Perhaps the best period for all spring is the time when tulips bloom. It is these beautiful plants that by their appearance inform us about the arrival of spring. Such joy as tulips, I want to multiply with each season, which is why flower growers have invented a way to preserve flowers until next spring by storing tulips after digging. About when to dig up tulips and how to store them, we will talk in this article.
Do I need to dig tulip bulbs
When the tulips have already bloomed - usually the end of May - a reasonable question arises: what to do with tulip bulbs after flowering? Now there are many versions about whether to dig out tulip bulbs, and there is no definitive solution to this problem. There are some species, for example, Darwin hybrids, Triumph, Foster, Kaufman, which can be left in the ground, but they are not very popular. Most often, of course, tulips are dug up for storage. They dig out the bulbs not only in order to propagate the flower, but also in order to make it more comfortable. If you notice that there are more flowers on the bed, and the places are already "right", it is better to dig up a portion of the tulip bulbs and transplant them to another place. Another factor in favor of the need to dig out the bulbs is that tulips require fertile, loose soil for abundant flowering, and if the flower stays in the ground for several years, this will result in less flowering.
Did you know? The more an onion grows in one place, the more it deepens, and over time new shoots simply cannot grow through a thick layer of soil.
In order for the bulbs to germinate the following year, they need to be dug up at the right time and stored in suitable conditions. 
When you need to dig the bulbs
Is it possible to dig up tulips immediately after flowering? The flower itself will inform you about this. In some colors, the leaves will be sluggish, but still green - such plants do not need to be disturbed, but if more than half of the leaf turns yellow and dries out - such a tulip can be dug up.
Important! In order for the bulb to be strong, it is necessary to cut the flower head before the seed is fastened.
If it turns out that part of the tulips in your garden bed was dug earlier, and the other part later, do not worry, this is normal. It is important not to miss the period when you need to dig a plant, but also not to hurry. If you are "late" with digging, there is a possibility that the bulb will crumble, become very weak and may not recover next year; Another consequence of too late digging will be that you will not be able to get the smallest onion out of the ground. HTo avoid such problems, some growers recommend cultivating the soil in the place where the tulips grew - this process will destroy the smallest bulbs and save you from unwanted ones. If, on the contrary, hurry, then you can dig up a flower that has not yet matured, which may not survive the winter.
How to dig up tulip bulbs
For the digging process, it is better to choose a day when the weather will be warm and dry outside. In order not to damage the bulbs, a spade must be held vertically during digging. To the bulb does not "run away" from you, you can not pull it out of the stem. If it so happened that the onion had to be dug out in wet rainy weather, or you found damage to it, such a bulb must be treated with a disinfectant solution and dried thoroughly. If the bulb is "sick", it must be separated from the rest, healthy bulbs. 
Did you know? In order for the bulb not to “run away” and not be damaged, tulips are planted in a garden net (you can use a net from potatoes) or garden boxes (they are less popular because they are rather heavy).
How to store tulip bulbs
For two days after digging, the bulbs are cleaned of leaves and root scales, dried in the sun, and then transferred to a room and stored at a temperature of at least 25 ° C, the humidity should be at least 70%. The temperature is reduced gradually, starting in August: the final temperature should be about 17 ° C. Small bulbs can be stored by hanging them in bags, if the bulbs are large, it is better to use boxes, because their area is larger, and the bulbs do not like to be too close to each other. 
Important! If you decide to store the bulbs in the boxes, it is better to put them at a height of 20-30 cm above ground level so that the mouse does not get to them.
It’s pretty easy to store the bulbs themselves, but if there are tulip babies on the bulb, the question is what to do with them. The shelf life of the bulbs with babies is a little less, they dry faster, and the baby itself can dry in a few days. Opinions on how to take care of the children are divided: someone thinks that the onion should be planted earlier than the others, and then it can be grown; someone sits with all the rest of the bulbs and waits 2-3 years before flowering. It is best to plant such an onion in August and to slightly mulch the soil with humus in order to “cover” them for the winter.
As you can see, it is quite simple to care for tulip bulbs and keep them for breeding this “miracle flower” - the main thing is to do everything gradually. It is especially important to properly care for the bulbs of expensive varieties, so that your flower bed will delight you with its beautiful view.
