FORCING TENDER AND HARDY BULBS

Well winter is upon us. One way to bring a little bit of spring into your home is to force some bulbs to produce those lovely spring blooms earlier than Mother Nature.

Both hardy bulbs (i.e. daffodils, crocus, tulips etc.) and tender bulbs (i.e. gladiola, calla lily, freesias etc.) can be forced. When purchasing bulbs, be sure to pick bulbs that are firm. Do not use any that are soft or moldly. Hardy bulbs require a chilling or dormancy period (like mimicking being planted outside and going through winter). Tender bulbs do not require this dormancy period.

POTTING
A 6-8 inch container is big enough to hold several bulbs and make a nice arrangement. Plastic containers are lighter weight and, generally, less expensive, but any container that has drainage holes will work. Place about 2 inches of light weight potting soil in the container. Put in the bulbs. They should be close but not touching. Cover the bulbs with soil. The top of the soil line in the pot should be about ½ inch from the rim. It is okay if the tips of the bulbs or “noses” are sticking out of the soil. Make a label of what you have planted in each container and when, in the case of the hardy bulbs, when you can remove them from their cooling or dormancy period. Give the soil a good soaking.

It's extremely important that bulbs be handled with care at all times. Never allow the bulbs to be in temperatures above 65 degrees F. When planting, the pot should be loosely filled with soil. Don't press the bulbs into the soil. Allow 1/4-inch of space at the top of the pot so it can be watered easily. The bulbs should be watered immediately upon planting, and thereafter the soil should never be allowed to become dry.

bulb in pan

TENDER BULBS
At this point, if you have planted tender bulbs, all you need do is put them in a sunny place and not water again until growth begins. Once you see little leaf shoots or flowers emerging, treat them as any houseplant, watering and fertilizing regularly.

HARDY BULBS
Bulbs must be given a cold temperature treatment of 35– 48 degrees F for a minimum of 12–13 weeks. This cold treatment can be provided by an unheated attic or cellar or even your refrigerator's vegetable section. In the refrigerator, the pots should be covered with plastic bags that have had a few breathing holes punched in them. The bulbs must not be allowed to freeze. Mark your calendar to remind yourself when the first pots can be removed from storage for forcing to begin. On the average the bulbs will flower in three to four weeks. Closer to spring, they flower more rapidly. In the home, place the pots in a cool, sunny location. A temperature of 50–60 degrees F is preferred for the first week or until the shoots and leaves begin to expand. Then, they can be moved to warmer locations such as the living room. Avoid direct sunlight. Hyacinths may have a tendency not to have an elongated flower stem and "stick" in the clasp of leaves. This problem may be overcome by placing the plants in the dark for a few days or placing a paper cone over the plants in order to "draw" the flower out of the bulbs. Warmer temperatures will result in rapid growth. Once the bulbs are blooming, move the pots to a cool location each night. The cooler temperatures will prolong the life of the flowers. Small pots of crocus can even be placed in your refrigerator overnight. Discard tulips, narcissus, crocus, and hyacinths after flowering as they normally are "spent" and are not likely to ever flower satisfactorily again.

FORCING IN WATER
Hyacinths, crocus, and narcissus also can be forced in water. There are special vases for this purpose made for hyacinths or crocus. The bulb is placed in the upper portion, water in the lower portion. The vase is then kept in a cool, dark room (preferably under 50 degrees F) for four to eight weeks until the root system has developed and the top elongates. At this point it should be placed in a bright window, where the plant soon will blossom. Bunch-flowering narcissus, such as Paper White and Soleil d'Or, can be grown in shallow pans of water filled with crushed rocks or pebbles. The bulbs should be secured in the pebbles deeply enough so that the basal plate is in contact with the water. Keep them in a cool, dark room for several weeks to ensure root growth, than place in a sunny location. Each bulb will send up several flower stems bearing many tiny blossoms. Discard after flowering.

bulb in water

Some of the above information was found at the following University of Minnesota, Extension website.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1116.html