or diseased, and they are laid out under a canopy to dry.
How to store canna tubers
Storage in the refrigerator is not possible, since it is very desirable for the tubers to be in the ground during storage. A cool basement or veranda with an air temperature of 8-10 ºC and an air humidity of 70-90% is most suitable for storage. But if neither one nor the other is possible, then How to store canna tubers with a lump of earth in an apartment? It is best to keep them on a balcony or insulated loggia.
How to store tulips in winter
When to dig up tulip bulbs
Tulip bulbs are dug up when the top two leaves of the flower have turned yellow and the top of the stem can easily be wrapped around your finger. After being removed from the soil, the bulbs are dried at a temperature of 25-30 ºC and air humidity of about 50% for a week or ten days, then they are cleaned of soil, old scales and roots and divided into varieties: first grade - bulbs with a diameter of at least 4 cm, the second - with a diameter of 3 to 4 cm, the third - from 2 to 3 cm. Then the bulbs are laid out in boxes according to varieties in one layer and stored for a month at a temperature of 20-25 ºC with an air humidity of 70-80%, after which the temperature is reduced to 15 -18 ºC, and after two weeks it is reduced to 12 ºC, and air humidity to 60-70%. How long should tulip bulbs be stored in such conditions? Typically, tulip bulbs are stored until planted in the ground before winter.
How to store callas in winter
Calla lily tubers are dug up at the end of September without first trimming the above-ground part of the plant, placed in cardboard boxes and left to dry for a couple of weeks. The readiness of the bulbs for storage is determined experimentally: the leaves should easily come away from the bulb. The calla bulbs, freed from leaves, are left to dry for another week. The bulbs are considered sufficiently dry, from which the roots can be easily separated. After removing the roots from the bulbs, inspect them for rot. If black areas appear on the bulb, scrape off the blackness with a teaspoon, let the bulb dry for a couple of hours, and then treat the wounds with brilliant green or crushed charcoal. After separating the babies, cracks on the bulbs are also treated with brilliant green, after which the baby is wrapped in a paper napkin. Do not break off unripe children from an adult onion - the time will come, they will ripen and fall off on their own. The processed bulbs and children are placed in a cardboard box, covered with a lid and stored until spring in a dry cellar at a temperature of 3 to 7 ºC. If you have only a few bulbs, you can store them in the refrigerator.
Depending on the type, bulbous plants decorate gardens from the very first days of spring and finish flowering by the beginning of summer. Digging up bulbs, processing and storage are prerequisites for successful flowering next season. It is important to dig up on time and store correctly, then the planting material will be healthy. So when is the right time to dig up bulbous plants?
Perennial and annual plants
Development of perennial bulbs and annual plants various. In an annual bulb, a new, replacement bulb develops from a bud every year. The perennial bulb develops new scales, displacing the old ones, and for several years they serve as the outer covering. Children of annuals separate in the first year; perennials keep their daughter bulbs with them. Small bulbous plants (muscari, crocus, snowdrop) do not require annual digging; they live in one place for up to 5-7 years. Leave the daffodil in the new place for 3-4 years. But dig up tulips and hyacinths every year.
When to dig
The answer to the question of when to properly dig up bulbs depends on the type of plant and its flowering period. After flowering is complete, remove the ovaries from the plants. Then all the energy will be spent on preparing for the dormant period, and not on the formation of seeds. Do not rush the flowers; cutting off the green above-ground part is dangerous because the bulbs will not prepare for the next flowering and will not gain maximum nutrients from leaves. Add mineral fertilizers to the soil. Wait until the foliage turns yellow and wilts. Then start digging up the bulbs. Carefully dig up the soil to get all the bulbs, including the babies. Bulbs left in the ground go deeper every year and produce fewer blooms. Do not leave dug up bulbs on the ground to prevent pests from laying eggs in them. Remove the soil from each bulb with your hands, do not knock the plant on the ground so as not to damage the bud. Disinfect the bulbs in a hot solution of manganese (50 degrees) for a couple of hours, dry, and store until autumn.
Features of specific types of bulbous
Digging up tulips is needed to divide an overgrown nest. If this is not done, the bulbs become smaller and flowering stops. Dig up plants in dry weather, immediately take the bulbs to a shaded place, they do not tolerate direct sun rays. Store tulips in boxes in a thin layer, gradually reducing the storage temperature level from 23 to 9 degrees. Periodically inspect the bulbs, remove darkened and diseased specimens. Digging up hyacinths is the same, but storing them is different. Maintain the room temperature at 23 degrees, occasionally spray the bulbs with water. Dig up your daffodils when you notice the flowers getting smaller. This means it's time to plant the plant. To preserve dug up small-bulbous plants, sprinkle the boxes with sawdust. The most heat-loving species are hazel grouse bulbs. Dig up the hazel grouse as soon as you see the foliage drying out. For successful planting in the ground in the fall, store them at a temperature of +30 degrees. Since hazel grouse bulbs lack protective covering scales, sprinkle them with peat or sawdust for storage to avoid damage.
The timing of digging bulbs depends on the type of plant, and varies between the beginning and end of June. Do not delay this work when the foliage is completely dry - it becomes impossible to find the location of the bulb. Increases the risk of injury when digging.
Now on sale large number bulbous flowers, which are sold both in autumn and spring. Tubers are also sold, and they are also mistakenly called bulbs. The editors receive many questions about how to grow these plants, which ones need to be dug up and which ones not. Let's try to answer all the questions at once.
1. For my birthday I was given a lot of flower bulbs beautiful packaging. I planted them, but I don’t know which ones to dig up for the winter and which ones not to.
Bulbous flowers are divided into winter-hardy and non-winter-hardy. The former can overwinter in the ground, while the latter need to be dug up and stored in a frost-free room.
Plants that are dug up for the winter include gladioli, acidanthera, tigridia, tuberous begonias and callas, tuberous anemones and some others.
Bulbs of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and other small-bulbed flowers overwinter.
2. In the spring I bought tulip bulbs at the market. I know that they need to be dug up. But how to store it - put it in the cellar in the fall?
There has been a lot of confusion with tulips lately. This happened because the bulbs began to be sold not only in the fall (as expected), but also in the spring.
Sellers assure that when spring planting The bulbs will bloom normally. But most often this is not the case, since tulips are planted not in spring, but in autumn. They overwinter well and germinate immediately after the snow melts.
In the spring, they sell tulips that have remained unsold since the fall. Even with big discounts, they don’t have time to sell out. Such bulbs are put into storage until spring. But storing tulips in winter leads to the fact that the bulb dries out greatly, becomes sluggish, and does not have the strength to bloom normally.
Tulip bulbs really need to be dug up. But not for the winter, but for the summer. The fact is that in the homeland of tulips it is hot and dry in the summer. The leaves die and the bulb goes dormant until the next season.
IN Middle lane summers are cool and rainy. This can cause the bulbs to rot in the soil. And even if this does not happen, then without a dry dormant period the bulbs bloom worse.
Many people do not dig up tulip bulbs for the summer and over the years they note that the flowers have become smaller, and many bulbs only produce leaves and do not bloom. Most often this happens with varietal tulips - double, two-colored, fringed... Simple tulips from the Darwin hybrids group can bloom without digging for up to three years. Then you need to dig them up, otherwise the bulbs will go deep into the ground and will also bloom poorly.
3. When should I dig up tulip bulbs? The magazines write that it needs to be dug up in the summer, but in what time frame? After flowering, tulip leaves take up a lot of space. What happens if you dig up early?
Tulips have annual bulbs. That is, it is formed anew every year. The old bulb gives up food for the growth of leaves and buds, it is completely depleted. The formation of a new bulb and children occurs due to roots and leaves. Through photosynthesis, the leaves accumulate nutrients that are transferred to the bulb.
Tulip bulbs are dug up not for the winter, but for the summer and stored not in the cellar, but in a dry, warm room with a temperature above 20 degrees.
Many people don’t like the leaves of tulips after flowering, so they either cut them off or dig up the plants completely. But at the same time, the formation of the onion is interrupted and instead of a full-fledged large onion, a very small onion is formed.
Tulip bulbs are dug up when the leaves turn yellow. There is no exact date. The timing of digging depends on the weather and the variety of tulips - early ones turn yellow in the first half of June, and late ones - after another couple of weeks. It is advisable to dig up tulips in dry, warm weather, when 30% of the leaves of a given variety have turned yellow.
0In our climate, not all types of bulbous flowers tolerate winter well. But there are also those that are not at all necessary to dig up.
Colchicums
These flowers can be left in the flowerbed for 5 years. They are not afraid of frosts. Gardeners dig them up only when they need to plant flowers. Their bulbs are quite large. Therefore, you can water crocus plants less often. If severe frosts are observed in winter, it is advisable to sprinkle them with peat.
White flowers
They bloom at the end of May. They resemble lilies of the valley in appearance, but are larger in size. They can be planted in the second half of summer in fertile, well-drained soil. The ideal place for these plants is near a pond. After all, they need a lot of moisture during the growth period. During drought, the flowers become small.
Decorative bows
If they are planted deep enough, they will tolerate winter frosts. Decorative bow loves sun and regular watering. It needs to be fed about 3 times a season. Only with such care will the plant bloom beautifully.
Crocuses
These flowers also do not need to be dug up for 5 years. This is done for seating purposes only. But these plants react poorly to stagnant moisture. In order for them to bloom profusely, regular feeding is necessary. If water stagnation does occur, it is recommended to dig up the bulbs, dry them, and treat them with disinfectants. They can be planted again in September.
Lilies
In temperate climates, many types of lilies tolerate winter well. But in 4-5 years they will have to be dug up. They need to be cleared of scales and babies, and then the roots should be cut off and replanted in the ground in August. It is recommended to add peat, sand, and overripe compost to the soil in equal proportions.
Bulbous irises
These flowers love a lot of sun, but are afraid of the wind. They need well-drained soil. In autumn they are not dug up, but sprinkled with compost or a small amount of peat. In the spring they are opened, the soil is loosened and watered. Irises should be fed 3 times per season. At first nitrogen fertilizers, and then containing potassium and phosphorus.
Muscari
These are very unpretentious flowers. They do not need to be dug up for 10 years, but it is advisable to plant them every 5 years. It will bloom well both in the sun and in the shade. There is no need to water and fertilize the flower often. It is only important to ensure that there is no stagnation of moisture.
Daffodils
They are very popular among our gardeners. But summer residents complain that the flowers are getting smaller and quickly starting to run wild. To prevent this, it is advisable to plant daffodils every 5 years. 2 months after flowering, they are dug up, cleaned, disinfected, dried, and then stored until the end of summer. They can be planted in September.
Scillas
They are not afraid of frost, but it is advisable to dig them out every 3 years. After flowering, they need to be dug up and cleaned. Treat with potassium permanganate, dry and leave until autumn. They are planted in September. They do not like excess moisture and grow well in fertile, loose soil.
Pushkinia
It is also not necessary to dig them up for the winter, but it is recommended to plant them every 5 years. After all, the plant reproduces quite quickly. You can dig them up only after the leaves begin to dry. The dried bulbs are stored and planted only in September.
Grouse
You can not replant them for 3-5 years. If they become smaller or signs of disease appear, they are replanted. They do not need to be covered for the winter. They respond well to mineral fertilizers, which can be applied before and after flowering.
Rare summer cottage plot does without oases of flower beds. Created by yourself decorative corners bring warmth and comfort to everyday dacha chores.
Gardeners' favorite plants are ornamental perennials. Every spring they emerge from the ground and are the first to begin to bloom, diluting the whiteness of unmelted snow with succulent inflorescences.
Perennial plants for open ground
Among the variety of perennial flowers, unpretentious plants that winter in open ground stand out. They do not need to be dug up before frost: the above-ground part of the flowers dies, and the roots and bulbs go into a dormant state until spring.
By type, perennials are divided into bulbous, rhizomatous and corm.
Important to know: in the conditions of Siberia and Far East The rose needs careful shelter for the winter.
How to properly care?
All wintering perennials have renewal buds on their roots and tubers. It is from these buds that green shoots appear in spring.
Since the current season, conditions have been created under which the underground part of perennials can stock up on a sufficient amount of necessary nutrients.
The basic rules for caring for perennials are as follows:
- Application of mineral and organic fertilizers. Bulbous and corm plants are fed with nitrogen at least twice a season; for rhizomatous plants, one feeding is sufficient. Complex mineral fertilizers are applied at the rate of: potassium – 20 g, nitrogen – 10 g. and phosphorus – 30 g. per 1 sq. m. flowerbed area. – 20-30 gr. for bulbous ones, for others – 10-15 g. Nitrogen is applied starting from the awakening of perennials and until the period of seed ripening. Potassium fertilizer promotes the formation of buds. It must be applied before the plants flower - from 20 to 30 grams. per sq. m. Fertilizing with potassium during the formation of flower buds on the underground part of perennials will provide lush flowering on next year. Phosphorus is added at the rate of 50-60 grams. per sq. m. Fertilizer increases the decorative properties of flowers and resistance to low temperatures. As a rule, they are introduced in the fall. Organic matter is used in the form of infusions of manure, chicken droppings, compost. In its purest form organic fertilizers generate too much heat, which can cause plant burns.
You may also be interested in an article about caring for dracaena at home:
- Removing weeds. The rampant growth of weeds takes away nutrients from cultivated plants, shades them and can cause death, so be sure to weed the flower beds.
- Loosening the soil and watering. Careful loosening helps plants better absorb moisture and applied fertilizers. If there has been no rain for a long time, water the flower garden thoroughly before feeding so as not to burn the roots. In dry summers, watering must be organized independently, at least 2 times a week, otherwise, instead of a riot of colors pleasing to the eye, you will get dried out brooms.
- Trimming. In order for plants to accumulate and retain a sufficient amount of nutrients. Shrub flowers (roses, peonies) are not completely pruned. In the spring, pruning of asters, delphiniums, astilbe, and some types of hydrangeas is performed. On the contrary, the shoots of these flowers preserved in winter help to survive in the frosty winter.
- Shelter for the winter. You can increase the chance of perennials for spring revival by using covering materials. As protective equipment use a layer of peat, piles of leaves, cardboard, boards, burlap. Gardening stores sell special non-woven covering materials. – “Spunbond”, “Agrotex”.
Before covering, the bushes are bent to the ground and pinned with metal staples. Mouse poison should be placed under the shelter. For more information on preparing perennials for winter, read
Flower garden of perennials
By general rules, perennials should be planted in ascending order - from ground covers in the first row, to tall ones in the background. If you have a view of the flowerbed from all sides, the center should have the most tall plant.
In addition to ranking, the flower garden is made up of perennials different periods flowering or from remontant varieties(with repeated flowering). In this case, the flowerbed will remain elegant throughout the entire summer season.
Look video, telling about perennial plant For open ground- herbaceous hibiscus: