Bloom or bust?

The related infrastructure would cost around Rs 4 to 5 crore — not a huge amount given the revenue the garden is expected to generate through tourism.

While the Azad government failed to provide the required infrastructure apparently due to political unrest,the present regime too hasn’t so far evinced interest in the matter.

Lack of proper infrastructure resulted in a huge loss of tulip bulbs in 2008,with the authorities expecting it to get worse this year.

“We had about 12 lakh flowers last year but a storage capacity for just over three lakh. The remaining 70 per cent bulbs remained in soil and were damaged to a great extent,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.

“After harvest,tulip bulbs have to be stored at a temperature of 20 to 22 degrees Celsius for 17 weeks. Thereafter,the temperature has to be further reduced to 15 to 17 degrees Celsius. About six weeks before plantation,the temperature has to be maintained at 9 degrees C,” added the official.

“Expansion and even managing the existing infrastructure would require some investment. While temperature variation is very important for tulip bulbs,we don’t have the requisite infrastructure,” said Javeed Ahmad,in-charge of the garden.

“As tulips bloom in long winters,they would grow well if chilled for around four weeks before they are planted. We need to place the bulbs in refrigerators for six to eight weeks before planting them and need the infrastructure for that,” he added.

Cold storages will also give an impetus to commercial cultivation of the flower.

“We could grow around 6,000 tulips in a greenhouse environment at the time of Christmas,New Year and Valentine’s Day. Some people will start commercial plantation soon,” said Ahmad. “The cold storage will help in this venture as well,” he added.