To everyone who grows on their own summer cottage tulips, I have noticed more than once that sometimes planted bulbs simply disappear. This should not be attributed only to the process of decay or the spread of rodents. Despite its luxury status flower plants and elite bulbous ones, in tulips even the most the best varieties many characteristics have been preserved from their wild ancestors. Tulip bulbs can “disappear” for another reason.

Tulip bulbs. © Alison Smith

The most obvious reasons for the “disappearance” of tulip bulbs

The two most common opinions regarding the “disappearance” of tulips from their planting sites are also the simplest options:

1. Tulip bulbs are sensitive to waterlogging and can simply rot without leaving a trace. favorable conditions.
2. Voles and other rodents love to feast on bulbous plants and, in the absence of protective measures, may well eat the bulbs of planted tulips.

The fight in both cases is simple: adjust the soil characteristics and care, and when planting, protect the bulbs by planting in nets.

Dug up tulip bulbs with babies. © vicuschka

Children instead of a replacement bulb

But if you find empty patches of soil where the bulbs were planted, do not rush to despair. Perhaps a surprise awaits you in a few years.

If you planted new varieties of tulips, then perhaps the bulbs were not destroyed at all. New hybrids are especially prone to produce a lot of small children instead of one or two powerful and large daughter bulbs. If you do not find any traces of newfangled bulbs that have faded in the first year, then perhaps there are simply too many daughter mini-bulbs that need to increase their mass for several more years to survive in winter.

In most cases, such mini-babies inevitably die due to their non-viability along with the mother’s bulb. But the strongest bulbs sometimes survive without showing signs of life and, forgotten by everyone, then produce flowers completely unexpectedly after 3-5 years.

The lifespan of a tulip bulb is usually two years. In the first year of life, it exists as a bud inside the mother's bulb. A year later, in the summer, the mother bulb dries out and dies, and the buds embedded in it develop into full-fledged bulbs. The main young bulb is called a replacement bulb, the bulbs developing from other buds are called daughter bulbs, and the small bulbs developing in the axils of the covering scales are called children. In many types of tulips, the development of small bulbs is suppressed: the plant devotes all its resources to a single replacement bulb.

Schematic representation of an adult tulip bulb, after the formation of next year's shoots, but before the formation of roots. © Retired Electrician The old onion has used up its reserves nutrients, but before dying, it throws down the stolon of the depression, carrying the rudiment of a new bulb. © Amada44

If you grow old, time-tested varieties of tulips, then you will not face such an unpleasant surprise. Such tulips always form one or two large, very high-quality daughter bulbs, capable of producing flower shoots again next year. But lovers of new products should not despair: you can save the plants by digging up the plants in time. Just make it a rule not to leave them in the soil for the usual several years, but to dig them up after the first flowering in any case.

Planting tulip bulbs. © Melody Parker

How to preserve new varieties of tulips?

1. After the new flowers bloom, be sure to apply fertilizer.
2. Wait until the leaves turn yellow, dig up and separate the miniature bulbs, no matter how tiny they may seem to you.
3. After drying, store the babies in a cool, dry room in the summer.
4. In the fall, during the tulip planting period, plant these small, seemingly non-viable bulbs along with the rest.

Subject to landing in fertile soil By the time frost arrives, they will have time to take root well and will be able to withstand almost any winter. They will not bloom next season, but in two or three years they will delight you with flower shoots no worse than full-fledged adult bulbs. And such a generation will no longer repeat the unpleasant surprise of their ancestors.

Timely and proper care Plant care allows you to obtain high-quality flowers and tulip bulbs, but you should not forget about the health of the plants. To do this, it is important to learn to recognize diseases, know how to combat them and, more importantly, be able to prevent these diseases. Preventive measures to protect tulips include the following:

Choosing a site for tulips that meets the requirements of this plant;
- careful preparation soil before planting;
- deposit organic fertilizers only for the previous culture and within the limits of necessary norms;
- timely feeding mineral fertilizers with precise dosage, especially nitrogen fertilizers, the excess of which helps reduce plant resistance to disease;
- strict adherence to crop rotation - tulips should be grown in the same place no more than once every 4-5 years. Soil disinfection gives good results;
- careful selection and culling of diseased and suspicious bulbs, planting only healthy planting material;
- compliance with the required depth and density of planting bulbs;
- timely implementation of care activities, maintaining good sanitary condition and cleanliness of the tulip collection;
- timely harvesting of bulbs, drying with good ventilation;
- mechanical damage to the bulbs is unacceptable; culling of damaged bulbs is necessary;
- use of disinfected containers for storing bulbs and tools for cutting flowers;
- removal and destruction of diseased plants along with roots and leaves.

Of course, the listed measures do not provide an absolute guarantee that the tulips will not get sick, but compliance with these measures will significantly reduce the degree of damage to plants by diseases, the area of ​​their spread will be reduced and the loss of bulb yield will be reduced.

Tulips, like any other ornamental plants, are damaged by a large number of different diseases and have numerous pests. More than 30 fungal, viral and bacterial diseases of tulips are known within our country, but many of them are quite rare. The greatest damage to tulips is caused by fungal diseases such as gray rot, fusarium, and sclerotial rot. Of the viral diseases, variegation is the most dangerous. Non-communicable diseases do not pose a serious danger and arise as a result of unfavorable external conditions.

Fungal diseases of tulips

Gray rot(causative agent - Botrytis tulipae) is most pronounced in rainy and cool weather, which contributes to the rapid spread of the fungus. The disease spreads very quickly, which is why it is often called a “fire.” Tulips planted on heavy soils are especially affected. Gray rot affects all above-ground parts of the plant (leaves, stems, flowers and buds), as well as bulbs. Moreover, the bulbs are affected both during the growing season and during storage. Typically, the source of infection is planted diseased bulbs or soil. Yellowish-gray depressed spots of various sizes and shapes appear on the affected parts of the plant. In a humid environment, the size of the spots quickly increases, and they quickly become covered with a gray coating of fungal spores. The tissues of the diseased plant dry out, gradually soften and become ash-gray, giving the impression that the plant is burned - hence another name - “tulip burn”. The stem of a diseased plant is bent, buds do not develop, and if flowers are formed, they are deformed and have an ugly shape. The growing season of diseased plants is significantly reduced, so the bulbs do not have time to grow to normal size and gradually become smaller.

The affected bulbs have yellow-brown spots on the outer scales with a reddish halo. During storage, the affected bulbs soften, darken and wrinkle. Sometimes with gray rot, cracking of the bottom of the bulb from the center to the edges is observed. Black sclerotia of the fungus appear on the surface of the covering scales of diseased bulbs, which become a new source of infection. If the tulip is severely affected by rot, the bulb rots during storage, and if it is weak, the disease in the form of spotting may go unnoticed, and the bulb is planted in the soil. In the spring, such a bulb will give a weakened, twisted shoot, which will gradually become brown, covered with a gray coating and die. Fungal spores from such a plant are carried by the wind and infect healthy plants. In soil, fungal spores remain viable for 4 years. Therefore, in the spring it is necessary to carefully inspect the tulip seedlings and destroy all diseased and suspicious plants.

Gray rot can affect tulips at all stages of development, but they become especially susceptible during the budding period. The incubation period under favorable conditions is 1-3 days. Contributes to the spread of the disease high humidity soil and air, dense plantings, insufficient lighting, excess nitrogen in the soil and spring frosts. Gray rot affects almost all varieties of tulips, but not all of them are susceptible to the disease to the same extent. Usually, early varieties that manage to finish flowering before the maximum development of the disease suffer less from rot. Of the late-blooming tulips, parrot tulips are relatively resistant.

Control measures: To prevent damage to bulbs by gray rot in large flower farms, they are dusted with a mixture of TMTD, sulfur and ether-sulfonal in a ratio of 2:1:1 at the rate of 8-10 g per 1 kg of bulbs. TMTD is also used in the form of a solution of 0.3-0.5% concentration to treat the bulbs before planting for 30 minutes. However, it should be remembered that dressing protects the bulbs from soil infection for a short time. Therefore, during the growing season of tulips, it is necessary to spray the plants to protect against secondary infection. The number of treatments depends on weather conditions, the degree of soil contamination and the condition of the plantings. As a rule, 2-3 treatments are usually sufficient. For spraying, use a Bordeaux mixture of 1% concentration or euporen 0.5-1% concentration, which is considered the most effective means to combat gray rot. It is advisable to spray tulips three times: at the beginning of the growing season, during budding and after flowering.

As a result of many years of observations, gardeners have noticed that the presence of sufficient potassium and magnesium in the soil reduces the incidence of gray mold, while the quality of the bulbs improves. And planting tulips in an area where bulbous plants were already growing increases the likelihood of disease by 4-10 times, compared to growing them in a new place. Those gardeners who try not to use chemical plant protection measures on their site can do without them. At the same time, it is important to observe the entire range of agrotechnical measures, timely culling and destruction of diseased and suspicious bulbs and plants, which will significantly reduce the degree of damage to tulips by gray rot. In addition, to improve the soil, it is recommended that after digging up the bulbs, sowing plants that produce phytoncides (calendula, marigolds, nasturtium, mustard, etc.) in the vacated area, followed by digging them up in the autumn and embedding them in the soil.

Root rot. Pathogen- mushrooms from the genus Ruthium, usually P. ultimum.

Brown spots on roots caused by the fungus Pythium sp.

In the early stages of the disease, the symptoms are limited to partial rotting of the root system, which, however, does not significantly affect the viability of the plants. Serious cases of infection lead to stunted tulips, a decrease in the decorativeness of flowers, the roots become transparent, watery with brown streaks, break easily, and later turn completely brown. Pathogen activity and disease risk increase with increasing humidity and soil temperature above 0°C. Susceptibility to the disease depends on the variety.

Control measures
For cultivation in open ground, greenhouse, boxes use fresh soil.
The infected substrate is disinfected with a fungicide.
It is very important that the soil is well structured and drained.

Botrytial rot. Pathogen- mushroom Botrytis cinerea.Typically, this pathogen invades damaged or weakened plant tissue.

Infected bulbs become dark brown and soft. Large, dull black sclerotia form on them. Infected tulips (the Dutch call them “spotted”) become fragile and may suddenly break. The flowers of diseased plants are dull in color. Heavily infected specimens lag behind in development or do not germinate at all. High humidity intensifies the disease, which is spread by spores (conidia) and is more common on long-stored, late-planted bulbs. The activation of pathogens is also facilitated by the use of fresh peat or steamed soil, since these substrates do not contain natural antagonists of the pathogen.

Control measures:
A little (20%) coarse sand or disinfected soil is always added to clean peat.
Before planting, the bulbs are treated with a fungicide, and then sprinkled with a layer of coarse sand.
Tulips are grown in open, well-ventilated areas.

Soft rot. The causative agent is some strains of the fungusPythium ultimum.From infected bulbs (they become pink, watery and produce a characteristic bad smell as with Fusarium infection) short shoots develop. The seedlings and roots look healthy at first, but then rot. With a later infection (during cultivation), the tips of the leaves turn yellow, the plants droop, and the buds dry out just before flowering. Bulbs are usually affected in the first few weeks after planting, when soil temperatures are 12°C or higher.

Soft rot on bulbs
Photo from the magazine "Floriculture" - 2003 - No. 2

Control measures:
The same as for root rot.
In addition, the bulbs are treated with a fungicide. In the first two weeks after planting tulips, the temperature in the greenhouse is maintained below 10-12°.

White (sclerotial) rot. Pathogens - Scleritinia bulborum, Sclerotium tuliparium. There are several varieties of this disease. In one case, white rot affects the growing point and neck of the bulb, which become covered with a white felt coating, which later turns brown. Sometimes the disease manifests itself in the form of weeping rot around the growing point of the bulb. Gradually, rot covers the entire onion, and it dies without sprouting. Since tulips affected by white rot die during the growing season, planting material cannot be a source of infection. Infection occurs through the soil, in which fungal spores can remain viable for up to 5 years.

Acidic soils and high humidity are particularly conducive to the spread of this disease. The first sign of plant infection with white rot is uneven germination in the spring. Sick bulbs usually do not germinate or produce very weak shoots, which gradually turn yellow and die. A characteristic feature This rot is also caused by the presence of a healthy root system in the diseased plant, which is not affected by the fungus. Watery spots appear on the shoots of affected plants and become bluish-gray.

Control measures: the soil, previously well treated, is spilled with a 2.5-3% solution (up to 6%) of carbation at the rate of 10 l/m 2 a month before planting the bulbs. The soil treated with a 6% solution is watered with water. Diseased bulbs, along with the above-ground part of the plant, are removed with a clod of earth and destroyed. The excavation site is sprinkled with ash. To prevent this disease, it is also necessary to observe cultural rotation and return tulips to their original place no earlier than after 5 years. Do not plant them after lilies, daffodils, irises and crocuses, which are also affected by this disease. If it is impossible to transplant tulips to a new location, the contaminated soil must be disinfected with a 1.5% formaldehyde solution at a rate of 10 l/m2. After treatment, carried out at above-zero temperatures, the soil is tightly covered for 2-3 days. Formaldehyde is also used to disinfect tools, tools, and boxes that could carry the infection.

Typhoulosis- one of the varieties of sclerotial rot. Pathogen - Typhula bolealis. The first signs of the disease are reddish sprouts, non-unfolding leaves, stunted growth, and emerging buds remain underdeveloped. Affected plants experience yellowing of the roots, which then die. The bottom of the bulb rots and the plant dies completely. Tyfulosis spreads especially strongly after a warm winter and a wet spring (low temperatures above zero and humidity are favorable for the development of this disease). The source of infection is usually weakly infected bulbs that end up in storage and in beds. The carriers of the disease are the weeds on which the causative agent of the disease lives, as well as the soil that serves as a carrier of fungal spores.

Control measures: removal and destruction of affected plants, timely weeding and removal of weeds from the site, careful inspection and culling of bulbs during storage and dusting them with chemicals before planting. After digging up the tulips, the area must be dug deeply with the formation turned over, since at great depths the fungal spores do not germinate and die over time (after 70-80 days). It is advisable to pickle bulbs dug from an area where typhoid infection was observed in a solution of 0.5% potassium permanganate. If you carry out chemical disinfection soil (1.5% formaldehyde solution at the rate of 10 l/m2), then deep digging can be abandoned.

Fusarium, or wet rot causes great damage to tulips. Pathogen - Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tulipae. Most often, the disease manifests itself towards the end of the growing season; the development of the disease is facilitated by an increase in air temperature to 20 ° C or more. Infection occurs through the bottom and roots, and in a young bulb through the covering scales. Plants with fusarium blight bloom poorly, their peduncles are short and thin, their size the flower size decreases.The roots of such tulips are poorly developed and have a yellowish-brown color.

Fusarium infection
Photo from the magazine "Floriculture" - 2003 - No. 1

Fusarium can cause great damage during bulb storage. During storage, bulbs affected by fusarium rot, and during this period large losses in bulb yield are possible. Brown spots appear on the bottom of the infected bulb, clearly delimited along the edge by a red-brown line. Gradually, the spots darken, rot penetrates inside the bulb, and it rots, emitting a sharp, specific odor. Sick bulbs in storage represent a serious source of infection; the disease can spread quickly as spores land on healthy bulbs. This is also facilitated by the temperature in the storage (above 25 °C) and high humidity. Spores that fall on healthy bulbs during storage can cause their death already in storage or in the next growing season. The causative agent of fusarium is highly resistant to unfavorable conditions external environment and remains viable for a long time. The greatest activity of the fungus occurs at a temperature of about 25 ° C and air humidity above 90%. Tulips vary greatly in their resistance to fusarium, but there are no varieties that are absolutely not affected by this disease.

Control measures: annual change of site and return to the previous one no earlier than after 5-6 years, timely digging of bulbs, careful inspection of plantings and bulbs in storage and culling of diseased and suspicious bulbs. High efficiency Such drugs as uzgen, foundationazol and benlight are effective in the fight against fusarium. 2-3 weeks before planting or immediately before, the bulbs are pickled in a suspension of the drug (0.2-0.25%) for 30 minutes. To make the drug stick to the bulbs better, you can dust pre-moistened bulbs.

Rhizoctonia disease. Pathogen- Rhizoctonia solani.The symptoms of this disease vary depending on the cultivation method. So, when grown in a greenhouse, orange-brown spots and stripes appear on the seedlings. Later, the affected tissue cracks, the ends of the lower leaves bend, but the flowers look healthy. With more intense infection, the lower leaves and the underground part of the stem are damaged, on which oval, deeply depressed spots are formed. Such tulips are stunted and break off easily. When cultivated in boxes, after bringing them into the greenhouse, small brown-black spots and stripes are visible on the shoots. Despite damage to the ends of the lower leaves, the plants bloom normally. Susceptibility to the disease depends on the variety. The fungus affects many agricultural and garden plants, including potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, chrysanthemums, grains. Therefore, infection can occur even if the previous crop was not tulips. The pathogen develops well at 15-18°. The disease is favored by high humidity and acid reaction substrate, thickened planting.

Symptoms of infection by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani on leaves
Photo from the magazine "Floriculture" - 2003 - No. 2

Control measures:
The infected substrate is steamed, the soil bordering the greenhouse is treated with a fungicide, which is carefully mixed with the top (10 cm) layer.
The boxes for forcing are washed and dried well.
With the 5-degree forcing technology, tulips are planted in such a way that top part bulbs remained above the substrate.
Plantings in boxes are mulched with coarse sand or fine gravel, without covering the tops of the bulbs.
Damaged leaves are removed.

Rhizoctoniosis. Pathogen- Rhizoctonia tuliparum.This fungus does not produce spores and usually attacks bulbous plants at soil temperatures below 13°C. Spreads by contact-mechanical method, through planting material. When tulips are constantly grown in the same place, the plantings can suffer greatly from disease.

Typical symptoms of rhizoctonia on the bulb

Photo from the magazine "Floriculture" - 2003 - No. 2

Affected plants do not emerge from the soil. They have a well developed root system, however, the infected seedling initially develops normally, but soon begins to rot. Sometimes the soil around the bulb and shoot is permeated with mycelium. It often contains sclerotia, the shape, color, and size of which vary greatly. Large brown spots with gray “mold”. A cross section of the bulb, which usually rots, reveals characteristic brown rings. The source of infection, as a rule, is clearly visible due to plants that are stunted in growth and die prematurely. In heated greenhouses, at 20°, the development of the disease stops.

Control measures:
Fresh substrate is used in boxes; in open ground it is renewed.
The infected soil is steamed or treated with a fungicide.
The contaminated substrate is not stored near greenhouses.
Sick plants are destroyed.
The boxes for forcing are cleaned, washed and dried well.
The planting material is treated with a fungicide.
Late planting of bulbs significantly reduces the risk of disease.

Trichoderma. Pathogen- Trichoderma sp.This fungus is usually present in peat-based substrates. Infected roots become glassy, ​​covered with fungal hyphae and rot over time. The tips of the leaves of diseased plants turn light gray. At a later stage, the affected tissue turns white and quickly dries out. Tulips often get sick when forced late in boxes with a pure peat substrate. Susceptible varieties include 'Ad Rem', 'Angelique', 'Coriolanus', 'Kis Nelis', 'Pex'", "Prominence", "Rosario", etc.

Brown coloration of roots caused by the fungus Trichoderma sp.
Photo from the magazine "Floriculture" - 2003 - No. 2

Control measures:
Clean peat is always mixed with coarse sand or uncontaminated garden soil in equal parts, pour fine-grained sand into the bottom of the box in a layer of 1 cm.
In the rooms where rooting occurs, high relative humidity (90-95%) is maintained so that the roots growing through the cracks of the boxes do not dry out.

Penicillosis appears on tulips during the growing season at high humidity, affects bulbs that have been stored for a long time for spring forcing. Diseased bulbs become covered with yellow-brown spots with a bluish coating, plants are stunted in growth and form weak peduncles. Plant death occurs only when the disease is severely infected. This disease is not as harmful as sclerotial rot; it usually accompanies gray mold or other tulip diseases. Infection of healthy bulbs with penicillosis is possible through mechanical damage in the scales and bottom.

Control measures: To prevent penicillosis, the main attention should be paid to observing the rules for storing bulbs and creating optimal conditions for the growth and development of tulips during the growing season. If affected bulbs are found in storage, they should be pickled in a solution of potassium permanganate and dried.

Viral diseases of tulips

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Variegation- the most common viral disease of tulips. This disease is as old as the history of tulips themselves in Europe. Back in 1576, Professor Clusius noted the appearance of variegated banding in tulips. But for a long time the reason causing it was unknown and the sign of variegation was considered varietal. From the very beginning of growing tulips, varieties with variegated flowers were considered the most valuable, and many gardeners sought to obtain such tulips. It is obvious that almost all tulips with variegated petals were infected with viruses, and only in some of them this trait was genetically fixed. Varieties with variegated or striped petals still exist today. And only in 1928 it was established that variegation is a disease of a viral nature. This virus not only changes the color of the flower, but also affects other decorative and biological characteristics: infected plants are weaker, their flower stem is shorter, and the weight of the bulbs decreases. Such tulips will continue to bloom and grow for many, many years, but the variety gradually degenerates - the disease destroys the main characteristics inherent only to this variety. Such plants are no longer valuable and should be discarded. Although even today there are lovers who like variegated tulips.

This disease is caused by the mosaic virus, or variegation virus. It exclusively affects plants of the lily family. In diseased plants, the process of formation of the coloring pigment - anthocyanin - is disrupted. The virus changes the color of the flower, it becomes heterogeneous. Depending on the original color of the variety, the virus appears differently on flowers. Thus, in pink, purple and lilac varieties, the color of the flower becomes heterogeneous: strokes appear on the edge of the petals on a white or yellow background, and in the middle of the petal there are asymmetrically located stripes against the background of the original color of the variety. Tulips of red, dark red and purple colors are enhanced by their own color in the form of streaks and stripes of darker color. In this case, it is much more difficult to distinguish viral plants. It is even more difficult to recognize the presence of the virus in white and yellow varieties, since the shading on such colors is not noticeable at all. But upon careful examination, you can detect symptoms of the disease: a decrease in flowers and the general habit of the plant, narrowing of the petals, especially in the lower part. Streaks and faint stripes of pale green color sometimes appear on the stems and leaves. Near the stem, the petals do not touch each other, and gaps seem to form between them.

The variegation virus spreads through the sap of diseased plants, and is carried by different kinds aphids, thrips, leafhoppers, bugs, whiteflies and other insects. Since the mass appearance of these insects is observed in the second half of May, the variegation virus mainly affects varieties of mid- and late-flowering periods. Early flowering varieties, including those from the Kauffman, Foster and Greig classes, are also susceptible to this virus, but by the time the aphids appear aboveground part these tulips are already dying off, and infection of the bulbs becomes impossible. Infection often occurs as a result of mechanical damage and when cutting flowers - through cutting tools.

Control measures: There are no special pesticides to combat the variegation virus, so the only way to reduce the likelihood of infection of tulips is to carry out preventive measures, namely: removing and destroying diseased plants along with the bulb; infected plants are buried in deep holes and sprinkled with burnt lime. To prevent the disease in the vicinity of tulips, it is better not to plant lilies on which the virus can be present without visible signs of disease, and planting tulips after lilies is simply unacceptable. Another measure to prevent variegation is thorough disinfection of tools for cutting flowers. To avoid transfer of the variegation virus from diseased plants to healthy ones, you should not use one knife to cut flowers and decapitate them. Experienced gardeners usually use several dozen razor blades for cutting. After use, cutting tools are disinfected with potassium permanganate, alcohol, soda solution or formaldehyde, or simply boiled. The likelihood of transmitting the virus is further reduced if you break off flowers with your hands. One of the preventive measures is to grow large bulbs from baby bulbs, since it is believed that in most varieties of tulips, baby bulbs are immune to the variegation virus. And since the main carriers of the virus are aphids, it is important to monitor their appearance on tulip plantings and promptly combat them.

Control measures: removal and destruction of infected plants with a clod of earth. Timely destruction of weeds that can serve as a source of infection. The soil after diseased plants must be disinfected, and the soil used for forcing must be steamed. After this treatment, the fungal spores die. And one of the main preventive measures is strict adherence to cultural rotation. Even when planting absolutely healthy planting material in an area where diseased tulips were already growing, re-infection cannot be avoided.

Non-infectious diseases of tulips

Mainly, these diseases appear during forcing and are usually caused by unfavorable external conditions.

The appearance of “blind” buds most often occurs during forcing, but can also happen when growing tulips in open ground. If tulips are planted too early, when the soil temperature is still quite high, the bulb actively begins to grow, but the roots develop weakly. This disruption of the growth process leads to the appearance of “blind” buds. Another reason for the appearance of “blind” buds is bulbs suffering from fusarium. It has been established that bulbs infected with fusarium emit ethylene, which has a detrimental effect on healthy bulbs and causes the appearance of “blind” buds. Planting diseased bulbs leads to the fact that healthy bulbs growing nearby do not bloom.

Control measures: compliance with planting dates and storage conditions for bulbs, careful culling of tulips infected with fusarium.

Peduncle drooping also usually observed during forcing. A glassy spot with droplets of moisture appears on the top of the stem. The plant tissue in this place wrinkles and the stem droops. Such a lesion can appear in any part of the stem or on the leaves, but usually it appears in the upper, most actively growing part. This disease is associated with calcium deficiency in plant tissues when the tulip grows too quickly, caused by high temperatures. Calcium, compared to other elements, is absorbed by the plant much more slowly and is transported by it longer. More often, the disease manifests itself in plants dug up too early, the bulbs of which have not had time to ripen.

Control measures: maintaining correct temperature regime, restraining too active growth of tulips during forcing by lowering the temperature. In addition, it is useful to water tulips with a 1.5% solution of calcium nitrate during active growth or add fertilizers containing calcium before planting in the soil.

Lime disease observed during bulb storage. The bulbs seem to be saturated with lime, becoming hard and white. The disease manifests itself in the case of premature digging of tulips, when the bulbs have not yet matured, as well as when elevated temperature and air humidity in the storage.

Control measures: compliance with the deadlines for digging bulbs, maintaining optimal storage conditions.

Gum treatment bulbs is caused by excess sunlight. Plants become most sensitive to light at the end of April and the first half of May. The disease often affects them during this period. Yellowish and bluish-brown spots appear on the storage scales of the bulbs, from which a colorless liquid begins to ooze, forming sagging when it dries. Such bulbs are not carriers of infection and are quite healthy; normal plants grow from them. However, disease spots can become a point of entry for pathogens into the bulb and cause the plant to become infected with another disease.

Control measures: timely digging of bulbs, shading them during harvesting to avoid sunburn. Pickling bulbs in a solution of potassium permanganate. Maintaining optimal storage conditions.

Pests

Onion root mite- the most dangerous pest that damages not only tulips, but also many other types of bulbous and corm plants. This insect is less than 1 mm long, light yellow in color, shiny. The mite penetrates between the scales of the bulb, bites into its tissue, and the bulb quickly rots and may not germinate again. If the bulb does germinate, it produces a stunted, weakened plant or shoot. During the growing season, the growth of such tulips is delayed, they turn yellow, the quality of the flowers deteriorates, and the leaves die prematurely. Such plants usually become targets for attack by other diseases and quickly die. In some bulbs you can find small passages and cavities filled with brownish powder - this is a typical sign of mite damage.

Bulbs can be damaged by onion mites during storage if the pest remains on the old scales and roots. It reproduces especially well at a temperature of about 25 ° C and air humidity of more than 70%. Under unfavorable conditions, mites enter a resting stage and can remain viable for a long time. In mite-infested bulbs, the outer surface of the scales is gradually covered with brown dust, the bulbs rot and dry out. The pest spreads through the soil, with planting material, or carried on tools during cultivation.

Control measures: careful inspection of the bulbs during digging and storage and removal of mite-affected plants. Collection and destruction after digging up all plant debris. Before storing, planting material must be pickled for 10-15 minutes in a 0.3% solution of keltan or rogor, then dried and stored under normal conditions. You can sprinkle the bulbs with chalk, which sticks to the body of the mites, and they die from desiccation. An effective way to combat onion mites is to heat treat the bulbs. The affected bulbs are immersed in hot water (35-40 °C) for 5 minutes. It is better to plant the treated bulbs in a separate bed. If a mite is found on tulips during their growing season, spray with a 0.2% solution of rogor or keltan, but it is better to dig up and destroy the infected plants. In an area infested with onion mites, bulbous and corm plants cannot be grown for 3-4 years. For preventive purposes, after digging up tulips (or other bulbous plants), plants resistant to this pest are planted on the site: tagetes, pyrethrum, tomatoes, radishes and others.

Greenhouse aphid attacks tulips during forcing. This insect is up to 2 mm long, oval in shape, yellow, green or pinkish in color, wingless (winged individuals appear during the breeding season). Aphids appear on the stems, leaves and peduncles of tulips, but can also damage the bulbs. The pest feeds on plant sap. Parts of the plant damaged by aphids become deformed and may die. But aphids cause much more harm as a possible carrier of viral diseases, especially variegation.

Control measures: good results the use of various pesticides in the fight against aphids. The use of insecticidal plants (pyrethrum, tagetes and many others), which are planted next to tulips, also has a healing effect. It is also important when applying fertilizers to strictly observe their dosage, since overfeeding with nitrogen reduces the plants’ resistance to diseases and pests, including aphids.

Onion hoverfly Damages mainly daffodils and amaryllis, but is also found on tulips. The onion hoverfly is a greenish fly up to 1 cm long. But the main damage to tulips is caused not by the fly itself, but by its larvae, which appear in June and (the second generation) in September. The larvae penetrate the tulip bulb through the bottom and make passages in it. Affected bulbs grow poorly and do not produce flower stalks; the leaves of such a tulip turn yellow and wither ahead of time, and if the infection is severe, the plant may die. Fly larvae overwinter in bulbs, in soil and in storage.

Control measures: removal and destruction during the growing season of plants affected by the onion hoverfly, otherwise the pest may spread to healthy bulbs. After digging, the bulbs can be disinfected in a 0.75% solution of karbofos for 5-10 minutes. You can destroy the larvae in the bulb by applying heat treatment. Soak the infected bulbs in hot water (at a temperature of no more than 43 ° C) for 2 hours. Deep autumn digging of the soil with rotation of the layer is also recommended as an effective method of combating this pest. Mulching the soil with peat reduces the spread of onion hoverflies, as it prevents egg laying. Sprinkling the soil with naphthalene repels flies from planting tulips. As a preventive measure, it is useful to plant plants that secrete phytoncides around the perimeter of the beds with tulips. Watering tulip plantings with an infusion of wood ash (500 g per 10 liters of water) at a rate of 5 l/m2 is also effective.

Purple armyworm causes the greatest harm to tulips in the larval stage. The lilac cutworm itself is a butterfly with a wingspan of up to 5 cm, which lays eggs on plant stems in August-September. Its caterpillars are reddish-purple in color, bite into the tulip stem at the root collar and make passages in it, then the caterpillar moves to the neighboring plant and so on. Often plants damaged by caterpillars die. The eggs of the lilac cutworm overwinter on plants and plant debris.

Control measures: timely weeding, collection and destruction of plant residues. In May-June, the lower part of the tulip stems is dusted with naphthalene or other preparations.

Khrushchi(Chafer beetle larvae) damage the roots and bulbs of tulips. A white fleshy larva 4-6 cm long, with a dark brown head, develops in the soil for 4-5 years, feeding first on humus and then on plant foods.

Control measures: An effective remedy is deep digging of the soil with soil turnover and collection of larvae. Frequent loosening of the soil also contributes to this.

Wireworms damage tulip bulbs during the period of their active growth, gnawing holes in them. Such bulbs easily rot and are affected by other diseases. Wireworms are click beetle larvae that look like pieces of copper wire, which is where they get their name. The beetles lay eggs in the soil near the root collar of plants. Particularly favorable for laying are places overgrown with weeds, especially wheatgrass and thistle, which are the main food of wireworms. Beetles and larvae overwinter in the soil.

Control measures: timely and systematic removal of weeds, deep digging and loosening of the soil. Reducing soil acidity by adding lime, chalk or ash, since wireworms prefer acidic soils. Laying out baits (pieces of potatoes, beets) and planting bait plants (wheat, oats, corn, barley) also help reduce the number of pests. Adding ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate to the soil in an amount of 20-30 g/m2 creates unfavorable conditions for the reproduction of beetles and leads to a reduction in the number of their larvae.

Medvedka causes significant damage to plants, gnawing their stems and roots. This insect is brown in color, 4-5 cm long, its front legs are adapted for making moves. The bulk of the passages are located at a depth of 2-4 cm; the pest goes deeper only for wintering and to lay eggs. Around its nest, the mole cricket destroys all the plants so that the nest warms up well (it is usually located at a depth of 10-15 cm), - this serves good reference to find and destroy its nests. The presence of a mole cricket in an area can also be detected by numerous holes and passages in the soil, which become especially noticeable after rain or watering.

Control measures: mole cricket nests are destroyed during deep loosening of the soil or digging, while the eggs and larvae thrown to the surface die. The most common method of pest control is to lay out traps. Starting in spring, sheets of plywood, slate, iron, etc. are laid out on the site, under which the insect crawls to bask. All that remains is to regularly check the traps and destroy the pests. The use of bait pits is especially effective. At the beginning of autumn, holes up to 0.5 m deep are dug in the area and filled with manure. Insects settle in such pits for the winter. Then, with the onset of frost, the manure is scattered from the pit, and the pests die. In the same way, you can fight mole crickets in early spring. To do this, small piles of manure are laid out around the area, in which mole crickets lay eggs. Periodically, once a month, piles of manure are inspected and pests are collected. You can also catch mole crickets with water traps. To do this, jars filled with water are buried in the ground so that it does not reach 8-10 cm to the edges. Once in the water, the pest cannot get out of it. All that remains is to bypass the traps every morning and destroy the pests caught in them.

Slugs and snails cause a lot of trouble, especially in wet weather. They eat young shoots and leaves of tulips and gnaw holes in the bulbs.

Control measures: Effective in the fight against slugs is dusting the soil with tobacco dust or other means. In addition, traps are laid out around the area (pieces of plywood, boards, wet rags, bunches of fresh grass, etc.), under which quite a lot of slugs gather. Traps regularly inspect and destroy pests.

Mouse-like rodents cause damage to tulip bulbs during their growth and especially during storage.

Control measures: laying out poisonous baits in storage, dusting bulbs with red lead, which reduces the attractiveness of bulbs for mouse-like rodents, placing mousetraps.

N. Malova “Tulips” - M.: OLMA-PRESS, 2001. - 96 p.
IBC materials "Forcing bulbs: diseases and control measures" // "Floriculture" - 2003 - No. 1,2

There are 100% pests in the dacha that any gardener knows by sight, and about which, so to speak, you can’t say a good word. These are, of course, mice. They - worst enemies, feeding on absolutely everything, including the bulbs of their favorite flowers, for which it happens that a lot of money was paid. It is a holy thing to fight them with all the means at your disposal. However, it is quite difficult to find a way to deal with nasty rodents, although it is not a sin to sometimes use extreme measures. Methods and ways to save tulips, lilies and other bulbous plants from mice, rats and other rodents will be discussed in our article.

In fact, there are 2 methods on how you can protect tulip and lily bulbs from mice:

1. Initially, plant the bulbs in special pots (containers or boxes) so that rodents cannot easily reach them.
2. When planting the bulb, use various repellents (pour into the hole).

By the way! To be sure to protect your tulip and lily bulbs from rodents, you can apply both methods of protection at the same time.

By the way! But rodents are usually avoided (since they are poisonous), so they can be planted without any protection.

Grouse and daffodils

By the way! You can protect tulips and lilies by simply planting them mixed with daffodils and hazel grouse, the smell of which is not tolerated by rodents.

How to plant tulips and lilies in the fall so that rodents don’t eat them in winter

The most popular and modern method protecting tulips or lilies from mice is to plant the bulbs in special baskets or containers(you can even use the most ordinary ones for this purpose) plastic vegetable boxes).

In this way, you will not only protect your plantings from rodents, but you will also be able to easy to dig up bulbs for storage, besides without losing children.

Advice! The basket must be buried to such a depth that its upper edge also remains at soil level, or even 1-2 centimeters higher.

It is quite logical that such a container will not protect the bulbs from above (and this is true), therefore, in order to definitely protect tulips and/or lilies from mice, they can be planted in closed boxes with large holes (mesh baskets). G The main thing is that they do not interfere with the growth of the flowers themselves.

Worth knowing! For example, the water rat from above does not dig or run along the surface of the soil. Another thing is mice, the most noticeable pests on the site.

Or install from above and dig in safety net(metal or plastic with fiberglass inside).

Attention! Many gardeners complain that they often mice gnaw plastic boxes , therefore, for guaranteed protection, it is optimal to use metal structures (grids).

Video: a method of planting tulips with a net to protect them from mice and rats

By the way! On our website you can find detailed instructions About, how to plant correctly in autumn ,

Besides, in order to protect against rodents, it is advisable to plant other bulbous plants, for example, the same and .

Ways to repel mice from tulips and lilies

Dealing with mice is not so easy. Folk methods of scaring will help to do this, although not radically.

Birch tar

One of the most folk ways Bulb protection is the use of birch tar.

So, in order to protect the bulbs of tulips and other flowers from mice, when planting, you need to pour a small layer of sawdust (a handful) mixed with tar into the hole, namely, for 1 liter of sawdust you will need 1 liter of water and 20 ml. birch tar. Ideally, the repellent mixture should infuse for 2 days.

Important! Just don’t treat the bulbs themselves, but rather add sawdust soaked in tar into the hole when planting.

Although, as an option, you can soak the bulbs for 1 hour before planting in a solution of birch tar (1 tbsp per 1 liter of water).

By the way! If you don't have sawdust, you can mix tar with sand.

Video: how to plant tulips with tar to protect the bulbs from mice

As an option! Likewise birch tar can be used tar soap, planing it on a grater and pouring it into the hole along with sand when planting it.

Vishnevsky ointment

An even more ancient way to protect bulbs from rodents is the use of Vishnevsky ointment. Namely, before planting you need to grease each bulb a little. Mice will not even come close to the flower bed, including shrews.

Red or black pepper

The bulbs already planted in the holes should be sprinkled with hot red or black ground pepper.

Mustard powder

Similarly to ground pepper, you can sprinkle mustard powder on top of the bulbs.

Branches of rosehip or gooseberry

When planting, you can place prickly branches of rose hips or gooseberries directly into the holes.

What to do if you planted tulip or lily bulbs without protection from rodents

To avoid digging up the bulbs, you can simply dig a little and sprinkle sawdust moistened with tar on top of the bulbs. Or dig it near the plantings thorny branches of rosehip or gooseberry.

As an option! Can water the plantings with a solution of birch tar(1 tbsp per 10 liters of water).

Thus, if you want to protect your favorite tulips and lilies from mice and rats, be sure to protect the bulbs by planting them in special containers or boxes, or use special repellents. And then the enemy will definitely retreat!

Video: a convenient way to plant bulbs in boxes to protect them from mice

Note! About, how to get rid of mice and rats in the garden and in the country (in the house), read .

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Unfortunately, tulips are susceptible to various diseases and have numerous pests. Let's get acquainted with the most common ones and learn how to deal with them.

Fungal diseases

Botrytis, or gray mold , is most active in rainy and cool weather. On the first storage scales of the bulb, rounded and irregular shape spots. They are clearly defined, yellow-orange or brown, reaching 1 cm in diameter or more. The bulbs wrinkle and turn black.

In years when spring is long or cold, the disease appears on the leaves and even on flowers in the form of brown spots. Affected bulbs produce weak shoots and develop poorly, leaf blades are torn, deformed and turn brown. The plants seem to be charred and covered with a gray coating. The infection is transmitted through infected bulbs and soil.

We are taking action

Avoid thickening of plantings, remove weeds in a timely manner and loosen the soil.

When planting, avoid low areas. On heavy soils add sand.

Plant resistance to disease is increased by fertilizing with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, as well as those containing microelements.

Before planting, tulip bulbs should be placed in a 0.2% solution of Fundazol for 30 minutes.

From the moment of emergence, every 10-15 days, preventive treatments of plants are carried out with a 0.4% solution of copper oxychloride, 0.2% solution of Fundazol, 1% Bordeaux mixture, 0.2% solution of the drug Skor.

Strictly observe the storage regime for bulbs.

When digging, tulips are immediately treated with one of the listed fungicides.

Tyfulosis is one of the varieties of white dry rot. Tulips emerge later, their leaves do not develop, the shoots remain curled into a tube and become red. With a weak degree of infection, when there is no obvious signs bottom rot, plants have a depressed appearance, do not bloom or produce “blind” buds, their root system is not viable.

The development of the disease is facilitated by low temperatures above zero, so typhullosis often appears after a warm winter and with high humidity in autumn and spring. The infection persists in the soil, on weeds and is transmitted with the bulb. Infected bulbs during storage serve as a source of disease.

We are taking action

Weeds are promptly removed from the site, the bulbs are carefully inspected and discarded during storage.

After digging up tulips, the area must be dug deeply with the formation turned over, since at great depths the fungal spores do not germinate and die over time (after 70-80 days).

It is advisable to treat bulbs dug from an area where typhullosis was observed in a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate.

Before planting, the bulbs are treated with the following solution: 10 g of potassium permanganate and 3 g of boric acid are dissolved in 10 liters of water.

Fusarium usually appears towards the end of the growing season, causing significant loss of tulips. Sometimes plants die in early spring, after the snow melts. Large tulips are stunted in growth, their flowers become small and faded, and their flower stalks are short and thin. Sick tulips are easily pulled out of the soil.

The likelihood of infection increases when the weather before digging is humid and hot. Wet white rot forms on the bulbs, covering the bottom, the scales lag behind, during storage large light brown spots with a red-brown border are formed, and a pink coating appears between the scales. Subcutaneous tissues soften, darken and acquire a sharp, specific odor. Ultimately, the onion turns into dust.

We are taking action

Measures to combat fusarium are the same as when tulips are affected by botrytis.

Variegation virus

The variegation virus changes the color of the flower. Depending on the original color of the variety, it appears differently. Thus, in pink, purple and lilac varieties, the color of the flower becomes heterogeneous: strokes appear on the edge of the petals on a white or yellow background, and in the middle of the petal there are asymmetrically located stripes against the background of the original color of the variety. Tulips of red, dark red and purple colors have streaks and stripes of darker tones against the background of their own color. It is difficult to recognize the presence of the virus in white and yellow varieties, since the shading on the flowers is poorly visible.

Streaks and faint stripes of pale green color also sometimes appear on the stems and leaves. But do not confuse such specimens with varieties of tulips, in which striped leaves are a varietal characteristic.

Plants infected with the virus are weaker, the flower stem becomes shorter, and the weight of the bulbs decreases. Such tulips will continue to bloom and grow for a long time, but the variety gradually degenerates - the disease destroys the main characteristics inherent only to this variety.

The variegation virus is incurable and spreads with the sap of diseased plants, it is carried by various insects(aphids, bugs, thrips). In a relatively short time, you can lose your entire collection of varieties. Since the mass appearance of insect carriers is observed in the second half of May, mainly varieties of mid- and late-flowering periods are affected by the variegation virus. Early flowering varieties, Kaufman, Foster and Greig tulips are also susceptible to this virus, but by the time the aphids appear, their aerial parts have already died off and infection becomes almost impossible.

We are taking action

To avoid transfer of the virus from diseased plants to healthy ones, you should not use one knife to cut flowers and remove buds. I simply break off the flowers with my hands, but so that the broken stem does not touch my fingers. To do this, I tightly grasp the flower or bud and remove it.

After use, the instrument must be disinfected with alcohol, in a solution of potassium permanganate or baking soda.

Diseased plants must be mercilessly pricked out and destroyed before the flower fully opens. Usually on the second day of coloring the petals you can already see whether the tulip is sick or not. Under no circumstances should such plants be thrown away. compost heap, ideally they should be burned.

To prevent disease in the vicinity of tulips, you should not plant lilies, which can be infected with a virus without showing signs of disease, and planting tulips after lilies is simply unacceptable.

In most varieties of tulips, the baby is immune to the virus, so it is better to grow tulips from it.

Since the main carriers of the virus are aphids, it is important to monitor their appearance on tulip plantings and promptly combat them.

Pests of tulips

Onion hoverfly - this is a fly greenish color up to 1 cm long.

But the main damage to tulips is caused not by the plant itself, but by its larvae, which appear in June and September (second generation).

The larvae penetrate the tulip bulb through the bottom and make passages in it. Affected bulbs do not produce flower stalks, the leaves turn yellow and wither prematurely, and if the infection is severe, the plant may die. Fly larvae overwinter in bulbs, soil and storage areas.

We are taking action

Affected plants are removed during the growing season.

You can destroy the larvae in the bulb if you keep the infected bulbs in hot water(no more than +43°C) for 2 hours.

An effective method is deep autumn digging of the soil with rotation of the layer.

Mulching the soil with peat reduces the spread of onion hoverflies, which prevents egg laying.

It is useful to plant plants that produce phytoncides around the perimeter of flower beds with tulips: marigolds, calendula and others.

Tulip plantings are watered with an infusion of wood ash (500 g per 10 liters of water) at the rate of 5 l/m2.

Onion root mite - the most dangerous pest. It penetrates between the scales of the bulb and bites into its tissue. It quickly rots and may not germinate again. If it does germinate, then during the growing season the growth of tulips is delayed, the leaves turn yellow and die prematurely, and the quality of flowering deteriorates. Such plants are usually affected by other diseases and quickly die.

Bulbs can also be damaged by mites during storage if the pest remains on the old scales and roots. It reproduces especially well at temperatures around +25°C and air humidity above 70%. The outer surface of the scales is gradually covered with brown dust, the bulbs rot and dry out.

We are taking action

The bulbs are carefully inspected during digging and storage and the affected ones are discarded.

Before storing, planting material must be treated with an acaricide (Aktellik, Fitoverm and others).

You can sprinkle the bulbs with chalk or ash; they stick to the body of the mites, which die from desiccation.

An effective method of control is heat treatment of the bulbs. The affected bulbs are immersed in hot (+35-40°C) water for 5 minutes and planted in a separate bed.

If a mite is found on tulips during the growing season, you can treat the plantings with an acaricide solution, but it is still better to dig them up and destroy them.

For preventive purposes, after digging up tulips (and other bulbous plants), plants resistant to this pest are planted on the site: marigolds, pyrethrum, tomatoes, radishes.

Wireworms damage tulip bulbs during the period of their active growth, making passages in them. Bulbs rot easily and are affected by other diseases. Wireworms are click beetle larvae that look like pieces of copper wire, which is where they get their name. The beetles lay eggs in the soil near the root collar of plants. Places overgrown with weeds are favorable for laying, especially wheatgrass and thistle - this is the favorite food of wireworms.

We are taking action

Remove weeds and loosen the soil in a timely manner.

Pests prefer to live in acidic soil. Therefore, it is recommended to add lime, chalk, dolomite flour or ash as a deoxidizing agent.

Bait is laid out (pieces of potatoes, beets) and bait plants are sown (wheat, oats, corn, barley).

Ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate is added to the soil in an amount of 20-30 g/m2, creating unfavorable conditions for the reproduction of beetles, which leads to a reduction in the number of their larvae.

Medvedka causes significant damage to plants, gnawing their stems and roots. The bulk of the passages are located at a depth of 2-4 cm; the pest goes deeper only for wintering and to lay eggs. Around its nest, the mole cricket destroys all the plants so that the nest warms up well (it is usually located at a depth of 10-15 cm) - this serves as a good guide for searching and destroying its nests. The presence of a mole cricket in an area can also be detected by numerous holes and passages in the soil, which become especially noticeable after rain or watering.

We are taking action

Mole cricket nests are destroyed during deep loosening of the soil.

Starting in spring, traps are laid out on the site: sheets of plywood, slate, iron, under which insects crawl to bask. All that remains is to regularly check the traps and destroy the pests.

At the beginning of autumn, you can make bait pits up to 0.5 m deep. They are filled with manure. Insects settle in such pits for the winter. With the onset of frost, manure is scattered from the pit and the pests die.

A similar option is for the beginning of spring. Small piles of manure are laid out around the area, in which mole crickets lay eggs. Periodically, once a month, the piles are inspected and pests are collected.

You can also catch mole crickets using water traps. To do this, jars filled with water are buried in the ground so that it does not reach 8-10 cm to the edges. Once in the water, the pest cannot get out of it.

Nematodes- These are roundworms that live in the soil. They penetrate through the root system. As a result, the shoots become shortened and have swelling. The roots quickly rot, the plant loses turgor and dies.

We are taking action

The bulbs are heat treated before planting.

Protective plants have different effects on nematodes. For example, marigolds are destructive for nematodes; you just need to plant varieties of rejected and thin-leaved marigolds with a strong odor. The secretions of calendula roots expel nematodes. The roots of gaillardia, rudbeckia, and coreopsis secrete substances that nematodes cannot tolerate.

Aphids damage young shoots and leaves, causing their deformation and discoloration. By sucking the juice, aphids secrete a sweet substance - honeydew, which attracts other insects. That is why you can often see ants next to aphids, feeding on sweets and aphid secretions.

We are taking action

Don't overfeed your plants nitrogen fertilizers, because it is fresh young greenery that attracts aphids.

The most popular means of combating aphids is soap dissolved in water (it is more convenient to use liquid soap) and vegetable oil. The viscous consistency of the solution envelops the bodies of insects and prevents their breathing.

From chemicals you can use Inta-VIR, Alatar, Fitoverm and others.

ogorod.ru

Varietal bulbs are not cheap, and therefore you want to get from them maximum result. It’s all the more offensive to understand that someone got to your plantings first, and you shouldn’t expect flowering. Who eats flower bulbs and what to do with it?

Delicate tulips, irises, crocuses, hyacinths and lilies can be destroyed not only by diseases and weather conditions, but also by material pests. Moreover, if it is impossible to insure against the former, then the latter can and should be fought.

Mice

Most often, the bulbs of tulips, lilies and dahlia tubers are damaged by mice and rats. In the warm season, they feed on grains, root crops, plant residues, but in winter they don’t disdain flowers. True, they gnaw selectively; for example, the bulbs of daffodils, hazel grouse and ornamental onions have a pungent odor and repel the gray people.

You can understand that your enemy is mice by the characteristic passages in the soil on the ridge, which lie at a depth of 10-30 cm, as well as the absence of bulbs. Other pests only damage the plantings, while mice destroy them completely.

The best way to regulate the number of mice and rats on the site is to use a cat.

There are several ways to protect your bulbs from mice. It is worth understanding that different areas Not all of them may be effective, since in hungry winters mice will cope with any obstacles.

• Planting flowers in bulb baskets, increased in height using cut 5-liter plastic bottles;
• pre-planting treatment of bulbs with kerosene, Vishnevsky ointment, ground red pepper;
• planting bulbs loved by rodents mixed with unloved, strong-smelling plants;
• planting bulbs in trenches filled with soil mixed with branches of gooseberries, rose hips and other thorny bushes;
• placement of poisoned rodent baits in the flower bed (only for the winter, provided that other animals do not have access to the beds).

But moles, contrary to popular suspicions, do not eat flower bulbs, but they can also cause their disappearance. If you have an abundance of moles on your site, then the flower garden will sooner or later be in their path. Then the bulbous plants may suffer, as the mole digs a tunnel, regardless of obstacles; or they may simply fall into what has already been dug out, end up at too great a depth and never rise again.

Slugs

It is no secret that slugs eat the tender flesh of flowers. But the trouble is, they destroy the bulbs with no less appetite. Tulips, hyacinths and lilies most often suffer from slugs, but other tuberous and bulbous plants are also at risk.