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Winter months needn’t
be bleak for gardening enthusiasts.
Forced bulbs, with their colorful blooms and delightful fragrance,
are just the remedy for gray winter days.
In gardening, “forcing”
means coaxing a plant to flower before its normal time to bloom.
By chilling bulbs in early fall gardeners can entice bulbs to
bloom ahead of schedule, that is, in winter or early spring.
You may chill crocus and hyacinth bulbs prior to planting by
placing them in the crisper section of the refrigerator.
However, don’t store them with fruit.
Apples and other fruits give off ethylene gas that kills flower
buds. Daffodils (narcissi)
and tulips should be planted in containers first and then chilled in a
cold garage, shed or basement where the temperature is between 35-48° F.
CHILLING
PERIODS:
Hyacinths:
10-13 weeks
Crocuses: 14-15 weeks
Tulips:
13-15 weeks
Muscari:
14-15 weeks
Daffodils (Narcissi): 13-16 weeks
Paper-whites: None needed
Generally, bulbs are
planted in shallow (4-5” deep) bulb pans.
These containers should have a drainage hole because bulbs need
good drainage to prevent rot. Cover
the hole with pebbles, screening or broken pottery.
Spread a layer of potting soil in the pot.
Set the bulbs on the potting soil so that the tip of the bulb is
about even with the top of the pot.
Tulip bulbs should be place with the flat side of the bulb facing
out. Place bulbs close
together, about ½ inch apart, using as many bulbs as needed to fill the
container. Add additional
potting soil to the container until just the tips of the bulbs are
showing. Water thoroughly.
Keep the soil moist but not wet.
After the bulbs have chilled and they have roots and green
shoots, move the pots to a sunny, warm (60° F) location.
They will bloom in about two weeks. |
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Some bulbs
don’t have to be planted in potting soil.
Instead, they will grow in water.
To grow paper-whites (Narcissus tazetta) in water, fill a shallow
bowl about 2/3 full with pebbles or marbles.
Place the paper-white bulbs on the pebbles about ½ inch apart.
Add more pebbles between the bulbs.
Add water to the bowl just to the bottom of the bulbs. Keep the container in a cool, dark place and replenish water
as needed. When green shoots
appear move the container to a sunny, but cool, area of the houses.
If you prefer, you can grow paper-whites in potting soil. They
don’t require chilling and will bloom about six weeks after being
planted.
Hyacinths also
will grow in water. They
should be chilled in a refrigerator or cold spot for about three months
before being placed in a special hyacinth bulb glass.
Fill the glass with water up to the bottom of the narrow neck and
place the bulb in the cup at the top.
Set the bulb glass in a cool, dark place.
When flower buds appear in about two weeks, move the vase to a
sunny, warm spot.
While
paper-whites, tulips, hyacinths and daffodils are the bulbs most
frequently forced, you can also force crocuses, glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa
luciliae), grape hyacinths (Muscari), snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) and
others. These plants tend to prefer cooler house temperatures and have a
shorter period of bloom. Daffodil varieties that are recommended for forcing include
Jack Snipe, Peeping Tom, Tete-a-Tete, February Gold, Dutch Master, Ice
Follies and Mount Hood. Popular
tulip varieties include any of the Tulipa kaufmanniana hybrids, Apricot
Beauty, Kees Nelis and Christmas Marvel.
Go ahead – fool
Mother Nature! When the
forced bulbs come into bloom in winter, you’ll be glad you did.
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