How to plant tulips in the ground? A detailed guide to the planting method

To make ground-planted tulips sturdy, with vivid flower colors, a moderate flower stalk length, and large blooms, the following must be noted in cultivation:

(1) Selection and preparation of the planting site. The planting site should be chosen in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot, with the groundwater level at 50-70 cm. The soil should be loose and fertile, so the ground must be deeply dug; if the soil quality is poor, replace the original soil in the planting layer with potting soil, and apply a base fertilizer made by mixing well-rotted organic fertilizer with a little superphosphate.

(2) Selection and treatment of the bulbs. The new bulbs to be planted must be selected for being plump and healthy, with a diameter of more than 3.5 cm, otherwise flowering will be poor; they must also be free of damage, black-brown disease spots or mold, and free of pests. Before planting, peel off the light yellow to brown membranous false scales on the outer layer of the bulbs, soak the bulbs for 10 minutes in a mixture of 20% dicofol at 1500 times dilution and 25% carbendazim at 3000 times dilution, then rinse them clean with water and let them dry before planting.

(3) Planting depth. Planting should not be too deep or too shallow; generally the soil cover is about 2/3 of the bulb height. If too deep, the bulbs rot easily, and fewer new bulbs are formed; if too shallow, the root system is prone to frost damage and drought damage. In winter, the north needs to cover with straw curtains or similar materials to protect against the cold, so that the sprouts are not damaged by frost, and these should be removed promptly after the thaw in early spring.

(4) Fertilizing and watering. After the bulbs are planted, water once thoroughly, then just keep the soil moist. When the stems and leaves grow and the flower buds appear the following spring, more water is needed, which is especially important for tulips grown as cut flowers. Prevent waterlogging when it rains. During the growth period, apply thin cake fertilizer water and compound fertilizer several times: usually apply a liquid fertilizer mainly of nitrogen once after the leaves unfold; after the flower buds first appear and the flower stems are drawn out, apply a liquid fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium once a week, and spray a 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate liquid fertilizer once before flowering; after the flowers fade, apply fertilizer 2-3 more times while reducing the frequency of watering, keeping the soil neither dry nor wet, to promote plump growth of the new bulbs.