The Secret Behind 2 Billion Tulip Bulbs: A Massive Process Few People Know

Tulips have been grown in Holland since the 1600s, did you know? Billion tulip bulbs. And 90% are exported. Tulips are one of. In 2020, the Netherlands had about 27,000 hectares of farmland. Four flower bulbs. Over half was for tulips, about. The world's most popular flowers, known for vibrant colors and unique cultivation. I'll take you through planting, growing, and harvesting them. But before we start, here's a little challenge. Any idea why the same tulip bulbs go into the ground twice annually? Keep it in mind, you'll get the answer as you watch. Next, let's explore what gives tulips their beauty. Tulip cultivation starts with planting. Tulips are autumn bulbs. They're planted in fall, in October and November. Blossoms open at the start of spring, from January through April. Growers put the bulbs in the ground. About 15 centimeters deep to protect from frost, 10 to 20 centimeters apart. But where do these bulbs come from? Well, big farms usually grow their own bulbs. We'll learn more later. Throughout this video. The bulbs are planted in nets, making them easier to lift from the ground later. On. Don't worry if you can't picture it, we'll see it clearly at harvest. For now, let's watch this satisfying process. Once tulips sprout, they're carefully checked for viruses or diseases. Any bad plants are quickly removed to make room for the good ones. After four months, the tulips bloom fully and attract tourists worldwide. But these tulips aren't grown mainly for tourism. However, these tulips are not grown mainly for tourism. They are either sold as bulbs or used to grow new ones. So that the plant's energy feeds the bulbs, not the blooms. The tulips are topped, their heads cut off. A machine does this to avoid damaging the leaves. Yet smaller tulips require manual handling. Harvested blooms lie on the soil as a kind of. Fertilizer. You've now learned about topping, care, and sowing. After that, we'll discover the method for raising them under glass. For the moment, though, gathering the crop comes first. This typically occurs from mid-June through late July. At this point, the tulip bulb has reached full maturity and sufficient size. Around it, they've grown numerous tiny new bulbs as well. See how effortlessly a net pulls them from the soil. After that, the bulbs go to the processing plant. They go through a 24-hour wash and dry. At this stage, the daughter bulbs are detached from their parent bulbs. The smaller ones go back for replanting, while the larger ones undergo further processing. Mechanically. They come in three grades. Some bulbs go to the sales department, where they're sold as bulbs worldwide. The remainder is saved for replanting the following season. While the third is cultivated into full blooms. Next, we look at cultivating in the greenhouse. At first, the bulbs are cultivated in chilly conditions, then relocated to greenhouses for growing. They're kept in cold storage for a set time. Generally takes 11 to 17 weeks at 11 degrees Celsius. But what makes this process necessary for them? It's a trick to make the bulbs think it's winter. This brings the sprout and new roots to life. Making them think they must grow again when spring arrives. That's really neat, isn't it? How does this trick strike you? LED lighting is used here to speed up their growth. After a few months in the cooling room, new roots and tulips slowly start to grow. Once tulips grow big enough, they can leave cold storage. Four to eight weeks in, the tulips have now grown fully in direct sun. At last, once the blooms are fully grown, they're harvested. A fully automated system cuts and packages them. For the moment, let's stop and enjoy watching this gratifying procedure. Today marks the end of our tulip growing journey, and I'd like to thank you for keep watching to the end. Do you now want to grow tulips at home after watching this? We'd love to hear your feedback in the comments. Enjoyed the video? Please like and subscribe to my channel. And enable notifications so every new upload reaches you. Well, this is where we part ways.