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Forcing bulbs (perhaps "coaxing" is a nicer way to put it) to bloom inside the house is a wonderful, easy way to ease the mid-winter doldrums. If you plan ahead a bit, you can have red tulips for a Christmas Day centerpiece, pink and white hyacinths on Valentines Day, or the fragrance of springtime in your home all winter long.
Choose your bulbs:
Some nurseries offer "pre-chilled" bulbs that shorten the forcing time by weeks. Otherwise, select varieties for forcing that are "early blooming." Select them as carefully as if you were choosing for your outdoor flower garden: top quality, top size. If you are doing fall planting, you may just set aside a few from the outside garden to grow indoors.
Choose the pots:
Any will do, as long as they have adequate drainage. Bulbs will grow in plastic pots, terra cotta (watch the water needs more closely; these dry out sooner) or baking pans from the kitchen cupboards with drain holes punched in them. Disposable pie pans work beautifully, and help to make this project an inexpensive one for children.
Plant in soil or water:
Narcissus (paper whites) hyacinths, amaryllis, and lily of the valley will grow indoors in water. If you choose this route, you will need a catch-pan or large saucer under your pot. Fill the container with clean pebbles or marbles to stabilize the roots and to support the bulbs above the water. Wedge the bulbs among the pebbles, close to each other but not touching, and cover the pebbles with water. Allow air space between the top of the water and the bottom of the bulb to prevent rot. You may wish to add some bits of charcoal to keep the water fresh.
For other bulbs, half fill your container with potting soil, sterlite, or a mixture. Set the bulbs on this layer, small end up; put as many as will fit in your pot without touching each other. Fifteen crocus bulbs or six tulip bulbs should fit in a six inch pot. Then work more soil between the bulbs, over and around them until they are completely covered. Exception: with hyacinths, amaryllis, and narcissi, allow the necks to protrude slightly.
Firm the soil with your hand enough to give the bulbs support, and water thoroughly. You can cover the pot with a sheet of clear plastic wrap to keep moisture in, but it's not necessary if you remember to check soil dampness frequently.
Some growers feel that there is no need to fertilize a pot of plants being forced, that the bulb itself contains all the nutrients necessary for growing and blooming. But the process does exhaust the plant, and if you think you will want to transplant these to your outdoor garden later, you may want to add some liquid fertilizer to the water. Especially if you are growing in water, plan to toss the plants after they bloom if you don't fertilize them.
Once the bulbs are planted, they will need to be chilled to induce an "artificial winter." Place them in a cool, dark location (an unheated garage or cellar, a coldframe that doesn't freeze, a cold storeroom, even your refrigerator if no other place is available.) Check them frequently for moisture--don't let the pots dry out, or the bulbs will die.
If you need to, you can cover the pots with black plastic garbage bags, cardboard boxes, or other pots turned upside down to provide the darkness. The pots will need to stay here for two to four months, depending upon the variety you have planted. Longer cold storage will give you healthier, taller flowers, so don't rush this step.
When roots begin to show through the drainage holes and the spouts on the top of the bulbs are 2-3 inches long, move them to a slightly warmer place (temperature in the 50's) with subdued lighting, and leave them for a couple more weeks. Turn the pots every other day or so to keep the stems growing straight and strong.
The final step is the actual "forcing" into bloom. The plants are ready for this when the flower buds are showing some color. Then you can move them into full light, in a place that's not too warm; a window sill is good, or a table in a room that's not overheated. The blossoms will now unfold quickly, and will bloom for a long time if the room temperatures are kept at 70 degrees or less.
After the blooms have faded, continue watering them until the foilage dies down. Then you can set the bulbs aside for planting next fall in your garden outdoors. They may not bloom the following season because of the exhaustion of being forced to bloom indoors, but don't give up. Once they have been nourished by the earth and thefertilizer the rest of your garden receives, they should give you another good show in a couple of years.
Some bulbs (and other flowering plants)to choose for indoor forcing:
amaryllis
paperwhites
daffodils
narcissus
early flowering tulips
crocuses
hyacinths
muscari
snowdrops
Dutch irises
glory of the snow
freesias
calla lilies
lily of the valley
bluebells
lachenalia
tuberous begonias
tuber roses
oxalis
gloxinias
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