Flower bulbs: useful tips for a perfect yield
Gardening is a hobby that involves millions of people all over the world. Even if you’re starting from scratch and don’t have a lot of knowledge about it, now thanks to the internet, it’s much easier to find knowledge than in the past. The web is practically full of articles or even video tutorials that explain step by step what needs to be done to make your thumb turn green. Together with the plants, flowers are the favourite subjects of all gardening lovers. If you have the choice between seeds and flower bulbs, they are without a doubt the second ones that have the primacy among the people. In fact, many flowers have two variants and can be grown both by means of bulbs and through the seeds.
Even if you don’t think so, flowering bulbs present themselves and prove to be much easier to care for and cultivate. Thanks to their internal structure, the bulbs can be defined as small factories that can provide almost entirely the process of growth and flowering. Dividing a bulb in two, in fact, you will realize that within it has leaves (called fleshy leaves) and an embryo that in turn contain all the nutrients that serve the flower to be born and grow in good health. In some cases it is also possible that the embryo present inside the flower bulbs already has a shape very similar if not equal to that which will then be that of the flower already bloomed. Therefore, thanks to all the nutrients and “natural fertilizers” present inside the flower bulbs, there will be no need for man to intervene with external substances except with water to water them.
FLOWER BULBS: HOW LONG THEY LAST
Once purchased, flower bulbs do not last very long because in theory they should be buried as soon as possible to prevent them from being damaged or ruined. If the situation does not allow it, it is still possible to keep them away for short periods of time in a dry place. Precisely to prevent these mechanisms from triggering and that therefore you have to wait to plant them would be better to buy them just when you have the intention to do so and in the period most suitable for the type of flower bulbs to buy. For the purchase of bulbs you can contact your trusted florist or even online retailers, such as flora Blom, which are usually very well stocked and have more competitive prices than retailers.
Burying the flower bulbs is very simple: just dig a small hole in the ground where to place the bulb and then cover it with the soil previously taken. Once this is done, the bulbs will be watered according to the specific needs of the type of plant and bulb chosen. An important thing to keep in mind is that the flower bulbs should be buried at a certain depth and at a certain distance from each other. To calculate these measurements accurately, you just need to triple the measurements of the length and width of the bulb and voila: measurements found!
HOW TO STORE FLOWER BULBS
Once the flower has bloomed, it can stay alive for about one to three weeks. Once withered, the stem can be cut off so that the bulb can be kept for the following year. Before doing so, however, you should wait for the leaves around the flower bulbs to wither (about 6 weeks). Once this time has elapsed and the leaves are withered, the bulb can be eradicated from the ground.
For the first night the flower bulbs will have to remain on a special surface to dry out completely so that the following day it will be easier to clean them of all the leftovers (soil, last dried leaves…).
Once these two steps have been completed, the bulbs should be stored in containers or paper bags that will protect them. Once the bulbs are “safe”, they should be stored in a dry place, but at the same time where the air circulates until the period for planting returns.
FLOWER BULBS: WHEN TO PLANT THEM
There are many types of bulbs that differ from each other even for the flowering period. It is precisely for this reason that there are different periods for planting flower bulbs instead of others. Usually, if the bulbs are in bloom in a given season, it is better to plant them in the previous season. If, for example, you want to plant summer bulbs, you should plant them in spring and so on…