How to store tulip bulbs in an apartment before planting: tips, video

Inexperienced gardeners often have questions about what to do with tulip bulbs after flowering. There are several rules regarding further flower care that will help keep the bulbs in perfect condition and allow them to develop:

• After flowering, you cannot immediately tear off the leaves, but it is advisable to get rid of the peduncle.
• For the first 3 weeks, fertilize with magnesium and potassium to strengthen the bulb.
• Water regularly so that moisture penetrates more than 40 centimeters deep.
• Leaves can be removed only after they are completely dry. You cannot cut off the remains of the above-ground part if it is not completely dry.

Some varieties keep the aboveground part green for a very long time. There is no need to cut it off, as this may impair the development of the root system. You don’t have to cut off the leaves and stem after drying, but do this after digging up the tuber.

Do I need to dig up tubers every year?

Gardeners express different opinions on this matter. Many recommendations are aimed at the fact that the removal of tubers every year is not required. Experienced gardeners advise digging up bulbs once every 3 years.

In fact, it is important to know not only how to store tulips, but also that you need to dig up the tubers every year. Such care will protect the root from parasites, pests and diseases.

Modern varieties of tulips do not always require digging. If flowers are grown in southern regions with a milder climate, then there is no need to put the “harvest” in a box for the winter. The northern regions are more severe in terms of frost - any variety requires protection.

Transportation of tulips in vehicles

Transportation of flowers requires compliance with certain conditions. The car must be kept cool and temperature fluctuations are not allowed. The bouquets are wrapped in wax paper, tied with twine and laid loosely. A bar is placed on top at a distance on which a new layer of bouquets can be laid out.

Tulips are stored in boxes larger than the stems to allow them to grow. If there is a need to sell tulips directly from the car, this can be done by preventing overheating in the cabin and excluding the flowers from exposure to sunlight.

Is it possible to save tulip bulbs until spring?

Ideally, storing tulip bulbs after flowering is recommended only until autumn. Planting material has a short shelf life, reacts sensitively to any environmental changes in winter and often deteriorates.

But if the optimal time for autumn transfer of the crop into the ground has already been missed, you can try to save the bulbs for several months until spring. To do this, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to both the preparation of the material and the choice of location.

Is it possible to store tulip bulbs at home in the refrigerator in winter?

The best way to preserve tulip bulbs in a quality manner is in a basement or cellar. Placing the culture in the refrigerator is not prohibited, but creating optimal conditions in this case will be difficult.

The temperature inside the unit is usually kept at 4 degrees. Only the most frost-resistant varieties can withstand cold for a long time. Most varieties require more comfortable conditions.

When to remove the bulbs

The bulb ripens within one month after the tulips bloom. At this time, the above-ground parts of the plant begin to die, and there is an outflow of useful substances from them. The scales of the bulb darken, acquiring a brownish tint.

Tulips can be removed when ⅔ of their leaves have withered and the stem itself has softened and turned yellow. For central Russia, this period corresponds to the last ten days of July. Tulips can be considered ready to be removed from the ground if their stem can be wrapped around your finger.

Advice

Do not dig up tulips ahead of time. In this case, the replacement bulbs do not have time to form a protective shell and fully ripen, as a result of which they become smaller and are susceptible to fungal diseases. Most of this inferior material will not survive to be planted in the ground, and good flowering should not be expected from those that survive.

It is also undesirable to delay removing the bulbs until the above-ground part of the plant has completely dried. In this case, it is sometimes impossible to determine their exact location, and the nests of the bulbs are destroyed, which leads to the loss of a large amount of material.

How to properly store tulip bulbs

The problem of preserving cut flowers is relevant not only for lovers of bouquets of fresh flowers, but also for those who are engaged in forcing them for sale.

The difficulty is that these bulbs fade quickly, and every effort must be made to preserve their exquisite beauty longer. This article will help in solving this problem.

Summer storage

It is known that spring planting of bulbs slows down the onset of the flowering period. Therefore, some gardeners prefer to plant in the fall (September-October). Of course, there is a risk that the plant will not survive the cold, but early flowering fully justifies it.

Therefore, it is necessary to properly store the bulbs not only in winter, but also in summer.

The summer savings algorithm is as follows:

1. The dug up bulbs must be dried, peeled and suitable ones selected.
2. The selected material is immersed for half an hour in a light solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.
3. The treated material is dried for a week.
4. Then it is advisable to wrap each onion with paper. It will help maintain the required level of moisture and prevent possible diseases from spreading to other planting material.
5. Specimens ready for storage are laid out in one layer in a wooden (plywood) box and brought into a warm room (22-29 degrees) with low humidity (no more than 60%).
6. The room temperature must remain stable for a month to allow the plants to adapt to the new conditions.

From the second month from the start of storage, the temperature begins to gradually decrease by 1-2 degrees and is brought to a temperature of 12-15 degrees. It is this environment that helps the roots get used to the winter period in the soil.

Note: It is necessary to periodically rotate and check the bulbs to detect diseases.

From mid-September until the first week of October, the bulbs are planted in the ground, where they remain to overwinter.

Storing bulbs until spring

To get the desired result from growing flowers, you should listen to these basic recommendations for storing bulbs until spring:

1. Digging should be done carefully to avoid mechanical damage, through which various pathogens and fungi can penetrate.
2. Raw materials should be sorted and grouped by grade and size. Damaged and diseased kernels should be destroyed immediately.
3. It is best to store planting material in a wooden or plywood box.
4. To protect planting material from excessive moisture, it can be covered with sawdust.
5. Wrapping them in newsprint will help keep the material healthy and strong.
6. The storage room must be maintained at a constant temperature and low humidity.

The procedure for preparing bulbs for storage
There are several other methods of winter storage that can be successfully used. Among them: wet germination, dry storage and early forcing.

Excavation

Digging is necessary for tulips for the following reasons:

• in the ground, bulbs are often damaged by pests - mice, insects or pathogenic fungi;
• If a plant remains in one place for several years, the soil around the root system becomes very compacted. As a result, difficulties arise with the absorption of water and nutrients , the flowers become smaller and lose varietal characteristics;
• varieties that produce many children soon become crowded , the replacement bulbs become smaller;
• the bulb is gradually buried in the ground and spends the first phase of the dormant period at a temperature much lower than that necessary for the formation of a healthy and strong flower bud. This negatively affects the quality of flowering in the next season.

Sometimes special plastic baskets are used when planting tulips.

Some gardeners plant flower bulbs in the ground, placing them in plastic baskets. This is a useful technique that allows you to protect planting material from being buried and more thoroughly select the resulting “babies” from the soil. Unfortunately, all other reasons that make excavation necessary still remain relevant with this technology.

Simple early and late tulips, as well as varieties from the Darwin hybrids and Triumph series, can be dug up once every 2-4 years; for other varieties the procedure should be annual .

The photo shows tulips of the popular varieties Golden Parade and Apeldoorn, part of the group of Darwin hybrids

Recommended timing

Do not dig up tulips immediately after flowering: at this moment the tuber is actively absorbing nutrients and gaining strength before the dormant period. If you rush, the plant next year will be weak, with small, inexpressive flowers. In addition, the bulb will not have time to grow protective scales, and it will be more difficult for it to withstand storage.

The formation of seeds greatly weakens the plant, so if you did not cut the flower immediately when the bud appears, do it 3-4 days after the petals have fully bloomed. In general, the following rule applies: tulips that are practically not allowed to bloom form the largest and highest quality bulbs.

The plant spends a lot of effort on ripening seeds, so to obtain large, high-quality bulbs, flowers need to be cut at the bud stage or in the first days after blooming

The formation of healthy planting material is facilitated by feeding tulips with a weak solution of complex phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Treatment is carried out immediately after flowering.

The exact time to dig up the bulbs depends on the local climate and weather, as well as the plant variety. In the middle zone it occurs at the end of June - beginning of July. to dig up early varieties is when the leaves have completely turned yellow, but have not yet fallen to the ground - this happens approximately 6 weeks after flowering. Late varieties are dug up when yellowness covers 2/3 of the leaves. Do not wait for the leaves to dry completely: on the ground they will quickly decay, after which it will be difficult to detect the bulb.

For summer digging, it is advisable to choose a clear and dry day.

It is important to understand that with late digging you risk “losing” individual specimens, and planting material removed from the ground too early is difficult to preserve. Therefore, many gardeners use folk methods for determining “ripeness” . For example, it is known that the outer scales of onions that are ready for digging darken, acquiring a brownish tint. If the tulip still has a peduncle, then by the time the bulbs fully “ripen” it becomes flexible and plastic, as experts say - “winds freely around the finger.”

General rules

Excavation and preliminary preparation of planting material is carried out as follows:

1. Loosen the soil with a spatula and remove the rhizome from the ground. Be careful not to damage it. Shake off the soil, remove any remaining roots and leaves. If they cannot be broken off by hand, use pruning shears. If necessary, immediately divide the planting material by variety.
2. Sort through the bulbs. Throw away any that are wrinkled, soft, or have large areas of rot.
3. Gently wipe healthy specimens with a paper towel and place them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of table salt (1 tablespoon per liter of water) for 30 minutes to disinfect. For this purpose, you can also use some purchased drugs (for example, Fitosporin).
4. Cut off small rotten areas with a knife pre-treated with a disinfectant, and lubricate the cut area with brilliant green or a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
5. For 2-3 days, leave the planting material in a dry, shaded and cool place without drafts, for example outside under a canopy.
6. Sort through the bulbs again and carefully separate the children where they have not fallen off on their own.

For planting, leave healthy, strong onions, pre-sorted, disinfected and dried.

After this, the planting material can be stored.

Drying rules

Flower bulbs should be dried in well-ventilated areas. Gazebos, canopies, dry basements, verandas, attics, and balconies are suitable for this purpose. The main thing is to make sure that the temperature is maintained, not higher than 25 degrees.

Direct sunlight is harmful to rhizomes. Only diffused light, semi-darkness or shaded conditions are suitable for harmless drying.

What to do with the bulbs after drying

After final drying, the seed is prepared for sorting and storage:

1. Each tuber is inspected, dry, easily separated scales are removed.
2. The above-ground part is carefully cut with pruning shears or small garden shears, but not too deep, so as not to damage the root.
3. Disinfect for 30 minutes in a pale pink manganese solution and dry.

Why do you need to dig up bulbs?

Varietal tulips require annual removal of the bulbs from the soil. Having released a peduncle and produced many daughter bulbs, the old root dies. The following year, this process is repeated, as a result, the conditions for development of young plants become worse: the living space is reduced, the volume of useful substances decreases. This leads to shredding and degeneration of flowers.

Before the flower bud forms, the bulb must warm up well. If you leave it in the ground, the heat will not be enough and the flowers will grow less attractive.

Digging up tulips for the winter makes it possible to properly prepare the soil: add sand or peat, apply fertilizer, remove weeds without damaging the bulbs. Cleaning the planting material from soil and loose scales, sorting and treating with a solution of potassium permanganate significantly reduces the likelihood of damage by larvae of harmful insects and fungal diseases.

Article: May beetle larva.

After some time, the bulbs that have not been dug up since the summer sink deeper into the ground. This prolongs germination time and worsens the conditions for the formation of flower buds. Therefore, to preserve all the qualities of varietal tulips, the bulbs must be dug up in time and kept in a suitable microclimate.

Laying tulip bulbs for winter storage: planning

Experienced flower growers have developed their own schemes for storing bulbs. To begin with, they determine which specimens will be planted in the fall and which will be planted in the spring. For the latter, it is necessary to take more careful care of the container and storage location, after all, they should remain there until spring during the long winter.

Baby crumbs less than one centimeter in diameter are removed, since during storage there is a high probability that they will dry out. And they will bloom only in two years, not earlier. For winter storage, specimens with a diameter of more than 3-4 cm are selected.

Storage containers

To preserve planting material, prepare containers:

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

Lattice racks and cardboard egg containers are good storage options, although some gardeners prefer not to use cardboard containers. It is necessary that tulips placed in boxes or drawers have free access to air.

It is undesirable for the onions to touch, so it is better to cover them with shavings, dry sawdust, and newspaper. This way they are better preserved and do not rot. Place in one layer. You cannot use buckets (iron, plastic), tanks, or polyethylene bags for laying. Glass jars are not suitable.

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

Storage room

To obtain lush flowering in the spring, you need to properly preserve the tulip planting material. Particular care is taken in choosing the place where the onions will be stored. The microclimate of the room, indicators of temperature, humidity, and illumination are important. Only by observing all the requirements do you get healthy planting bulbs.

Requirements:

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

Storage spaces are selected based on the possibilities:

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

Tulips are often placed on refrigerator shelves. This is acceptable if there are only a few bulbs, but in large quantities it is problematic to preserve them even until autumn. In addition, according to the rules, the temperature during storage is gradually reduced. It is impossible to fulfill this requirement in a refrigerator.

Storage microclimate

Correct temperature conditions and optimal humidity levels are the main conditions for maintaining healthy, full-fledged onions. Factors influence not only the quality of planting material, but also the flowering of plants and the preservation of varietal characteristics.

Tulips (especially hybrids) are quite capricious flowers, and any deviation in temperature during storage affects the timing of flowering, the number of peduncles, the splendor, shape and shades of the buds.

Low humidity is not allowed, otherwise the bulbs will dry out. Dampness is dangerous, as mold immediately appears, rotting and premature germination begin. Standard indicators are 65-70%.

Temperature indicators (for autumn planting bulbs):

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

Under such conditions, planting material survives well until autumn planting. The onions are dry, without defects or premature sprouts.

When to plant tulips

Compliance with planting dates plays an important role in growing this crop. Planting too early may cause the bulbs to sprout prematurely, which will be damaged if frost occurs. If they are planted late, full rooting will not occur, which means that flowering in the spring will occur later. The determining factor for planting is the soil temperature at a depth of 15 cm. By the time the bulbs are planted, it should be 8-10°C. It takes 20-25 days for the roots to grow thoroughly in the soil. The air temperature at the time of planting is usually around 0°C or slightly higher.

Planting tulip bulbs

When to dig and plant crocus bulbs

Recommended timing for planting tulips by region:

• Middle zone - from early September to early October;
• Siberia - from late August to early September (a little longer in warm weather);
• Middle Urals - mid-September, Southern Urals - early October;
• Stavropol Territory, Crimea, Kuban - towards the end of October.

Important! In Ukraine, tulips are planted in the fall in the same numbers as in the south of Russia. The timing for Belarus coincides with the timing of the Middle Zone.

It is also worth ensuring proper soil preparation and proper planting. Heavy clay soil must be made permeable and nutritious by adding sand, peat, and rotted manure. The acidity of the soil must be adjusted so that this parameter is in the range of 6.5-7.8 pH. You can acidify the soil by adding peat; wood ash or limestone will help neutralize the acidity. Sandy soil is well seasoned with compost and mineral fertilizers.

Note! Fresh manure should not be used to feed bulbous crops. This causes plants to burn their roots and cause fungal diseases.

The dug up soil is leveled and furrows are marked for planting tulips. They should be shed for disinfection with a solution of potassium permanganate. For large bulbs, dig holes 8-12 cm deep at a distance of 12-15 cm from each other. Small nodules are planted denser and closer to the surface.

In light soil, the bulbs can be buried a little more, but in heavy soil, vice versa. Before planting in an area where water stagnates, a sand cushion is laid out at the bottom of the hole or a handful of expanded clay is poured. It is advisable to dust the bulbs with wood ash, this will give them additional protection. When planting, they are lightly pressed into the ground so that there are no air pockets underneath them, and then watered.

Important! If the planting material is not uniform in size, you can make the hole slightly wider, place a large onion in the center, and several small ones around it.

After planting, the holes are sprinkled with fertile soil and the surface is leveled so that water does not stagnate in the flowerbed during the autumn rains. If there is no rain within the next 5-7 days, the plantings need to be watered, otherwise the roots will not grow well. To keep your flower bed bright in the spring, you can plant tulips with different flowering periods in one place or place other early flowering plants nearby.

Transplanting tulips

In the northern regions, after planting, tulips are mulched with peat or compost; the layer thickness should be about 4 cm. In the spring, the mulch is not removed from the flowerbed, as it prevents the appearance of a hard crust on the soil surface, which delays the emergence of sprouts and the penetration of moisture to the bulbs. If winters are too cold, you can add an additional layer of straw on top after the soil has completely frozen.

For your information! Many gardeners have adapted to growing tulips in plastic baskets with a lattice bottom. This planting allows you to quickly and easily form a flower bed and remove nests from the ground without fear of damaging the bulbs. An additional benefit of this method is that the plastic prevents rodents from reaching and damaging the tubers.

Tulips, earlier than many other flowers, begin to delight summer residents with bright buds and give them a spring mood. The abundance of varieties makes it possible to build spectacular and original compositions. Proper storage of the bulbs of this crop allows you to later enjoy its beauty.

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Factors contributing to the preservation of tulips

We correctly figured out how to store tulips at home after cutting. There are a number of factors that directly determine how long flowers will retain their freshness; special attention should be paid to this. There are several important points that will directly determine the lifespan of flowers cut from a flower bed.

Time to cut

The shelf life of tulips largely depends on what time of day the cutting was made. Experienced flower growers recommend carrying out the procedure early in the morning, before daily watering, while the buds have not yet opened. By the middle of the day the sun will cause the flowers to open; if cut, they will not be able to stand for long.

Cloudy weather contributes to a longer period for cutting; without sunshine, the procedure can be carried out at any convenient time.

How to prevent rotting

The most dangerous enemy of any plant is rot; bacteria of this type quickly destroy the plant. It is possible to protect cut tulips from such a misfortune using several methods. How to keep tulips in a vase longer? Apply the recommendations:

• It is necessary to regularly change the water in the container; this must be done once a day. At the same time, the walls and bottom are thoroughly washed.
• The lower leaves must be removed; constant exposure to water will accelerate the putrefactive processes in the plant tissues.
• A few drops of potassium permanganate solution or a piece of activated carbon will help prevent rotting.
• A tablespoon of food vinegar for every liter of water used will not allow harmful bacteria to develop.
• An aspirin tablet has the same effect as vinegar. The solution is made at the rate of one tablet per liter of water.

Such simple tricks will help you avoid troubles in the form of rot on the stems.

What tulips don't like

In addition to the points described above, there are some nuances due to which cut flowers can quickly fade. It is worth remembering that tulips are not liked:

1. Direct sunlight is harmful to them. When choosing a place for a vase, preference is given to well-lit, but without direct sunlight. Its rays often leave burns on the stems, leaves and petals of the trunk, shortening the duration of flowering.
2. When forming a bouquet or simply placing containers with flowers, you must respect the proximity. Tulips are best preserved in splendid isolation; additions to them in the form of daffodils, lilies of the valley, lilacs, and roses will significantly shorten the life of the entire bouquet.

Interesting! Recently, compositions of flowers with rhizomes have come into fashion. How to store tulip bulbs before this? It is best to immerse them in a vase with water; this is how the composition will be preserved later.

Storing cut tulips using a wet method

With this storage method (in water), several requirements must be observed that directly affect the quality of the floral material:

Diseases, quality determination

The quality of flowers is determined by their appearance:

• The leaves are a juicy, bright green color.
• The stem is quite thick, up to 1 cm in diameter.
• The tip of the stem closer to the cut is white.
• Stem length is 40-60 cm (if less, then the tulip variety is low).
• The bud is closed.
• The bulbs are without flaws, hard, brown husk.

If the leaves have gray or yellow spots, then the plant is affected by a fungus (gray rot). This is caused by keeping the flower in the cold coupled with dampness. Damaged leaves must be eliminated, because... if the stem is damaged, the tulip will die.

Watery bulbs with a pink spot is a soft rot that will sooner or later lead to the flower wilting. The reason is planting in warm soil (above +12 °C). If a lesion is detected, it is necessary to disinfect the soil with a fungicide or renew it, and also be sure to drain it.

In addition to these diseases, there are: fusarium, typhullosis, root rot, penicillosis, trichoderma, August disease - the fight against each of them comes down to maintaining optimal growing conditions, excluding contaminated elements, treating and disinfecting tools with formaldehyde, and beds and bulbs with potassium permanganate and fungicide .

Which tulips are suitable for cutting?

The height of the stem plays a significant role in the decorative appeal of the bouquet. To make the cut look impressive, use tall varieties of tulips with large buds. All flowers are divided into classes and groups according to flowering time. Plants with a mid-flowering period - April-May - are most often used for cutting. Triumph tulips with a height of 50-60 cm are popular. The color ranges from white to purple, sometimes two-colored. The buds hold their shape well.

Darwin hybrids are among the highest varieties. Goblet-shaped flowers of pink or red color. The height of the stem is 60-80 cm, the bud reaches 9-10 cm. The plants tolerate transportation well and stand for a long time when cut. Popular varieties: Desing Impression, Hans Mayer, Spring Song.

How to keep tulips from mice and other rodents

Many gardeners and businessmen who professionally grow tulips are well acquainted with such enemies of delicate flower bulbs as mice and other rodents, as well as beetles. In search of food, they are capable of ruining all the beauty in the literal sense of the word on the vine, or even eating bulbs that have not yet been planted. There are several ways to protect yourself from this, and each gardener chooses his own. Let's list some of them.

• A combination of tulips when planting with other plants that mice do not like. These are, for example, daffodils: they are also bulbous, but contain substances that are poisonous to rodents.
• Treatment of bulbs before planting with kerosene or Vishnevsky ointment. It is harmless for tulips, but the strong pungent smell will scare away mice.
• Sprinkling the soil after planting tulips with a thick layer of ground red pepper.
• Spraying a flower bed where tulips grow with tincture of valerian - this plant is also unpleasant for rodents.
• Using poisonous mouse baits to remove them from the area.
• Planting tulips in special baskets with holes: then the flowers will receive nutrients from the soil, but pests will no longer reach them.
• Using special ultrasonic rodent repellers.
• An ancient remedy: a cat or hedgehog living on the property.

Tips and tricks for proper storage

• The fundamental conservation recommendation for both tulips and their bulbs is compliance with temperature conditions, air humidity, and room ventilation.
• Elimination of sudden changes in environmental parameters.
• The sun is the enemy of cut tulips, but so is temperature below 0°C.
• The use of disinfectants when forcing and storing tulips has a positive effect on the result.
• Tulips love to be treated with care (without strong, tight packaging and dense materials).
• It should not be allowed to be adjacent to any other flowers and in no case to fruits.

Shelf life

Storing tulip bulbs at home in winter is difficult. The planting material of these flowers is not suitable for long-term storage. It is best to dig up plants after flowering has finished and store them until digging in the fall. The option of winter storage is suitable only in exceptional cases (for example, you bought plants late in the fall and did not have time to plant them before the cold weather). If the conditions are met, the bulbs are well preserved until autumn.

If storage conditions are violated, the bulbs deteriorate. How to determine:

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

In the first case, household heaters are used for drying; air humidifiers and water containers placed in storage will help deal with dryness.

Tulips protect against mice and other rodents not only in flower beds, but also during storage. In cellars and basements, premises are disinfected in advance, bait is scattered, and traps are set. To protect tulips from mice, the boxes are placed on shelves, hung in bags or stockings on hooks near 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 again delight you with friendly flowering

Regular checking of seed

Primary processing before storage is often not enough. All bulbs must be periodically turned over and inspected for the appearance of new spots and rottenness. Damaged roots are immediately removed, and those adjacent to them are wiped with a clean cloth and placed in a separate box to avoid further spread of bacteria.

Possible storage problems and their solutions

If the necessary storage conditions are violated, the tulip tubers will show this.
If the bulbs become wrinkled and soft, the plants are signaling an insufficient level of humidity. Place a wide container of water close to the container where the roots are stored. As it evaporates, add liquid.

Another “resuscitation” option is to purchase a household air humidifier with a humidity level sensor. When the set value is reached, the device turns off. The main thing is not to forget to fill the container with water.

On a note!

If the tulip bulbs are wrinkled, do not rush to throw them away immediately. Try raising the humidity in the room where the planting material is stored. If the efforts are effective, the roots will regain their former elasticity.

When the room is too humid, rot and sores begin to develop on the surface of the tubers. Drops of water appear on the skin - a signal that the room urgently needs to be dried. Household electric heaters will help.

With diseased bulbs proceed as follows:

1. Those that are completely or half rotten are destroyed.
2. If the root is damaged up to 1/3, the rotten part is cut off. The cut site is treated with green diamond. These seeds are subsequently stored separately from healthy bulbs.
3. Suspicious: soft or slippery roots are wiped with a clean, dry cloth and also placed in another container.

Common mistakes and recommendations

Even experienced gardeners can make mistakes when collecting bulbs and storing them and encounter unwanted problems. To preserve tulip tubers until spring and avoid unpleasant consequences, it is important to know about the reasons leading to damage to the material:

1. During the procedure, tubers should be handled carefully. If they are damaged, they will become weak and may contract a fungal disease.
2. When storing bulbs in a cardboard box, there is a high risk of mold developing on the rhizomes.
3. Failure to comply with the temperature regime will result in the death of the bulbs. In the room reserved for storing tulips, the temperature should not exceed +25 degrees.
4. The bulbs laid out in one layer will quickly begin to disappear and rot.

If you do not make the mistakes listed above when storing tulips, the flowers will safely overwinter, and after planting they will be full of bright colors in the flowerbed.

Dry method

Oddly enough, there is a way to store cut tulips without water. It turns out it's not that difficult. And most importantly, in some cases it is even necessary. So, for example, many sellers are wondering how to store cut tulips before sale for as long as possible, so that they can be sold profitably later. And this can be achieved in a dry way. First, moisten the paper or newspaper with water, just a little bit. Then the flowers are wrapped in it so that the buds do not touch each other and do not stick together. The bouquet is put into the refrigerator for storage. The refrigerator has special requirements. Firstly, the temperature should not be higher than three degrees Celsius. Secondly, the humidity cannot be lower than 95%, otherwise the flowers will begin to rot. Thirdly, it is better not to put food nearby. In this way, you can store bouquets for two weeks without damaging their condition. By the way, Dutch tulips are transported this way, although they are first placed in boxes rubbed with paraffin inside. This prevents moisture evaporation, which allows you to keep the plants unchanged for almost three weeks.