Detailed Explanation of Tulip Forcing Cultivation Methods and Techniques

9℃ box cultivation method: Storing tulip bulbs in a 9℃ box for a period allows flower buds to germinate 7 to 10 days earlier than planting them directly in soil. This is because giving tulip bulbs a certain cold treatment is very important. Normally, within a few weeks, the treatment temperature should gradually decrease from 9℃ to 7℃, 5℃, and 2℃, so that they receive the required cold before entering the greenhouse for cultivation.

Once these bulbs treated in the 9℃ box are planted in greenhouse soil, they immediately begin to grow and elongate. The reason is that their root systems can directly absorb water, so compared with ordinary greenhouse cultivation, planting time can be reduced and higher yields can be obtained. Another advantage of this forcing cultivation is that it can extend the cultivation season. Bulbs can be planted from the end of October to mid-February of the following year, and the harvest time is generally in mid-March.

Solution cultivation method: In 2001, about 30% to 40% (300 to 400 million bulbs) of tulips in the Netherlands were grown using the solution cultivation method. Initially, using the solution method to cultivate tulips had many problems, such as root rot, bulb damage, and thin, weak, and easily broken stems. But today, tulips cultivated by this method can match the quality of soil-cultivated ones. Except for some sensitive varieties, such as Angelique, almost all tulip varieties can use this method.

If long-stem late-maturing cultivation is to be carried out for sensitive tulip varieties, a short preheating treatment should be given before removing the bulbs, because this is more beneficial to plant growth.

Tulips grown in solution have sturdier leaves than those grown in soil, with fewer wilted leaves, and can better wrap around the plant stems, making harvesting and bundling into bunches more convenient.

Before solution cultivation, tulip bulbs should be stored in a dry environment. After 3 weeks of cold treatment, place the bulbs into the solution in the growing tray. Sowing can be done by machine or by hand. At this time, the bulbs' roots will grow in a 5℃ environment until they reach 3 to 4 cm long. At this stage, early forcing cultivation requires 3 to 4 weeks, and late forcing cultivation requires 1 to 2 weeks. The growing trays can be placed either in a forcing room or in a greenhouse, with the room temperature kept between 12℃ and 14℃. In addition, solution cultivation can also ensure normal root growth of the bulbs, preventing them from becoming too concentrated or too dense, or becoming mushy due to bacterial attack, which would affect quality.

During greenhouse cultivation, rooted tulip bulbs can be planted either in flowing water or in still water. Generally, people mostly use still water, not only because it is more economical, but also because high-efficiency flowing water growing trays are still rare at present. Among the many still water growing trays, the hydro-tray has become growers' first choice due to its reliable fixing ability. In the Netherlands, about 95% of tulip solution cultivators use this kind of growing tray.

After one round of cultivation, steaming and fumigating the growing trays (treating at 60℃ for 1 hour) can disinfect and kill pathogens. In addition, formalin can also be used to disinfect the growing trays.