Floriculturist grows rare Tulips in Mysore
These plants are said to thrive in cooler places like Kashmir and Amsterdam
Tulips, a plant which has a large brightly coloured bell-shaped flower on a stem, and are grown in climates with long cool springs like Kashmir and Amsterdam has been successfully grown for the first time by an enthusiastic floriculturist in Mysore.
Seema Suresh, a resident of Jayalakshmipuram, Mysore, has grown these rare flowers in her landscaped garden at her home.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Seema Suresh, an active member of Ooty Floriculture Club, said, hailing from Udagamandalam, she loves plants and has been nurturing rare varieties flowering and other plants for long.
After deciding to grow tulips in her home garden, she potted bulbs in 25 pots, she said.
Vernalisation Seema said these plants are indigenous to mountainous regions with temperate climates and need a period of cool dormancy, known as vernalisation.
The plants thrive in climates with long, cool springs and are imported to warm-winter areas of the world from cold-winter areas and are planted in the fall to be treated as annuals. Following this, the planting was done in January as this was the right climate suitable for the plant and was excited to see it flowering in 25 days. Extra care was taken in watering the plant as over watering may affect it and was grown in semi shade.
However, no special soil or manure is required. Normal soil was used with local available manure, Seema said.
The flowers, just like lotus, open after sunrise and close after sunset and the life of the flower is about six days. The life of first flower, which bloomed is over and the second plant is ready to flower, she said. She has grown tulips of red colour, yellow and red and double shade flowers.
For her, growing Tulip flowers in Mysore — which has a moderate climate — was a challenge. She had taken good care for more than 10 months, which resulted in blossoms of Tulip flowers in Mysore.
She has plans to grow Liliums and Fuchsia in future. Seema, who is also member of Rose Society has bagged many prizes in growing roses. Seema never forgets to recall the support of her husband B Suresh, vice-chancellor of JSS University, and children, without whose support it would not have been possible to dedicate most of her time in growing rare plants.
The bulbs of these plants would be kept in deep freeze at zero degree to be planted next year this season.
