Why tulips did not bloom: what are the possible causes and how to fix it

We look forward to the first spring flowers blooming - hyacinths, tulips, daffodils - but in some cases, instead of lush blooms, we get green leaves. Experts said that there can be many reasons for this, including weather vagaries, improper planting, lack of nutrients, lack of moisture, pests and infections, and suggested ways to solve the problem. This was reported by SSPDaily.

Why tulips don't bloom

• Weather conditions determine the timing of the beginning of the growing season, flowering and wilting of a plant. If the spring was too cold, and the bud froze when it was born, such a plant, of course, cannot bloom. The reason for the lack of flowering may be that rainy autumn, the bulb may rot and it will not have enough strength to form a peduncle.
• Poor quality planting material. Tulip bulbs should have an h-shape, single specimens may have hidden infections and pests that destroy the bulb from the inside, damage flower buds, which can also affect the lack of flowering in tulips.

• Late planting. Ifbulbs are planted too late in the fall, they will not have time to take root before the beginning of winter, get stronger and gain strength to form a flower bud. Tulips love the sun and if they are planted in the shade, on waterlogged soil, they can produce juicy greens, but not form flowers
• Incorrect planting. Deep planting of tulips in dense, caked soil can cause developmental delays, the flowers spend a lot of energy to overcome a thick layer of soil, so they do not have enough energy to develop a flower. Too shallow planting of bulbs can lead to freezing in winter - all underground parts of the plant are damaged, which can lead to a lack of flowering.

• Lack of moisture. Drought and lack of watering can also affect the lack of flowering, the buds will be underdeveloped and dry out.
• Another nuance is heavy clay soil. This results in poor air exchange and moisture stagnation. In such conditions, there is a high risk of developing gray rot. This is a gray coating on the bulbs and wilted leaves.
• An excess of nitrogen fertilizers is another reason why tulips do not bloom. The plant forms large juicy leaves, but does not produce a peduncle.

• Incorrect cutting. If you cut the flower at the root, the bulb will stop growing and will not be able to accumulate nutrients to develop fully next year.
• Thickening. If the plant does not bloom, it may be due to overcrowding with other flowers and shrubs and lack of sun. For a tulip to bloom, it needs eight hours of daylight. Therefore, bulbs are not planted next to evergreen trees and shrubs.

If tulips do not bloom in the second year

The reasons may be:

• The bulbs were planted too deep.
• The bulbs were dug up immediately after flowering, they did not have time to accumulate nutrients.
• The bulbs were stored incorrectly in the summer.
• Tulip plantings were not watered in the fall in a drought, provided that it was a dry autumn.
• Varietal tulips, if their bulbs are not dug up in the summer, will not bloom in the second year. Older varieties can grow in one place for 3 years, new ones - 1, maximum 2, then their bulbs become smaller.

What to do to make tulips bloom

• Loosen the soil and water during drought until the leaves dry up and it's time to dig up the bulbs.
• Before planting the bulbs in the ground, it is necessary to disinfect the material. Against fungal infections, the planting material is treated with fungicides, and against pests, it is useful to treat with insecticides.
• For 10 days after digging, store the bulbs together with the leaves and stem in a warm room, then peel the material and store it in a cool place.

• Plant the bulbs between late September and mid-October in loose, light soil.
• Choose a sunny area for planting, closed from the north wind and draft.
• Dig up varietal tulips every year.
• If the soil is poor, fertilize the soil and feed the plant. When buds appear and during flowering, fertilize with fertilizers containing calcium and phosphorus, these elements stimulate budding. For feeding onions, choose complex mineral fertilizers containing potassium, phosphorus, magnesium. From natural fertilizers, use an infusion of wood ash (1 glass per bucket of water), dry chicken manure.