Avant Gardening

Think Spring: The Basics on Forcing Bulbs to Grow Indoors

Gardening

The warmer temperatures during the past few days, may have many of us day-dreaming about spring. Did you know forcing bulbs can be a wonderful way to get a jump on the season, and add a touch of fresh flowers to your home. Hyacinths, Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips, Amaryllis, and Paper Whites are all excellent candidates for forcing, and will almost certainly help chase your winter blues away. Here’s our quick list for chilling, and blooming times:

  • Daffodils: 12-15 weeks of chilling; 2-3 weeks to bloom after chilling.
  • Tulips: 10-16 weeks of chilling; 2-3 weeks to bloom after chilling.
  • Crocus: 8-15 weeks of chilling; 2-3 weeks to bloom after chilling.
  • Grape hyacinth (Muscari): 8-15 weeks of chilling; 2-3 weeks to bloom after chilling.
  • Iris reticulata: 13-15 weeks of chilling; 2-3 weeks to bloom after chilling.
  • Snowdrop (Galanthus): 15 weeks of chilling; 2 weeks to bloom after chilling.
  • Hyacinth: 12-15 weeks of chilling; 2-3 weeks to bloom after chilling.

 

And once you’ve purchased your bulbs, our team has these simple steps to get your bulbs ready for forcing:

  • Fill a pot (clay or plastic with drainage holes, both work well) with dirt, and within 3-4 inches of the rim. Make a large hole, and place a couple of bulbs into the dirt (too many bulbs in the same pot will struggle to bloom).  Fill the container with soil around the bulbs to the top of the container. The very tips of the bulbs should poke through the top.
  • Place the potted bulbs in any cool (40–50F), dark spot for 10 to 16 weeks. The soil should be kept slightly damp. Some varieties take longer than others.
  • After the initial forcing period (as noted above), inspect the drainage holes at the bottom of the pots for any roots growing out through the holes. If you don’t see roots, put the potted bulbs back in the cool, dark spot until roots are poking through the holes. You can move the potted bulbs to the next stage after this happens.
  • Now move your pots to a cool, bright spot (around 60F) for a few weeks. Continue to keep the soil lightly moist. Turning the pots a quarter turn every day helps keep the stem from leaning toward the light.
  • The bulbs should bloom in about three to four weeks. The blossoms will last longer if you move the bulbs to a spot that’s cool and bright, but not in direct sunlight. Take care of them as you would any other houseplant with continual watering.
  • Enjoy!