We’re barely out of fall gardening and already we’re longing for spring. Forcing bulbs into blooming indoors is a pleasant way for gardeners to keep their hands in the dirt and survive the long winter while waiting for spring. (Why not start a pot for someone on your Christmas gift list?)
Choose any of the spring flowering bulbs - tulip, narcissus, crocus, muscari or hyacinth. Pick flowers that will not grow too tall for a windowsill or a table arrangement.
Here’s how to force bulbs indoors:
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1 Pre-cooling Decide on the method for simulating “winter”. Refrigerate the bulbs in a paper bag for about eight weeks, then pot and place in a cool location (basement) for three or four weeks. Or, place potted bulbs outside or in a cold but not freezing location (garage) for eight to twelve weeks.
2 Planting Using fairly shallow pots (4″-5″ deep) and all-purpose potting soil, plant bulbs very closely together (eg. 10 tulips or 15 crocus in 8″ pots). The points of the bulbs should be almost level with the rim of the pot. Cover with soil and water well. Use transplanting fertilizer if you wish.
3 Flowering When sprouts appear, gradually (over three or four days) move the pots to a sunny location. The bulbs will flower several weeks after the cold period ends and will last longer if the soil is kept moist and temperatures cool. To have bulbs blooming over a longer period of time, leave some pots in the “cold/ winter” stage a little longer.
4 After flowering Snip only the flowers not the leaves. Keep the pots in the sun, continue watering and fertilize as houseplants every few weeks. In the spring the bulbs can be planted permanently into the garden.
What a simple way to enjoy some early flowers, even while the winter winds are still blowing outdoors.
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