Getting Ready to Force Bulbs
November is a great time of year to scour garden centers and nurseries looking for discount bulbs. Most stores have spring flowering bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils, crocus, and hyacinths on sale now, so it's easy to get some good deals. While most areas of country still can pop these in the ground for next spring, another fun activity is to get them ready to be forced into bloom this winter indoors. Forcing bulbs brings a touch of spring in February and March when most of the country is still fighting cold and snow storms. Here's how.
Forcing Bulbs
Fill a 10- to 12-inch diameter clay or plastic pot with moistened potting mix. Place a selection of bulbs in the pot, planting large bulbs, such as daffodils and hyacinths, about 6 inches deep and smaller bulbs, such as tulips and crocus, just 3 to 4 inches deep. Position the bulbs so that they almost touch each other. You can grow just one kind of bulb per pot, or mix up varieties and types.
Place the planted pots in a cool (32°F to 50°F), dark area for 12 to 16 weeks. A basement, unheated shed, or garage works best. This “resting” time in a cool, dark place convinces the bulbs they have experienced winter and they should be ready to start growing once they’re exposed to “sun” and “warmth.”
Check the bulbs in storage after about 3 months or when you notice shoots emerging and roots peeking through the drainage holes. Then bring the pots into a sunny, warm room. For the first week place them in a 55°F room to start growing. Keep them well watered. When bulb shoots are 2 inches tall, place them in a 68°F room. The bulbs should flower within one week.
If you don’t have room for storing potted bulbs in the house, place the loose bulbs in paper bags in the refrigerator crisper for 6 weeks. Then pot them up and store them in a 55°F room for one month before bringing them into a warmer, sunny room to bloom. The warmer the room, the faster the bulbs will come into flower. Cooler rooms (55°F to 60°F) tend to slow down flowering.
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