Key Techniques and Methods for Forcing Tulips into Bloom
Tulips grown in natural conditions generally bloom from March to May. To make tulips bloom at Spring Festival, the following technical measures should be taken.
Selection of bulbs: in October, choose plump, well-developed bulbs free of pests and diseases, and remove the brown outer skin.
Disinfection of bulbs: before low-temperature treatment, soak them for 15-20 minutes in a 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder solution diluted 800 times, then let them dry naturally.
Low-temperature treatment of bulbs: tulips grown in natural conditions all undergo a natural dormancy process. To make tulips bloom earlier at Spring Festival, they must undergo a period of low-temperature treatment. The method is to count back 3 months from the Spring Festival flowering period, wrap the selected bulbs for forcing cultivation in clean gauze, place them in a foam plastic box, and put the box in a cold storage room or refrigerator compartment at a low temperature of 1°C-3°C to allow the bulbs to complete vernalization. After 45 days, take the bulbs out of the cold storage room and pot them in fertilized growing soil. The growing soil should be loose and breathable and contain more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer: use small pots with a diameter of 20 cm, and plant 4-5 bulbs per pot. When planting, the top of the bulb should be slightly below the soil surface.
After the bulbs are potted, water them thoroughly and move them indoors, first placing them in a cool, semi-shaded spot. For the first seven days, keep the temperature at 8°C-12°C, then gradually raise it to between 15°C-20°C, and gradually move them to a place with ample sunlight. During this period the leaf cluster grows rapidly, so keep the potting soil moist and apply topdressing 2-3 times; they will soon bolt and form flower buds. During the bud stage, the temperature should be 20°C-23°C, not lower than 20°C. Throughout the forcing period, the night temperature should not be lower than 8°C. Under these conditions, tulips can bloom at Spring Festival as scheduled.