Garden tips
Garden tips
Under the motto one is never too old to learn, here are some general tips for a more beautiful garden. We will also take a closer look at some specific tubers and bulbs. Enjoy gardening and reading.
What is a bulb?
A bulb is actually an underground storage shed and flower factory. Inside the bulb is everything needed to make the plant emerge at the right time. This is clearly visible when you cut a bulb in half. At the heart of the bulb is the flower, centered like a baby in its mother's womb. This bud already has the appearance of a flower when it is still in the bulb. Surrounding the bud is a fleshy white substance called the scales. In a true bulb, it is these scales that have stored all the food for the bulb to grow and bloom.
What is the difference between bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes?
Technically speaking, many popular bulbs are not true bulbs. Crocuses and gladioli are actually tubers, while the well-known dahlia is actually a rhizome. The difference between bulbs and tubers is small, and they look very much alike. The big difference is the way of food storage.
Spring-flowering bulbs are hardy; summer-flowering bulb crops love warm temperatures. Bulbs can be divided into mainly 2 groups:
- Spring-flowering (these are planted in the fall)
- Summer-flowering (which are planted in the spring)
A more accurate grouping divides the bulbs into bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes. Generally, spring-flowering bulbs are hardy. These bulbs, such as Tulip, Hyacinth, and Daffodil, are planted in the fall before the first frost and need the winter months to convert starch into sugar. Many spring bloomers, such as daffodils, survive well and can remain in the ground to bloom year after year.
Most summer-flowering bulbs are not hardy. These bulbs cannot survive harsh winter conditions and must be planted in the spring after the last frost. To enjoy these bulbs year after year, they need to be dug up in the fall and stored indoors to spend the winter. An exception is the lily. Many summer-flowering lilies are hardy and can be planted in the spring or fall.
Flower bulbs are the most popular and beloved flowers in the world. Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, and grape hyacinths are universal symbols of spring. Their lush and colorful flowers are the first to come to life from the winter landscape. Summer-flowering bulbs such as dahlias, begonias, and anemones bring variety, unique colors, and long blooming times to summer gardens. With good care for plants and planning, flower bulbs can brighten the garden from early spring to late autumn.
Source: http://www.bloembollencentrum.nl/
Planting summer bloomers
Summer-flowering bulbs originally come from subtropical regions such as South Africa and South America. They love warm temperatures and humid environments, and are not winter hardy. In general, summer bulbs fall into the category of tender bulbs, which do not grow in areas with frost in winter. When there is no hard winter for a year, you can leave the bulbs in the ground and cover them against light frost. Often these bulbs then grow better the following year. Unfortunately, we never know what the Dutch winter king will bring us.
How to plant
Summer-flowering bulbs grow where other plants also grow. After choosing the planting spot:
Dig a hole for bed planting or individual holes for individual bulbs or small clusters of bulbs. Summer-flowering bulbs are generally planted just below the surface (3-5cm deep). The soil is warmer there, which they prefer.
Give the soil some air by raking it and removing weeds and small stones. Plant the bulbs carefully – do not push – with the pointed end up, into the ground.
Summer-flowering bulbs should be planted in soil with an average temperature of 13 degrees Celsius. (If you plant bulbs before this temperature is reached, the bulbs will not actively start to grow and can easily rot.)
Most summer-flowering bulbs, such as dahlias and begonias, need to be taken out of the ground before the night frost begins. If you don't do that, there is only a small chance that they will ever bloom again.
Source: http://www.bloembollencentrum.nl/
Dahlia’s, back in fashion!
Dahlias originally come from America. It was Francisco Hernandez, the physician of King Philip II, who first discussed the plant in writing. The plant was called "Acocotli" by the Aztecs, and they were cultivated for food. We owe the arrival of Dahlias in Europe to Joséphine de Beauharnais, who collected a beautiful collection in her garden at the Château de Malmaison. When the tubers became affordable later on, they moved to the allotments. The Dahlia became the flower of the working class.
There are thousands of varieties worldwide, and new ones are added every year. They are often subject to fashion trends! What is in one year can be completely out of fashion the next year. So, it is no easy task to maintain a beautiful collection of Dahlias for sale!
Dahlias are not winter hardy, although in recent years more and more people leave them in the ground. In a protected garden, they can survive a mild winter. If you want to be sure, it’s better to overwinter them in a greenhouse or even in the garage. From mid-April, you can start planting them in a pot and place them in a sheltered spot, so they grow well until the time we plant them permanently. This usually happens in mid-May, after the arrival of the 'Ice Saints'. You can of course plant them earlier in the garden, but then it is advisable to plant them about 20 cm deep, instead of the normal 5 cm. Moreover, they will be sturdier that way, which is certainly not a bad thing for the taller varieties. Ensure well-fertilized soil and preferably place the tubers in a sunny spot. Dahlias do not like very moist soil. We plant the large varieties about 40 to 50 cm apart, while for the smaller varieties, 20 to 30 cm is sufficient. For the tall varieties, it is advisable to use a support. You may remove wilted flowers to stimulate the formation of new buds. After the first night frost, you should take the tubers out of the ground. Remove the soil and cut the foliage back to about 15 cm. After letting them dry for a few days, remove all the dry leaves and overwinter them in a cool, dry place.
Only typical Dahlia varieties:
Cactus and Semi-Cactus Dahlias
Are the largest of the family. Very filled flowers that resemble a star. They can grow to a meter or more.
Decorative Cactus
Have large fully filled flowers, but the petals are wider than those of the Cactus Dahlia. In addition to the taller varieties, there are also shorter ones.
Top-Mix Dahlia’s
In recent years, it has become very popular. They grow to only 20 to 30 cm high and are therefore also suitable for planting in a pot on the balcony. The flowers are small and come in white, red, yellow, orange, and pink.
Pompon Dahlia
Very nice Dahlia flowers that resemble golf balls. Available in a range of six colors (white, red, pink, yellow, orange, red)
Gloriosa Rothschildiana
an exotic jewel of nature
The Gloriosa is a climbing plant with pointed bright green, glossy leaves, which have tendrils. It is a fast grower and when the plant is over a meter high, flower buds are formed. The large flowers start bright yellow, gradually develop a red pattern, and eventually turn completely red. The plant blooms for a long time. Easy to grow, it also does very well in a cold greenhouse, as a cut flower. The Gloriosa is a particularly beautiful plant. Not only is the flower lovely to see, botanically it is a rarity that a tuber crop and moreover a lily-like plant climbs.
Cultivation
Sow throughout the year, but it must be grown warm with plenty of light, in a large pot with nutrient-rich soil. For a south-facing window in full sun, or in a greenhouse. Provide a string for support, the plant will attach itself. Do not lead it in an arc before flower buds are formed. Regularly give houseplant fertilizer. A few months after blooming, the above-ground plant dies back, leaving a tuber in the soil that must be kept dry until the next growing season.
Fill a pot 3/4 full with potting soil. Place a good amount of broken pots at the bottom of the pot for drainage. Lay the tubers horizontally on the potting soil with the growth point facing up, about 3 cm below the soil. After planting the tubers, water the soil thoroughly over the entire surface of the pot. If you place the plant outside, do so in a sunny spot and remember that the Gloriosa is frost-sensitive. After about 7 weeks, the plants will start to bloom.
By the beginning of December, the plant will completely die back. Cut the plant off then. Do not water anymore and let the pot with soil overwinter at room temperature (15-20° C) on a dry spot
From April you can take the new tubers out of the dry soil. You have received 2 new tubers from each old plant. To harvest the tubers, you need to turn the pot upside down and carefully remove the tubers from the soil. Be careful of the new growth points, they must not be damaged.
Origin of the plant: The temperate zones of Africa and West Asia
When to mow the grass if you have planted crocuses and daffodils?
As a rule for mowing grass strips with flowering bulbs, it is maintained that this can begin on average 6 to 8 weeks after the blooming period. The grass with planted flowering bulbs can only be mowed after all above-ground parts of the bulbs have died back. Some bulbs like Chionodoxa, Scilla, and Eranthis propagate by seed. The seed must therefore be given sufficient opportunity to mature.
Source: http://www.bloembollencentrum.nl/
Should you cut off old tulip flowers or not?
Tulips that are planted for perennial blooming can be better deadheaded after the flower has shown its beauty. This prevents the formation of seed pods, where energy is directed into seeds instead of new bulbs underground. Deadheading is the term for removing the flowers from the stem. Additionally, this prevents the petals from falling into the leaf axils, which can lead to Botrytis.
Source: http://www.bloembollencentrum.nl/
Special bulbous plants: the Hymenocallis
A bulb that has been gaining popularity in recent years is the Hymenocallis (or Ismene)
And that is completely justified! It is a beautiful flower, easy to grow, and it brings a touch of exoticism to your garden or balcony. Below is the plant sheet for this bulb
Hymenocallis (from Greek: hymen means membrane and kallos means beauty) is named for the membranous sheath that connects the flower's petals and in which the stamens are partially fused. Its natural habitat extends from South America to the southeastern United States and in the West Indies and the Caribbean. The plant belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and was officially registered as a species in 1812. Hymenocallis is only moderately hardy and is best grown in pots. It should be overwintered frost-free and relatively dry, but the potting soil should never be allowed to dry out completely. Leather-like leaves and very special, beautifully shaped, and wonderfully fragrant flowers (sometimes in clusters of 5 to 7) on long and sturdy stems. The flower color is white or light yellow depending on the species.
Blooming period: mid-June to July
Height: 30-60 cm
Planting depth: the bulbs underground, and the neck just above the ground.
Planting distance: 20 cm (or 1 bulb in a 12.5 cm pot)
Bulb type: bulb
Light conditions: sheltered and sunny
Applications: border, baking, and pots
