Forcing Bulbs

Forcing, or coaxing, is the official name for the process of planting and chilling flowering bulbs for early bloom indoors. The idea is to simulate growing conditions in the plants' native habitats. Guest Kris Higgins explains some basic tips:

• Most spring-blooming bulbs--such as crocuses, hyacinths and daffodils--need 12 to 16 weeks of cool temperatures to develop a strong root system that will support the plant through the blooming period.
• Ideal cooling temperatures are between 35 and 45 degrees. Long periods of freezing temperatures will cause root growth to stop, and temperatures above 55 degrees F will cause premature growth.
• When forcing bulbs, plant just one type per container. Different kinds of bulbs, even of the same species, have different blooming times.
• Some good choices to try:
  • amaryllis
  • crocus
  • daffodil
  • Dutch iris
  • grape hyacinth
  • hyacinth
  • narcissus
  • Siberian squill
  • star-of-Bethlehem
  • tulip
• When purchasing bulbs, choose large, healthy specimens. Look for bulbs that are firm, clean and unbruised, with no nicks, blemishes or evidence of disease. The outer paper "skin" covering should be intact.
• Once plants are blooming, keep them away from direct sun, radiators, stoves and other heat sources so blossoms will last longer.
• When a plant finishes blooming, continue to water the soil until the leaves die back naturally. Give the resting bulbs a dose of liquid fertilizer and then plant them in your garden. They'll recover in a year or two and will bloom outside. Do not try forcing them again, however; once in a bulb's lifetime is enough!

General Planting Steps:

1. Choose a pot that is twice as tall as the bulbs themselves.
2. Use a light potting mix with bone meal or bulb fertilizer added.
3. Fill the pot with soil so that when the bulbs are placed on top of the soil, the bulb tips reach the top of the pot. Arrange the bulbs so that they are close together but not touching.
4. Sprinkle soil around the bulbs but do not cover them completely. Water well and continue to keep moist.
5. Place the pot in a cold, dark place, such as a refrigerator, garage, root cellar or cold frame. It will take about 12 weeks before you see growth coming from the bulbs.
6. When new shoots are about two inches tall, move the pot to a warm, sunny spot to stimulate bloom. To add a decorative touch, plant ivy around the blooming plants.

Plant-Specific Tips:

• Amaryllis--Plant one bulb per pot in a good commercial potting mix, allowing one inch of space between the bulb and the pot. Leave about one-third of the bulb exposed. Amaryllis needs a well-lighted, warm place in the beginning, then it can be moved to a cooler, shaded spot to make blooms last longer.
• Hyacinths--Use good potting soil and plant the bulbs so that the tips are near the soil surface, protruding slightly. Keep in a cool, dark place until shoots are four to five inches tall, then provide abundant light. Blooms should appear in eight to 10 weeks from the time you plant bulbs.
• Narcissus--Use a pot at least two inches deep and large enough to hold three to 12 bulbs. Fill the pot half-way with pebbles, set the bulbs on top and pour in more pebbles until a third of each bulb is covered. Add water until it touches the bulbs. Place the pot in a cool, dark place until shoots form, then bring the flowers out in the light to enjoy.

Guests
Kris Higgins
Annuals Department Supervisor, Tagawa Garden Center and Florist
7711 S. Parker Rd.
Aurora, CO 80016
Phone: 303-690-4722
Also in this Episode

Inside Dirt : Episode ISD-107
•	Carnivorous Plants
•	Forcing Bulbs
•	Decorative Gourds