Caring for daffodils after flowering

For a lush bloom next year

1. After the buds wither, the peduncle is cut off almost immediately. So that he does not "pull" from the tubers. But the foliage must be left. The peduncle has no leaves, and it does not affect the growth of the bulbs, but takes some of the nutrition from the rhizome.

Blooming daffodil

1. As soon as the bush begins to disintegrate, cut the tops to half the height.

2. They loosen the soil around and apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.

3. Then continue watering for 2 weeks, gradually reducing the amount of water and the frequency of watering.

4. When the tops are completely yellow, they are cut almost to the root, leaving up to 5 cm above the ground.

If you are not going to dig up the bulbs, the plant will winter without transplanting, then in late autumn you need to mulch the rhizome with dry leaves, grass, wood ash, sawdust or peat. If winters with thaws and frosts after, and this is a common occurrence in Donbass, then it is better to cover the daffodils. They can begin to germinate during a thaw, and then the frost will kill them.

This year, the winter was very warm and some daffodils in the sunniest areas I had sprouted in February, until spring I covered them with cut plastic bottles. Some gardeners advise covering the daffodil with foil since the fall, but, in my opinion, the foil will create an additional greenhouse effect and then they will definitely germinate during the thaw. You decide.

Storage methods

Prepared and sorted rhizomes should be stored in a container where free air circulation is possible. These requirements are met by wooden boxes, plastic containers, egg cells, dense cardboard boxes, in which holes have been made in advance.

Attention: If the container for storage is closed, then ethylene secreted by tulips begins to accumulate in it. And it has a detrimental effect on the vitality of flowers .. The bulbs must be laid out in one layer so that they do not touch each other.

To avoid the development of infectious diseases, the boxes must be ventilated weekly. If the first signs of the disease appear, then the affected area, provided that it is not large, must be cut off with a sharp knife, and then sprinkled with ash or treated with hydrogen peroxide. If the affected area is large, then the bulb must be disposed of.

The bulbs must be laid out in one layer so that they do not touch each other. To avoid the development of infectious diseases, the boxes must be ventilated weekly. If the first signs of the disease appear, then the affected area, provided that it is not large, must be cut off with a sharp knife, and then sprinkled with ash or treated with hydrogen peroxide. If the affected area is large, then the bulb must be disposed of.

If you cannot plant the rhizomes of flowers before the fall, there are various ways to store them. The main condition for winter storage is stratification. If you neglect it, then after planting the flowers will not appear.

The most popular methods for preserving bulbs are:

Wet germination. He suggests that wet sawdust or high-moor peat must be put in a plastic container. Place the planting material on top of it and sprinkle it with a little substrate. Store in a cellar. If tulip bulbs have sprouted in this way, then they will bloom at the usual time. Dry storage. If there are few rhizomes, then they can be stored in the refrigerator in the fresh vegetables compartment until planting. Each unit must be wrapped in paper. The basement also provides optimal storage conditions.

But for this, it is important to sprinkle the bulbs with sand or dry sawdust. A crop planted in spring begins to bloom later

Early distillation. This method is suitable if there is a risk that the tulip cannot be preserved in the usual way. According to him, the bulbs must be planted in a container with garden soil. Until the first frost, they can be stored on the balcony or veranda, and then covered with foil and lowered into the basement. Ventilation is necessary every 14 days, watering is needed as the earth dries up. As soon as the first shoots hatch, the container must be exposed to the light.

But even if you ensure proper cultivation and proper care, there is still a great risk that the planting material will not "survive" until the next planting. Therefore, it is necessary to comply with the terms and not to compose the bulbs for winter storage.

Storage locations

Rhizomes that have already been sorted and cleaned should be placed in a dry, warm and well-ventilated area. It can be an attic, a shed, a summer residence. Until disembarkation in the fall, they will be stored there at a temperature of 25 to 28 ℃.

In urban settings, storage of bulbs can be organized on the balcony. But at the same time it is necessary to exclude direct sunlight on them. It is permissible to keep the boxes on the windowsill. In country houses, tulips are often kept in the attic. At the same time, they must be placed so that access to rodents is limited.

Conditions for tulips

In the case when tulips are intended for autumn planting, the storage temperature should be 23-25 ​​℃ with a plus sign at the beginning of the bookmark, and before planting the bulbs, this figure should be reduced to 15 ℃ above zero.

The humidity level should be optimal - 60-70%. If this indicator is lower, then the fleshy membranes of the rhizome will wrinkle, therefore ventilation and protection from direct sunlight must be provided.

Attention: If this happens, the air in the storage should be slightly humidified.

In case of its overabundance, early germination will occur, as well as the reproduction of putrefactive microorganisms. The storage area must be well ventilated.

Description

Before proceeding directly to digging up daffodils, you should dwell on the features of their cultivation and reproduction.

The root of the flowers is a bulb. After the annual flowering, the aboveground part dries up and dies. The bulb, in turn, is well stored in the soil and retains its qualities until the next season.

Daffodils have a different multiplication factor, which significantly depends on the choice of varieties. Usually 4 new plants are formed in one year of growth.

Daffodil bulbs

It is recommended to dig up daffodils for the purpose of reproduction after 3-4 years of growth. By that time, a whole family is formed on the basis of one onion. The plants themselves become cramped and a lack of nutrients begins. This is expressed in the grinding of flowers and their loss of their healthy appearance.

If the cultivation of daffodils is not included in the plans of flower growers, then the bulbs are dug up annually. At the same time, they retain their large size and do not give offspring. Usually, these flowers are somewhat larger and more beautiful than those grown for propagation.

Transplant once every 6 years: expert opinion

We have already noted this important point: daffodil bulbs should be planted much earlier than, for example, tulips. The thing is that they do not require drying and are very heat demanding. For the northern regions, this may be mid-August. Once you have dug up the bulbs, you can start preparing the soil for planting them.

To do this, choose a sunny place, dig it over the bayonet of a shovel and apply fertilizer. Ash and overripe compost are best, but any complex flower fertilizer can be used. The bulbs are usually planted in a circle, at a distance of 10 cm.However, if you want to quickly get a lot of children, then plant the plants a little closer.

You cannot dig a nest as long as the daffodil leaves are green and firm. At least 6 weeks should pass from the moment of flowering.During this time, the bulbs accumulate nutrients, they form flower buds.

But even fully matured specimens cannot be replanted in late autumn. They will not have time to take root. In the southern regions, the deadline is the end of September. In the regions of the middle lane, all work with daffodils must be completed before September 10-15. In winter, they are also not transplanted.

How to transplant daffodils:

1. Dig up and plant. Bulbous plants must be periodically dug up and planted again. So daffodils are planted in the fall from September 1 to 10, so that the bulbs have time to take root before the onset of cold weather.
2. Observe the distance. When planting bulbs, not only planting depth is important, but also distance. Daffodil bulbs are planted at a distance of 10-12 cm from each other. Strong thickening leads to crushing of the inflorescence.
3. Choose a sunny location. Early spring flowers are thermophilic and easily respond to the sun's rays. Before planting, the earth is well dug up, removing weeds. From above, the soil is mulched, which protects the bulbs from freezing.
4. Plant between perennials. So that the garden does not remain without flowers in the summer after spring flowering, it is necessary to plant bulbs between perennial flowers. As long as the main flowers gain strength after winter, the daffodils will fade.

Plant expert at Greensad recommends replanting daffodils once every 6 years

Dates for digging bulbous

Aspiring gardeners often find it difficult to find the perfect time to dig up the bulbous plants. This is actually one of the simplest steps in the bulb conservation process. About a month after flowering, the leaves of bulbous plants begin to turn yellow and gradually dry out. This process is the main signal that you can start digging bulbs with early flowering dates. There are no deadlines for digging, but it is carried out not before at least a couple of upper leaves turn yellow and always before there is no trace of the greenery.

If you allow all the leaves to wilt, you may not find the location of the bulbs at all or damage them when digging up "at random". The only exceptions are daffodils, for which only the beginning of lodging of leaves is expected, and crocuses, which can be dug up all summer even after the foliage has wilted (places are marked in advance with pegs).

Dig up different bulbous not at the same time. Crocuses are the first to ripen, followed by tulips (from early varieties in late June to late varieties in July), followed by hyacinths and hazel grouse, then snowdrops. Muscari and daffodils are the last to be dug (sometimes in the second half of August). Summer digging begins in early June and lasts not only the whole of July, but can also continue in August for plants that are planning to immediately transfer to a new place.

The easiest way is to determine the exact digging time for tulips. These bulbs prefer to dig out at the stage of formation of dense protective scales around the bulb, indicating the completion of the ripening process. And you need to focus on the degree of wilting of the leaves, which corresponds to it - the moment when the upper leaves of tulips turn yellow. You cannot wait for the foliage to dry completely. One of the signs that it is time to dig up tulips is also considered the ability to wrap the stem around two fingers - the flexibility of the shoot.

Digging up the bulbs for storage

By the appearance of the hyacinth, you can determine its readiness to dig up. After flowering, the bulb continues to receive the nutrients it needs to grow.

When to dig up daffodils after flowering

When to dig up hyacinths:

• several weeks have passed after flowering;
• leaves wither, turn yellow.

Dead plant parts must be removed. This will eliminate decay and save the energy needed to maintain the life of wilted leaves. At the same time, you must carefully dig up the onion. Then follow simple steps:

• cleanse the earth;
• inspect for damage and rotten areas;
• put in a warm room for 2-3 days;
• remove dried roots and husks.

Optimal digging time

Hyacinth is usually dug up in June-July. The main thing is not to start the process ahead of time. Otherwise, the plant may not bloom next year.

Note! It is necessary to dig out hyacinths after flowering when the ground part begins to die off. Immediately after the end of the process, the plant should not be touched.

Hyacinth after flowering

The bulbs must gain strength, since there is a dormant period ahead, which the plant is experiencing without soil. For example, in the Moscow region, hyacinths bloom in the first half of May. Therefore, the optimal time for digging is at the end of June.

If, after flowering, the leaves remain healthy for a long time, this will have a beneficial effect on the plant. This means it will receive more nutrients.

Therefore, they usually continue to pay attention to the hyacinth and take care of it. Fertilizers applied to the soil will help preserve nutrients and prepare for a state of dormancy

At the same time, watering is gradually reduced.

If the plant has bloomed again, then digging is usually postponed, waiting for the end of the colorful period. After the end of flowering, the arrow is removed so that the plant does not waste energy on the formation of seeds. Therefore, there is no need for a box. This will help retain more of the nutrients needed at rest.

Bulb extraction rules

When it comes time to dig up hyacinths and tulips, you need to act carefully.

The main thing is not to harm the flower, to get it out of the soil carefully, observing simple rules:

• Be sure to wait for clear, sunny weather; on rainy days, it is better to refuse the procedure;
• If the hyacinth grows outdoors, use a pitchfork or bayonet shovel. In this case, it is better to take the land with a margin, so as not to damage the plant. It is better to drip to a depth of 30-45 centimeters. When cultivation is carried out in a pot, the tubers are shaken out of it;
• All bulbs, large and small, are removed from the soil. They are called babies. It is necessary to carefully check if there are any plant parts left in the ground;
• The onion is cleaned from soil and sent for drying in a ventilated room. The temperature is kept within 20 degrees. A week later, the planting material is prepared for storage.

Precautionary measures

It is important to dig up the hyacinth until the leaves die off completely. Otherwise, it will be difficult to find them in the ground.

Dry foliage will break, bulbs will be lost. Digging without landmarks is fraught with damage to the plant.

Important! It is only necessary to peel the bulbs from dried soil. If it is wet, then it is worth drying the extracted plant along with an earthen lump.

Only after it is dry, continue the process.

Bulbs

How to properly plant hyacinths in open ground in spring

The flower can also be kept at room temperature. The planting material is like a bulb. For the first time, you can keep it in the refrigerator. When it starts to germinate, then the plant needs to be removed from the refrigerator. For better growth in a pot, 18-20 degrees room temperature is suitable. And, of course, constant illumination.

Planting hyacinths:

• If the soil is heavy, then sand can be added.
• Dig up the ground where the planting will take place. Preferably 40 cm deep.
• Add fertilizer. They will help you grow quickly. For this, superphosphate, potash fertilizers, ash, dolomite flour are suitable.
• It is imperative to remove the weeds. The soil must be clean, free of foreign grass.
• Immediately before planting, be sure to dig up the earth again. Then the fertilizer with sand is evenly moved.
• The presence of drainage.
• Planting a plant.
• Abundant watering.

How to choose and prepare bulbs

Before growing hyacinth in the garden, it is important to learn how to select healthy and strong tubers.For planting in the ground or a pot, take medium-sized hyacinths

They must be tight and free from damage.

The scales on the surface of the bulb should adhere tightly to each other, their color should be darker than the color of the flower.

An important indicator of a healthy bulb is the bottom-to-bulb ratio. It amounts to 1 to 1.6.

How to determine the age of a hyacinth by bulb size

Before planting, the planting material is examined, dried scales are removed. Immediately before planting, hyacinths must be disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a purchased fungicide.

Choosing a place for hyacinths in the garden

To grow these flowers in the country or near the house, choose an open area, protected from drafts. The plant should receive a lot of sunlight, but the direct rays of the sun can harm it.

Flowers are allowed to be planted under tall trees, but in this case more fertilizers will need to be applied. The flower bed is placed on a hill or a small slope. The surface of the earth is leveled.

Hyacinths grow well in organic-rich soil. The soil should be light, moisture permeable. The landing site is prepared 2-3 months before it.

Soil preparation

Before planting, the soil must be lightened. Bulbous plants do not tolerate wet, clayey soil. If the soil in the area is heavy, it needs a layer of additional drainage. Fine gravel, shell rock or coarse sand is used as drainage of water.

Landing technology

Hyacinths are large flowers, for good growth they need to be properly planted in spring, leaving enough space between future plants. The distance between the bulbs is 15 - 30 cm. The planting depth depends on the soil. The lighter the soil, the deeper the bulb can be planted. In light soil, a hole is dug to a depth of p = 3 * h, where p is the planting depth and h is the height of the bulb.

The recommended planting depth of corms in heavy soil is calculated by the formula p = 3 * h-3, respectively.

A layer of sand should be placed on the top and bottom of the bulb to prevent the bulb from rotting. The wells should be moistened before planting. A layer of fertile soil is added on top of the sand and watered.

Planting hyacinths in spring: timing

For spring planting of bulbs in open ground, it is advisable to carry out all work on the preparation of the site in the fall. Then, immediately after thawing the soil, you can start planting the bulbs in spring. To protect the prepared area from destruction and leaching of nutrients, the bed can be covered with a film.

As soon as the ground thaws 15 - 20 cm and warms up to + 5 + 8 degrees, then the bulbs can be transplanted to the garden bed. For this to happen faster, you need to choose a site that is well lit, preferably a small southern slope. For most regions with a temperate climate, spring planting of hyacinths is carried out from the second - third decade of April.

Thus, if the soil has thawed to the depth of a shovel by April 15-20, then you can plant hyacinths in the open ground in the first week of May. Of course, with such a late planting, there is a high probability that the bulb will begin to germinate. In this case, it can be placed in a small bowl with soil and transplanted to the garden as soon as possible.

According to experienced florists, many of them do not dig out hyacinth bulbs for several seasons, receiving earlier flowering of these plants every spring. Although improper care and untimely planting can negatively affect the shape and splendor of the inflorescence.

Correct digging of hazel grouses after flowering

The bulbs of this plant are very fragile, therefore, during the process of extracting them from the soil for maximum safety of the planting material, certain rules and precautions should be followed:

you need to dig out hazel grouses when there is no rain;
it is necessary to trim the hazel grouses after flowering when the seed pods have not yet formed, otherwise all the power will go into them, and not into the bulbs. You need to leave a trim of the stem about 10 cm;
hazel grouse bulbs can be easily damaged by digging

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to retreat from the stem by about 20-25 cm;
carefully, slightly digging, pull the bulbs out of the soil by the stem of the plant. Gently remove soil;
if the bulb is accidentally damaged, for example, cut with a shovel, this is not scary, it will not die, it can also be stored by treating the damaged area with an iodine solution;
you need to remove the top rotten shell and inspect the bulbs

If traces of rot or any fungal diseases are found, this place must be cut off with a knife so that no affected areas remain, and burned with iodine or brilliant green so that it does not spread further;
the dug out bulbs should be put to dry together with the stems and roots. For this purpose, it is worth choosing a warm, well-ventilated place, but so that direct sunlight does not fall;
after about a week, when the roots and stems are completely dry, you need to carefully separate them from the bulbs. Proper separation of the dry stem should result in a through or funnel-shaped hole in the bulbs. Through - subsequently it will protect the plant from excess moisture, but if a blind funnel-shaped hole has formed, then during planting it will be necessary to lay the bulbs a little to one side so that water does not accumulate inside and decay does not occur.

Step-by-step instruction

There are no particular difficulties in the transplant process itself. Even if you have been doing flowers in a flower bed for the first year, you will probably cope with the standard procedure. The whole process can be broken down into 9 steps.

Finally, decide at what specific time period you intend to plant daffodils. The optimal period, as already noted, is August - early September.

A natural question arises - where exactly is it better to transplant daffodils?

Nearby, it is desirable that there are no large buildings, tall shrubs and trees. In a word, objects that prevent the normal access of sunlight to the flower should be absent in the zone of its transplantation. It is good if you align and drain the planting site beforehand. Daffodils like to grow in moist soil, but clay-textured soil can be dangerous to the plant. Excess moisture accumulates in it, which is why the flower can rot.

Treatment of daffodil bulbs against disease

Narcissus bulbs sometimes suffer from various diseases, most often from bacterial and penicillous rot, fusarium, sclerotinia, mosaic disease. How to care for daffodils?

So that the plant does not die and does not hurt after flowering, it is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 100 g of vitriol per 10 liters of water.

Daffodil bulbs also infect pests, of which the most dangerous is the onion hoverfly. The nematode and root onion mite plant in the bulbs, so the plants need to be treated with insecticide in the spring. You can use Fitoverm, which is diluted in a proportion of 2 ml per 1 liter of water.

How to care for tulips and daffodils

Tulips can be planted both in autumn and spring, however, with spring planting of flowering, you will only wait for the next season

Please note the following:

• if you do not have your own planting material, carefully examine the bulbs when purchasing. they must be even, uniformly colored and free from spots. The bulbs should be refrigerated for several hours before planting. Some flower growers keep the planting material in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour before planting, but this is an optional requirement for high-quality bulbs.
• a garden bed or flower bed must be prepared in advance by digging it up and leaving it for several days.You can plant tulips both in group plantings and in rows, or you can make a flower bed - it all depends solely on your taste and desire.
• if you are planting the bulbs in the furrows, the distance between the rows should be about 30 cm, and between the bulbs - at least 10 cm, so that the flowers feel free. Be sure to drain the bulbs to keep them from getting wet.

Tulips grow gradually, bulbs form babies, and flowers need space. The planting pits do not need to be made deep, for bulbous there is a general rule - to deepen them by about three diameters of the bulb.

If the soil is clayey, heavy, the distance should be slightly less. Cover the bulbs with soil on top, level them with a rake and pour peat on top - this is done so that the soil does not crack.

As soon as the first arrows appeared from the ground, carefully loosen the soil and water them in a timely manner - tulips do not like overflow, but they need moisture. Watering is especially important during the appearance of buds and flowering - they should be watered abundantly and regularly, always with warm water.

If the spring is rainy, watering can be reduced, but in sunny dry weather, watering the flowers in the morning or evening is imperative. Avoid doing this in hot weather in bright sun, and be careful not to get water on the flowers.

The soil between the flowers must be loosened and weeded. Loosening is best combined with watering while the soil is wet. Weeding is not particularly difficult, since tulips bloom in the spring, when the weed is just emerging.

Tulips should be fed, and this can be done with both liquid and dry fertilizer. If you are using dry fertilizer and scattering it between flowers, do it on a dry day and before watering so that the mixture does not get on the wet leaves or they will burn.

Fading leaves must be removed in a timely manner, since otherwise seeds will begin to appear on the stems, and the plant will spend a lot of energy on their maturation, which will negatively affect the development of the bulbs.

Daffodils will have to be looked after more carefully, and the first thing to do is to choose the right place. Daffodils can bloom beautifully not only in the sun, but also in partial shade, but they do not like drafts and winds. Therefore, you need to find a windproof place for them.

Daffodils planted under trees look great - in spring they frame the trunk beautifully, and the first foliage does not yet cast a thick shadow on the ground and does not interfere with flowering.

Planting daffodils is also preferable in autumn, but a little earlier than tulips - in late August or early September. The landing rules are as follows:

• the soil should be light and nutritious. If the soil is stony or clayey, sand should be added there, peat, compost or humus should be added to the soil poor in nutrients;
• when planting, you need to add potash fertilizers. as well as a little superphosphate;
• deepen the bulbs by three diameters and sprinkle with soil on top;
• a bed with planted daffodils needs to be moistened;
• for the winter, the soil must be insulated by covering it with mulch or sawdust on top. You can also use peat.

When the first shoots emerge from the ground, you should fertilize the daffodils for the first time with liquid mineral fertilizers. Do not overdo it with nitrogen, as the daffodils will either stop blooming or the flowers will become much smaller.

The second time daffodils need to be fertilized before flowering. By the way, these flowers love ordinary ash, it contains all the fertilizers they need. You can apply it directly under the roots in a dry form, or you can dilute it in a bucket of water and water the plants.