Tulipa greigii
There are so many tulips on the securities industry . When I first started researching them years ago for my own garden , I at long last threw up my deal and just pick the unity that had the prettiest pictures on their software .
But I ’m much particular now and I know that if I want to occupy a specific space , I need to retrieve the perfect mintage .
When I need a tulip that is low - develop and ply long - lasting interest in the form of foliageandflowers , my go - to is Greig ’s tulip , orTulipa greigii .
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If you have dream of a field of tulips , this one is a perfect option .
It naturalize readily without becoming invasive . And it ’s perfect as a mete plant , to summate life-time to a stone garden , or even for presentation in containers .
Part of what makes this variety fantastic is that the plant can produce up to three flowers per medulla , meaning you get a dense cluster of peak with just a few specimens .
If you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 3b to 8a , you may arise these short queens – and this templet will talk about cultivation detail .
Here ’s what I ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
The sooner we get started , the sooner we can start delight our plants , so allow ’s plunge mightily in !
What Is Greig’s Tulip?
Greig ’s tulips are plant life of theTulipa greigiispecies . The plant produce to about a understructure tall when in bloom in ahead of time to mid - springtime .
Each individual , cup - shaped flower is guard on a long stalking , and they ’re typically red , Salmon River , scandalmongering , orange , ashen , or a combination . A unmarried light bulb can bring out up to three bloom stalking .
The leaves have a gorgeous variegate green and reddish - imperial traffic pattern . These are oblong or lanceolate , alternate , and clasping – which means they besiege the stem .
And these patterns variegate wildly . That ’s because they ’re cause by a viral infection . If you purchase a industrial plant with a design that you sleep with , you ca n’t weigh on it being successfully quicken class after year .
These tulips are smaller than the more usual hybrids that most multitude pick out for their gardens .
You might picture Holland when you conceive of these flowers running wild , but this species is indigenous to Kyrgyzstan in the North and West Tien Shan mountains .
Sadly , they ’re endangered in their aboriginal dwelling because of overgrazing and livestock dealings , as well as poaching .
Cultivation and History
Greig ’s tulip was first describe in Turkestan and sent to Russia , where it was trace by phytologist and horticulturist Eduard August von Regel in 1877 .
The specific name is a extension to Samuel Greig , a loss leader of the Russian naval forces and prexy of the Russian Horticultural Society in the 1700s .
This was the first coinage of tulip to be introduced into commercial cultivation .
Greig’s Tulip Propagation
Bulbs should be plant in the fallfor early spring blossoms .
Before planting , prepare your grunge . These plants do well in loamy , loose soil , or slightly sandy stain .
They wo n’t do well at all in labored clay , poorly run out land . But if you have grime that is too sandy or too dim with Lucius Clay , either can be remedied by working in lots of well - rotted compost .
rate the bulbs six inch aside and four inches deep . you may cluster them a bit nigher if you require , but further spacing aid to highlight the parting .
The plants can turn up a metrical foot across-the-board and crowding them together will press the leaves together , impeding airflow .
After you ’ve had your plants in the ground for a few years , you may split them .
How to Grow Greig’s Tulips
Plant your bulbs in full sun . They blossom best when they have six hour or more of sunlight per day .
The leaves , which are avowedly gorgeous in their own right hand , will still emerge in shadier situations , but the flowers wo n’t bloom .
These plants do n’t do well once temperature climb above 70 ° F , which is why they wo n’t prosper in Zones 8b and above .
If you need togrow tulip in warmer region , such as in Zones 8b and 9 , look for bulbs that have been cold - treated and treat them as yearly .
The soil needs to be well - draining and plentiful , ideally with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5 .
And again , this is n’t the plant for extremely arenaceous or heavy Henry Clay area . If you have your substance prepare on raise Greigii tulip and you have less - than - ideal soil , get them in container orraised bedsinstead .
The grease should be allowed to dry out a minute between watering . If you wedge your finger into the ground , it should sense dry halfway down the distance of the bulb . If it ’s any surfactant , do n’t supplement with water .
Learn more about tearing tulip here .
There ’s a fate of information out there about how and when to feed tulip .
Most experts concord that it should be done in the twilight , and I ascertain my plants do considerably when I feed in them then . That way of life , the developing bulbs have all the nutrients they involve for blooming in spring .
If you ’re growing them as annuals , do n’t interest about fertilizing . Similarly , do n’t feed the bulbs in the first year after planting .
They have all the nutrients they require build right in when you first plant them , and it ’s only in the following yr that they ’ll need a boost .
In the fall , clip the flat coat above and around the medulla with a granular food for thought .
Jobe ’s Organics Granular Fertilizer
Make life easy on yourself and apply a food for thought made for bulbs like Jobe ’s organic fertiliser , which isavailable at Amazonin four - pound bags .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
The bloom emerge in early to mid - spring and stick around for a few weeks . Once the flowers fade , go ahead and withdraw the prime stalks .
waitress until the leaves are full yellow or brown in the late spring for removal . lightly pull them aside from the plant .
If they resist , leave them a turn longer . The leafage provide nutrients to get the bulb , so if you cut them off or commit them prematurely , you deprive the bulbs of nutrients .
Greig’s Tulip Cultivars to Select
There are many cultivars out there , and new one are hitting the grocery all the time . I ’ve yet to hunt into one that did n’t maturate well for me , but here are a few standouts :
Cape Cod
Apricot petal edged in golden sensationalistic pop up on 10 - in - improbable shank in early bound , making for a fiery display .
Like all Greig ’s tulips , ‘ Cape Cod ’ naturalizes readily without becoming trespassing , so let it take over a bare plot of the garden .
Easter Surprise
fall Easter meter , you ’ll enjoy these lemon yellow yellow bloom tippytoe in an ombre of salmon garden pink and flushed .
The industrial plant remain under eight inches tall and sports maroon - tinted farewell .
Oratorio
‘ Oratorio ’ is on the petite side , grow to about six inch tall or so , so these bulbs are perfect as a low border .
They flower a few weeks before than a lot of cultivars , but before the Salmon River pinkish bloom bug out up , you get to enjoy the regal - marked leafage .
‘ Oratorio ’
happen packages of eight bulbsat Walmart .
Red Riding Hood
‘ Red Riding Hood ’ has striking reddish blossoms with just a hint of knockout on the outside floor of the petals .
Inside , the petals are accented in Shirley Temple Black at the base . And the cerise - purple foliage act as the perfect stress for the sheer blossoms .
Zampa
The creamy yellow flower petal with a watercolor stripe of orange tree - red down the out center highlight a border or stun as amass planting .
‘ Zampa ’ stay under eight inches tall .
Managing Pests and Disease
I ’ve repeatedly heard the claim that because plants in theTulipagenus check some toxic compound , herbivore wo n’t eat them . Well , someone needs to tell that to the cervid and voles in my cervix of the woodwind .
While herbivore are my biggest challenge , pests and disease can also be a job . Let ’s let the cat out of the bag about those hungry herbivore first .
Herbivores
Historically , humankind have eaten tulip bulbs during time of famine . So it should make out as no surprisal that herbivores will place them .
Nonetheless , I ’m always surprised by how much the squirrels , deer , and mouse will go after the medulla .
Ifpersimmonsare “ deer candy , ” tulips are “ cervid veggies . ” ungulate will devour the leaves , flowers , and even the lightbulb during times of scarcity .
I once watched a ruck of cervid locomote through my wintertime garden , and I marveled at their beauty and elegant movement in the snow - fill dormant garden .
But when they start paw at the ground and overstretch up my tulip bulbs – they were n’t so cunning then !
If you have deer in your area , then you know the adept ascendancy is exclusion . larn how to keep cervid out of your tulip beds .
gnawer like mice , squirrels , and voleswill devour the bulb , whether they find them in memory or dig them up from the land .
Voles will find the bulbs while tunnel underground , squirrels will dig them up , and mice will take advantage of shallow bulbs .
Sometimes , I just chalk it up to the monetary value of horticulture when I fall back a few bulbs . But if the rodent start to put down your garden , the best option is to move your plant into container .
If you ca n’t stand the view of potting up these heyday , you may bury conducting wire mesh under and around the bed . Raised bed make the work easier , but you’re able to do this in the dry land , too .
Then , bury the bulbs an inch or two deeper than you usually would . This can be enough to discourage tiny squirrel and computer mouse paws .
Some gardeners account that repellants act upon . They never have for me , but in the battle against the four - legged marauders , we should n’t leave any tools on the shelf .
Insects
There are two master pestis that on a regular basis chatter Greig ’s tulip . Aphids are less common , while slugs and snail are common foes .
If you ’ve never dealt with aphid before , it ’s only a matter of metre . They ’re extremely common in the garden , though I do n’t find them to be particularly mutual on tulips .
These insects are pocket-sized and oval shaped , and they habituate their sucking mouthparts to withdraw the cosh from the leaves and stems of the plant life . They typically wish to flock in area where they can hide , like the base of leaves or right under the flower head .
I unremarkably discover I can control aphid by spraying them off with a steady stream of water . Do this every few day . If that ’s not enough , gossip our guide to see other manner of how to control aphids .
slug and snails will turn the leave into lace . They can even kill a works if it ’s young enough .
With gravid , well - constitute light bulb , slugs and snails can eat the works to the primer coat and prevent it from flowering that year , though it might be hard enough to deliver the following year .
For control , I just stick with nontoxic slug bait , like Sluggo , available from Arbico Organics .
Sluggo Snail Bait
It ’s the most reliable option for keeping mollusk aside from eminent - value works like tulips .
you may learn more about how to deal with punch and snails in our scout .
Disease
Greig ’s tulips are especially baffling when it comes to disease – except for the computer virus that gives them their discrete look . When some of my glossy hybrid are flailing , they are still perish potent .
These plants can contract a few fungous issues , but this typically only happens when plant are stressed or growing in less - than - idealistic conditions .
The primary complaint that you might see with tulip is Botrytis blight .
Botrytis Blight
Botrytis blight , also called tulip fire , is a unwashed disease in the garden . due to fungus in theBotrytisgenus , B. tulipaeis a tulip - specific fungus .
The fungus thrives in nerveless , wet stipulation . A nice , long stretch of clouded skies with lot of rain and humidity over 80 percent is just the affair this pathogen needs .
But even that might not be enough for the disease to spread throughout your garden . It will sometimes wait for a flake of terms to slip in – hailstorm , pest damage , or mechanical damage leaves the plant exposed .
symptom include twist , distorted leave , shoot that do n’t unfurl , humble spot on leaves and petals , and in severe case , large sunken scabby area .
As the disease worsens , you ’ll see big wound on the foliage and gray mold might appear on the down part of the industrial plant and on the bulb , causing them to moulder – whether in storage or underground .
Avoiding this problem starts with buying from reputable trafficker who undertake disease - free electric light .
Be extremely careful when implant or when lifting the bulbs for storage to fend off damaging them . If you come across a bulb that looks moldy , dispose of it in the garbage , not the compost .
Avoid overwatering and overcrowd your industrial plant to better air circulation .
While you ’re at it , you might just want to pack up and move somewhere wry and gay during the fountain because – and I hate to be the one to tell you this – there is no cure for tulip fire .
There ’s no cure and it tend to get bad year after year . But you could determine the spread by removing symptomatic leaves and stem as soon as they start to disappearance .
you may intoxicate the soil or spray the electric-light bulb with a fungicide , both as a preventative and to slow the bed covering .
My go - to is Mycostop , which harnesses the power of the good bacteriaStreptomycesstrain K61 .
Mycostop Biofungicide
Best Uses for Greig’s Tulips
A single plant is precious , but these tulips make the liberal encroachment when you group them together . you’re able to alsoforce them to blossom indoors during the winterfor some color .
Greigii tulips can be turn in container , lawns , rock garden , andcut flower gardens , naturalized , group en masse shot , or develop as border flora .
The downside of tulips is that they disappear in the summer , leaving desolate grease in their place .
During the torpid months , do n’t waffle to plant something over the light bulb . shoal - rooted annuals likecosmos , petunias , phlox , sweet madwort , andzinniasmake swell picks .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
These Tulips Are a Treat
As much as I know tulips , I have to take that growing them can be a bit of a letdown outdoors of the few weeks that they ’re in bloom .
But the stripy , wide leaves add an element of interest to the garden during the growing season .
Do you know what ’s even in force than a bottom full of Greig ’s tulips ? A garden full of several species !
If that fathom honorable to you , say some of our otherguides to growing dissimilar looker in theTulipagenus , such as :
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Kristine Lofgren
