The first spring flowers have already faded and it is time to cut the early bloomers in the bed, dig up the bulbs and then store them properly. What should you pay attention to and how exactly should you store flower bulbs so that they are ready for use next season?
Just because the pretty flowers have faded doesn't mean you should dig everything up right away. On the contrary. It is important that you do this correctly, because only then can the flower bulbs delight you with new flowers next year.
What do you do with faded hyacinths, tulips, daffodils etc.?
Cut back, yes, but carefully. So do we have to leave these unsightly faded flowers in the garden for now?
No, you can remove these without any problem. However, make sure you only use the flower stems or onlyremove the flower heads. The leaves are still fresh and remain because they still have an important use:
As long as the leaves are still growing, they supply the onion with important nutrients, which they then store. This is the only way the flower can grow strongly again next season. If you were to remove the leaves along with the flowers, you would prevent the flower bulbs from gathering strength.
In contrast, the faded flowers of the flower bulb continue to rob energy. Therefore, it is not only visually advantageous to remove them as soon as the flower is no longer beautiful.
When can you cut off the leaves?
Over time, the leaves will also wilt. Then they are no longer relevant to the bulb, so you can remove them to keep your bed tidy.
Should you dig up and store the flower bulbs or leave them in the ground? In principle, you have the choice, but one of them offers more advantages. Find out what you need to consider when storing your flower bulbs.
Storage after excavation
When the leaves have faded, you can remove the spring flower bulbs from the ground. In this case, it's best to dig them up first and then cut off the leaves, as this will allow you to get closer to the bulb. Before you store the flower bulbs, you still have toprepare:
- Cut off the wilted leaves.
- Remove large soil.
- Clean any additional dirt with water by gently rubbing it.
- Allow the onions to dry thoroughly. This is important to prevent rot. You can store them in a dry place out of direct sun (for example on a shady terrace in a box with newspaper where the air/wind will also help dry them). Rotate them every few days to allow them to dry on all sides. A net for hanging is also suitable.
You can then store the flower bulbs:
- Place the clean and dry bulb flowers in a paper bag or open box lined with newspaper. It is important that it is not a container in which moisture could accumulate.
- Store the packaged flower bulbs in a dark, cool and dry place.
- It has to be dark and cool so that they don't sprout early.
- Dryness is necessary so that they do not get moldy.
Notice: If you are using a larger box or a tall box where many onions will be on top of each other, it is better to put together individual layers, which you then separate from each other with newspaper. Just like fruit, spring flower bulbs should be able to allow air to circulate.
The advantage of digging them up and storing them:
One of the advantages of storing bulbs in this way is that you can also remove any daughter bulbs that may have formed from the soil and then reposition them the next time you plant them to cover a larger area next season. This gives the old flower bulbs more space and allows them to thrive better.
When can they be replanted?
Autumn is thatoptimal timeto put their flowers back in the bed. In spring, as soon as it gets warm enough, they will sprout and the cycle described repeats itself again.
How to store your flower bulbs in the bed
This variant is less advantageous. In principle, you can even say that the only advantage is that you don't have to invest time in preparing it for storage. However, this is more of a disadvantage for the plants. Nevertheless, you don't have to worry if you haven't managed to dig the flowers out of the ground in a year.
These are the disadvantages of storing flower bulbs yourself in the garden soil:
- Rodents can eat you.
- If the soil is not permeable enough (e.g. in clay soil), there is a risk that the bulb flowers will rot.
- Some spring flowers have the ability to sink deeper into the earth over time. If you don't take them out regularly and put them back in later, it may happen that the new growth will no longer make it to the surface at some point.
Exceptions: These specimens can overwinter in the ground
Tulips are, among other things, those species that sink. However, there are also spring flowers that don't mind overwintering in the ground. These include, for example, the beautiful crocuses, but also the snowdrops. They will gradually multiply on their own and cover ever larger areas with their flowers.
By the way, special plant baskets also protect against the large appetites of voles etc. They function like a fence beneath the surface of the earth through which rodents cannot penetrate.
