Thursday, April 14, 2022

How to Care for Spring Bulbs After Blooming

Spring bulbs I always plant behind flowers that grow higher in the spring, so one doesn't see the yellowed leaves.  After flowering bulbous flowers such as hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips in the garden do not look very attractive.  Therefore, to simply cut them off would be a pity, because then they will not bloom next year.


Do Not Cut Off Leaves
Rule number one for early bloomers is: Cut off only the flowers and the stem, but not the leaves.  Instead, let them dry out slowly.  Only in this way can the bulb gather strength for flowering the following year. This is because the foliage leaves provide vital energy for the bulb until they wither.  The plant needs to prepare for the next growing season and to survive during the dormant period. 

Dig Up Flower Bulbs and Store them in a Dry Place.
Important: Flower bulbs must be stored in a dry and air-permeable place, such as a paper bag, or they will rot.  Once the leaves have dried up, there are two options.  The easiest is to dig up the bulbs.  Then they must be freed from the foliage, cleaned, and dried.  This works well, for example, in a net, which is hung in a dry place.  Important: Keep only healthy bulbs.  Sort out all others and dispose of them in the trash, not in the compost, because from there plant diseases can spread throughout the garden.

After drying, bulbs should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as a paper bag or basket.  A cardboard box in which the onions are sorted layer by layer, each separated by a layer of newspaper, is also good.  Tip: Label the bag or box so that you know later which bulbs it is. In the fall, the bulbs can be put back in the ground.

Fertilizing Spring Bulbs
If you have planted bulbs of snowdrops, daffodils, or tulips in the garden, every year you can watch how the flowers quickly sprout and form flowers.  However, the blooming will decrease over the years.  This is because the plants extract nutrients from the soil.  To keep the plants as long as possible, the bulbous plants need fertilizer.

Use Universal Fertilizer or Horn Meal
As soon as the stems protrude about ten centimeters from the ground, the plants should be supported with a universal or complex fertilizer.  Fertilizers in liquid or solid form are suitable for this purpose, provided the dosage instructions are followed.  It is also helpful to carefully work horn meal or fine horn shavings into the soil between the tender shoots, which are usually in groups.  This organic fertilizer is decomposed by microorganisms and tiny creatures.  The process takes weeks and so gradually the fertilizer reaches the bulb flowers and strengthens them.  Beautiful flowers next spring will show up.

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