Van Bourgondien

Garden Guide Planting & Forcing Steps

A container of sunny daffodils, or cheery crocus, blooming on your windowsill in February can be a treat. In order to enjoy these beautiful blooms in winter, you must make plans in late fall. Depending on the type of bulb, it may take anywhere from 1-4 months from the time they are potted up until they bloom.

Step One Fill a pot three-quarters full with potting soil. Place the bulbs as close together as possible with pointed ends up. Gently press the bulbs into the soil so that the tips of the bulbs are about level with the rim of the pot. Once the bulbs are positioned, fill the pots with soil to within 1/4-1/2" of the rim, leaving the tips of the bulbs exposed. Water gently until soil is evenly moist.

Step Two Now the bulbs must go into a cool, dark place to grow roots. This takes a minimum of eight weeks, averaging about 12-15 weeks (see bulb chart above). The best places for the cool period are in the refrigerator (not the crisper drawer) or in cold areas outside. It is important to remember that heat will interfere with the forcing process. An outdoor storage space must remain between 35-50°. If placed outdoors, set on good level ground, free from water, or dig a 2' trench. Line the trench with 6" of mulch or hay. Set the pots in the trench, then cover with 6-8" of chopped leaves, mulch or hay. Finally, cover with 3- 4" of soil. Do not permit the pots to dry out.

Step Three Check the pots after about 8 weeks. Once the roots have developed and shoots have begun to emerge from the bulb, bring the pots gradually into the warmth and light. Start with a cool room and indirect sunlight. By the end of one week, the bulbs can be in full sun at 60-65°. Keep the soil lightly moist, and within a month you will be enjoying flowers. Once the bulbs are in full bud, you can slow down or speed up the process by controlling the temperature ‚Äì warmer temperatures make the flowers open faster, cooler temperature will make them last longer.

Step Four If you keep watering the bulbs after they have finished blooming, you can then plant them in the garden once the weather has warmed up. However, much energy has been expended by the bulbs in the forcing process and the blooms the following spring may not be as good as if you planted fresh bulbs in the fall. Tulips, especially, do not come back well after being forced. In general, the smaller bulbs, like crocus, scilla, and galanthus, are best to replant in the garden.