Why tulips don't bloom

The article gives an answer to the question of why tulips do not bloom: the influence of the quality of the bulbs, the place and conditions of planting, diseases are considered.

Tulips are not capricious or particularly demanding plants. Nevertheless, sometimes we are faced with the fact that in the second year they do not please us with flowers, releasing only a couple of leaves. And it so happens that in the first year of flowering it did not happen. Let's try to figure out what may be the reason for the fact that tulips do not bloom, and what needs to be done to make tulips bloom luxuriantly and regularly.

Why tulips don't bloom: quality of planting material

The successful cultivation of any plant, be it a flower or a vegetable, always directly depends on the quality of the planting material, in this case, the bulbs. In the first year after purchase, only large bulbs will bloom, the diameter of which is 4-4.5 cm, the rest will bloom later when they grow to the required size. Bulbs must be selected very carefully, examining and examining them for signs of disease. This is possible if the storage rules are violated. You should be alerted: a light bloom, foci of mold, a bright yellow color of the roots, traces of the penetration of larvae ("passages") - all this indicates the presence of diseases or damage by harmful insects. This means that there is a possibility that such bulbs will not only not bloom, but will also spread the infection in your area.

Ideal planting material, these are large, dense and heavy bulbs with thin scales of a golden brown color without signs of damage and with a dense bottom.

Why tulips don't bloom: choosing the right place

It often happens that the lack of flowering is associated with an incorrectly chosen planting site. In theory, one year tulips can probably bloom in a damp and shady part of the garden, but even that is unlikely. The modern varieties that you purchase from flower shops or garden centers place higher demands on the place where they will grow. They need protection from the wind and at least eight hours of sunny day in order to form full-fledged flowers, and then accumulate strength for the next year. There is also an opinion that after flowering, watering of tulips should be completely stopped and the sun during this period is also completely unnecessary. This is also incorrect, since the vegetation process continues until the leaves are completely dry, the bulb is formed, therefore, the plant needs both watering and photosynthesis, and hence the leaves.

Why tulips did not bloom: wrong planting dates

The overwhelming majority of bulbous flowers are planted in autumn (late September - early October) so that they have time to get used to, take root and delight us with flowering in the spring. And it is completely unnecessary, as many believe, to dig up tulips every year in order to transplant them to a new place, this can be done once every three years. Only varieties of multi-flowered tulips need annual digging.

The problem is that the weather is not very stable and it so happens that frosts can hit in October, and in another year the autumn weather will last until December. Just in the second case, tulips will have time not only to take root, but also to actively grow, then the sprout and bulb that has appeared from the ground will suffer from frost. In this case, there will be no flowering in the spring, only foliage will appear.

Planting depth

As we already know, in the fall, after planting, the bulb takes root and releases a sprout, which should appear on the soil surface only in spring, after the snow melts and the ground warms up enough. Therefore, if you plant the bulb not deep enough, then it will freeze and there will be no spring flowering. If, on the contrary, you plant the bulb too deeply, then the plant will use up too much energy, getting to the surface, it will be weakened and again will not bloom. In this case, you need to dig up the bulbs and replant according to all the rules.

Planting rules are individual for each bulb: in order for the sprout to appear on the surface of the earth in a timely manner and without much effort, the bulb must be deepened by three of its heights. This is enough to keep the plant from freezing and to bloom in time in spring.

Why tulips do not bloom, only leaves: bulbs are damaged

It may happen that even perfect and correctly planted bulbs will not sprout in the spring. Not only will they not bloom, but they will not even release leaves. It means that something went wrong and the bulbs were damaged while in the soil. If you have clay soil, then the bulbs could simply rot, lack of nutrients and excessive moisture can ruin even very healthy planting material. So if clay prevails in your garden, create a bed with fertile soil for tulips, otherwise you can not count on flowering.

If the soil is initially all right, then most likely your tulips were eaten by pests: rodents, snails or beetles and their larvae. And the variety and beauty of the flower in this case do not play any role, only juicy bulbs are important to pests, except for tulips crocuses, hyacinths and daffodils may suffer. So if the bulbs disappear without a trace, then I strongly recommend that you set traps in the soil and catch pests.

Violation of cutting rules

If you cut tulips for a bouquet and do it wrong, then blooming next year may not happen. We have already said that with the end of flowering, the vegetation process does not end, which means that leaves are necessary for photosynthesis. Therefore, when cutting the plant, it is necessary to leave at least one pair of leaves, but cut off the stem almost completely. So everyone will be happy: you will receive your bouquet, and the plant will be able to gain strength for flowering next year.

Diseases and harmful insects

Affected and weakened tulips do not bloom for sure. Tulips are susceptible to various diseases, which most often begin with the bulb: different types of rot (white, gray, wet), typhulosis (the infection remains in the ground and will infect newly planted bulbs), as well as variegation and white striping. Typically, the problem starts with the infested bulb and spreads to the rest of the flowers while remaining in the soil. Often, an infected plant cannot be cured, so it should be removed as soon as possible (later burned to stop the outbreak of the disease), and the soil in this place must be thoroughly disinfected.

Also, for the fact that tulips do not bloom, onion mites, hoverfly and bear larvae can be responsible. When digging up the soil, try to identify and remove damaged bulbs, and on the eve of planting, treat them with "Bazudin" or "Thunder".

Knowing the reasons why tulips don't bloom will make it easier to deal with the problem. As you can see, everything is not so difficult and you can cope with any situation. And if you initially purchase high-quality bulbs, treat them with disinfecting drugs, choose the right place and time for planting, then there should be no problems with flowering.

Why tulips do not bloom: video