Besides other plants, the bulb plant is always the favorite choice of many people for their gardens. However, not everyone knows how to distinguish them because they are similar.
So identify bulb plants leaves?
For the answer, do not ignore the information below.
How To Identify Bulb Plants Leaves?
Identifying bulb plant Leaves is confusing for new gardeners because they are similar in appearance and difficult to distinguish.
Fortunately, there will still be a few cues that tell you the answer, like spawn time, bottom part, shape and texture, color, etc. Here are a few ways:
Time The Foliage Appears
To confirm your flower bulb identification chart, base it on the planting times.
These ornamental plants, such as grape hyacinths, gladiolus corms, crocus plants, etc., usually grow most vigorously in spring or summer.
At this point, the foliage will lengthen faster and become smoother.
They don’t like the cold of autumn and winter months, so it’s almost impossible to find turmeric in the second half of the year because only the flowers are waiting to be harvested.
Bottom Part
Unlike perennial plants that grow from seeds or by cuttings, the leaves of plants that grow from true bulbs are usually quite thin and long.
Another distinctive feature of these cultivars is the height between the ground and the leaves.
This height is usually quite low, averaging only a few tens of centimeters. It is understandable because they grow directly from the underground tubers, not from the trunk or branches.
Because of the low height, it cannot be easy to see the leaves as soon as they sprout, especially when you put them in a large garden.
But don’t worry because as you get older, you can pinpoint their exact location.
In addition, as your plant grows, the connection between the bulb and the leaf tip will also become more apparent.
Texture And Shape
Another sign to identify spring bulbs by their leaves is the shape and texture of the leaves.
According to a study by Germany’s Max Planck Plant Breeding Society, it is a protein called LMI1 responsible for their development and shape.
As mentioned above, the leaves of these plants, right from the time of germination, have an elongated shape, a pointed tip, and a soft but strong texture.
The special thing is that even when they mature, they only get bigger and darker but do not change their shape much.
They grow from the upper excrement of the tuber and spread out, sometimes with a few overlapping leaves.
Foliage Length
Due to their low height, the true types of bulbs are often located under some foliage and other plants.
To identify flower bulbs, most gardeners use them to check their length because, after a while, these foliage will become long and smooth.
That’s why the plant’s true bulbs usually grow close to the ground and stick up high. If you want to find a crocus plant, the stumps, and other foliage are the places to try first.
Actual Color Of Tubers And Leaves
The common types of flower bulbs are usually brown, white, or green, but with various shades. You will see the color patches divided into distinct parts when observing.
The green color at the top will usually be darker because it is directly exposed to sunlight, so there is more chlorophyll.
The bottom is white or light green because there is less chlorophyll.
One note is that because the tubers are underground, they have a lot of soil outside the peel, so you have to clean them before identifying flower bulbs.
Bulb Flowers
Some popular plants can even flower, like Calla Lily, Dragon Lily, Dutch Hyacinth, Dutch Hybrid Iris, a family of irises, ornamental plants native to Central America, South America, the Mediterranean region, South America, temperate regions, etc.
Their flowers often grow in clusters and are very colorful. The flowering time is usually spring or summer; very few flowers come in and out of cold winters.
Rarely any flower blooms in winter because that is the dormancy period of the plant.
They bloom only on the flower stem base and do not spread to other plants.
How To Know Which True Bulbs Are Still Alive?
Growing bulb beauties plants is a trend that many people love. However, many cases have failed because they cannot germinate.
One of the biggest reasons lies in the improper selection of the parent bulb.
Sowing a parent bulb is risky because its viability decreases or dies over time. They also have a shelf life, just like food. To know if it is alive or not, look at the following characteristics:
The ones with small holes in the shell: parasitic nematodes or larger animals, such as the moles, can be the culprit depending on the size of the tuber.
Those that have grown mushrooms are mushy or have an unpleasant smell. When they are very soft or covered with a white or gray spot, they will not germinate anymore.
Wrinkled, discolored shells are also signs that they are old or have little chance of survival.
When encountering these signs, it is better to discard them and replace them with new ones. Trying to plant and take care of it no matter how good it is, it’s just a waste of time waiting.
What Is The Transplant Bulb Plant With Leaves Method?
Moving a plant from one pot to another or from the garden to a new pot is a transplant. This is one of the ways for you to have a beautiful potted plant.
First, you need to dig them out of the ground level and place them in a pot of soil. Be aware that it should be moist soil. This will make it easier for the plant to take tuberous roots in the new ground.
The fleshy root part of the tuber must be intact, and the cotyledons are still green, not wilted.
Planting bulbs into any pot is not too complicated, but there are still some caveats as follows:
Based on the size of the tree, choose a potted plant. Growing small plants in a large pot is not recommended, as excess fertilizer will affect the plant’s normal growth.
You must soak new pots in clean water for about 24 hours to wash them, then dry them before use.
With the used garden fixtures, you need to disinfect and decontaminate to avoid the case that the pot contains pathogens such as pests or eggs of insects.
Use well-drained soil and drill a few holes in the bottom of the pot so the plant doesn’t get waterlogged.
Bottom Line
We have just learned how to identify bulb plants leaves. Although they are quite similar in appearance, each type of sentence has its characteristics.
To identify bulb plant leaves, you can rely on shape, length, color, appearance, or bulb flower. I told you the details above. Hope the above gardening guide will make your work easier. Thanks for reading.
