Van Bourgondien

Garden Guide Bulbs as Houseplants

Several of the summer bulbs do well as houseplants. Be sure to provide at least 4 to 6 hours of sun each day, adequate humidity, and, for some bulbs, cool enough temperatures. Over-watering of summer bulbs indoors is as bad as poor drainage outdoors. Let the surface become almost dry to the touch before watering. Caladium and cyclamen are the exceptions; they need constant moisture. Use a porous soil mixture, not garden soil and place coarse drainage material in the bottom of the pot. Set the pots on trays of pebbles with water added to increase humidity or group plants together. Most summer bulbs grown indoors require temperatures ranging from 39ºF to 59ºF. Even if you can only offer temperatures from 59ºF to 70ºF, you can still grow a wide selection of bulbs including gloriosa lily, vallota, eucomis and the amaryllis relatives. Most bulbs grown as houseplants need a rest period of at least a few weeks in winter. Water minimally, if at all, during this period.