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Indoor Bulb Forcing for Winter Color
Forcing bulbs means that you fool them into blooming when they would not ordinarily bloom. Cooling the bulb over several weeks and then setting it out at room temperature is usually all that is needed to stimulate a blooming period. However, the precise cooling period that is needed can be difficult to calculate and not all bulbs will bloom. The best thing to do is to ask the dealer where you are buying your bulbs if the bulbs are pre-chilled. That way, someone else has done hardest part for you. Most bulbs need about 14 weeks of chilling at temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees to break dormancy. If you decide to pre-chill the bulbs on your own, be sure to store the bulbs in a mesh bag or something with lots of ventilation to prevent rot. If you use the refrigerator in your home, be aware that vegetables and fruit give off ethylene gas that will damage the bulbs. In addition, some bulbs are poisonous, so be careful if you have small children or a hungry teenager around the house. Bulbs can be potted anytime from September to December depending on the type of bulb, chilling requirement, and when blooms are desired. Plant mid-September for late December blooms, mid-October for February blooms and mid-November for March and April blooms. Use a very light potting medium such as one that contains perlite. Don’t pack the soil around the bulbs and be sure to put an inch or two of soil between the bulb and the bottom of the pot. If you are trying tulip bulbs, put the flat side of the bulb toward the front of the pot to get a more attractive foliage display. The bulbs already contain enough food for the developing flowers so you do not need to add fertilizer. When the shoots begin to come up they will bend toward the light so rotate the pot every day or so to get even growth. To prolong the blooming period, move the pot to a cooler place with indirect light. The most common bulbs used for forcing using a cooling period are crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, and Dutch iris. However, some bulbs like paper white narcissus and Chinese sacred lily do not need a cooling period. They can be placed in a bowl on top of clean gravel with just enough water to barely touch the bottom of the bulb. Amaryllis can be forced into bloom by simply withholding water for 4-6 weeks and then begin watering them again to get blooms in about 6 weeks. Many folks who have planted Amaryllis in their yards and are not getting blooms anymore can lift the bulbs, let them dry out for a month or so and replant to force blooms.
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As the dark gloomy days of winter descend on Central Texas, you can have a bright spot in your home by forcing colorful bulbs into bloom. The process is fairly easy, and anyone can do it with a little patience and by following a few simple rules.
