Tulips - Tulips in the Greenhouse
Tulips first evolved in the mountain regions of Central to Western Asia near present-day Turkey and Kazakhstan. That area of the Earth naturally has cold winters, spring that supplies ample rain, followed by long, hot and dry summers. As a result, not surprisingly, those are exactly the conditions in which tulips thrive best.
But recreating those conditions can be difficult. Many places around the U.S. and Europe have similar conditions, but many others do not.
Even the climate of Holland, long associated with tulips, is more maritime than continental and certainly not mountain-like. Summers there can be hot, reaching 30C (86F), but more often the highs peak around 25C (77F). Winters range between 10C (50F) to -5C (23F) on average. Good tulip weather, to be sure, but not the same as ancient Persia.
However, thanks to human ingenuity, we don't have to rely solely on what nature provides. A greenhouse can control the climate the tulip experiences to a very large degree, and with minimal effort.
Greenhouses range in size from a box about the size of a doghouse to giant glass enclosures larger than many homes. A modest-sized greenhouse that is readily affordable by avid gardeners will be large enough to walk around in and hold dozens of pots.
Tulips, luckily for those gardeners, 'enjoy' a pot almost as much as residing in the Earth. With the proper pot selection and soil preparation, and very moderate care, a potted tulip will grow large and healthy in only a few weeks. Insect management is also often much easier in a greenhouse/pot scenario. A little malathion spray and many pests can be kept at bay.
Adequate light control is equally easy in a greenhouse. Many offer simple installable kits of louvers, blinds or other mechanisms to ensure that plants don't receive too much sunlight. Some are even automated so it's easy to set a timer to open and close them at desired times of the day.
That will rarely be a problem with tulips, though. They thrive in partial to full sun. A minimum of three hours daily is recommended and tulips can readily do well in up to six hours per day. More sunlight than that would be hard to obtain in all but a very few places. When the problem is in the opposite direction - too little sun - lamps can be used to compensate.
Humidity control is also straightforward with a greenhouse. Sometimes simple vents are enough. For more extensive control it's simple and inexpensive to install a fan to move air in or out of the greenhouse at any needed rate. For increased humidity, a mister system is helpful. But, unlike many orchids for example, tulips prefer conditions to be dryer.
Local moisture levels near the plant can be a little harder to control. A fan will help, but care has to be taken not to cool the plant in summer. They like the heat. A separate section cordoned off from the other plants isn't too difficult to arrange, though. If that proves inadequate, having two greenhouses - one for plants that like humidity, others that prefer it dryer - can be a cost effective solution.
