Agriculture Report - Grow It Yourself: Turning Bulbs Into Beautiful Blooms
农业报道 - 怎样种植球茎植物
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道节目。
Bulbs are underground plant stems. They provide food for a shoot. Some bulbs produce flowers year after year. Gardening experts say tulips, daffodils and other bulbs are not very difficult to grow.
球茎是植物在地下的根茎，为叶芽提供养分。一些球茎每年都会开花。园艺专家表示，郁金香，水仙花和其他球茎植物并不是很难种植。
Bulbs do well in climates with a cold season. They are placed in the ground about the time of the first frost. But, with the right preparation, they can also grow well in places where the ground never freezes.
球茎植物在寒冷的气候中生长状况比较好，大约在第一次霜冻的时候种植到土壤中比较好。但是在准备比较充足的情况下，球茎植物在地面从来不冻结的地方也生长的很好。
Mike Lizotte of American Meadows, an online store, says before you start, you need know whether to plant tender bulbs or hardy bulbs. If you live in a cold area, a tender bulb will need special care when the growing season is over.
网络商店“美国牧场”的Mike Lizotte表示，开始之前，你需要了解应该种植热带球茎植物还是耐寒球茎植物。如果居住在寒冷地区，生长季节过后，热带球茎植物需要特别的照料。
MIKE LIZOTTE: "If you want that bulb to survive or come back, you would need to literally dig it out of the ground and bring it inside to a warm area because it just -- it will not survive, or it would get killed by the cold temperatures."
Mike Lizotte：“如果你希望球茎植物能够存活下来或复苏，你需要将它从地下挖出来，带到温暖的室内，因为在寒冷的气候下，球茎植物可能会死亡。”
But Mike Lizotte says a hardy bulb can stay in the ground all year.
但是Mike Lizotte表示，耐寒球茎则可以常年埋在地下。
MIKE LIZOTTE: "A hardy bulb is one that prefers cold temperatures. So therefore it can be left in the ground, such as a daffodil or tulip."
Mike Lizotte：“耐寒球茎比较喜欢寒冷的天气，所以可以一直留在土壤中，例如郁金香或水仙花。”
Sandra Mason from the University of Illinois Extension service has some suggestions to get a good start on planting bulbs. First, the most important thing is to choose a place with soil that drains well.
来自伊力诺伊推广大学的Sandra Mason为我们提供了关于怎样开始种植球茎作物的几点建议。首先，最重要的一点就是选择一个土壤易于排水的地点。
SANDRA MASON: "How wet the soil is, that ends up being a big issue. For certain areas, if you have a lot of clay in your soil, you may find that bulbs do not last a long time for you, as in just a couple years. Or you may find they just do not do very well at all, and they actually rot in the soil."
Sandra Mason：“土壤的湿润程度是一个很大的问题。对于某些地区，如果土壤中粘土的含量比较高，你会发现球茎植物不会存活很长时间，最多一两年。或者你会发现，它们的生长状况不会很好，甚至会在土壤中腐烂。”
Sandra Mason suggests planting most big bulbs like tulips or daffodils about fifteen to twenty centimeters deep. Smaller bulbs can be planted about seven to ten centimeters deep. She says she enjoys planting smaller ones like snowdrop bulbs.
Sandra Mason建议将大部分比较大的球茎植物，种植大约15至20厘米的深度，比如郁金香或水仙花。较小的球茎可以种植7至10厘米的深度。她说，她自己喜欢种植雪花连等比较小的球茎植物。
SANDRA MASON: "I love planting those because you do not need to dig a very deep hole. We like those!"
Sandra Mason：“我喜欢种植比较小的球茎，因为不需要挖太深的洞穴。我们喜欢那一种。”
Bulbs should be planted with their pointed end up, toward the surface. But some bulbs do not seem to have a pointy end. In that case, Ms. Mason says, look for an "eye" that might have a stem. But don't worry if you cannot find one.
球茎应该尖端朝向表面放置在土壤中。但是一些球茎似乎并没有尖端。在这种情况下，Mason表示，可以寻找可能有梗的“眼”。但是，如果找不到的话也不需要担心。
SANDRA MASON: "The good news is, the bulbs will figure it out."
Sandra Mason：“好消息是，球茎植物自己会找出来。”
Do not use fertilizer for the first year. After that, if you do fertilize the bulbs, do not mix the fertilizer in the planting hole. It could burn the roots.
种植球茎植物的第一年不要施肥。之后，如果要给球茎施肥，不要将肥料混入洞穴中，否则根茎会被烧坏。
There is a trick people can use to grow bulbs in places where the ground never freezes. Keep the bulbs cold in a refrigerator for about three months, then take them out and let them get used to the warmth. Now the bulbs will be ready to develop normally, colorful blooms and all.
在土壤从来不冻结的地方，人们种植球茎植物也有一个窍门。将球茎在冰箱中冷藏大约三个月的时间，然后取出来，让它适应温暖的天气。现在，这些球茎就可以开出正常的，色彩鲜艳的花朵。
And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. Share your gardening stories and get more advice at voanews.cn. We're also on the VOA Learning English page on Facebook. I’m Bob Doughty.
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Watch a video about a Virginia factory that makes tulips |