Larry Mason, host of HGTV's Winter Gardening, explains the process of forcing spring-blooming bulbs so you can enjoy their beauty ahead of schedule. Choose bulbs that appear free from bruising and rot spots. And purchase the largest bulbs you can find. Growers say that the first leaf of a tulip will emerge (figure A) on the flat side of the bulb. Place the flat side of the bulb facing out in the pot so the foliage frames the blooms.
Fill a container half full of good potting soil (or create your own mix of equal parts peat moss, perlite and sand), and place bulbs side by side on top of the planting mix with the flat side facing out. Cover bulbs with soil, then add another layer of smaller bulbs (e.g., crocuses, grape hyacinths). Try not to place the second layer of bulbs directly on top of the first layer. Cover bulbs with soil, and water well. Place bulbs in an unheated garage, a crawlspace, a shed or any area of your home that remains dark and cool. Or place them in a prepared trench lined with a layer of straw. Cover the pots with straw. After the appropriate period of chilling (for tulips, eight to 10 weeks; daffodils, 12 to 14 weeks; small bulbs such as crocuses, grape hyacinths and freesias, four to six weeks), bring pots indoors to a cool, sunny room. Once the bulbs have finished blooming, remove the faded flowers. Forcing Woody Stems For a colorful display in midwinter, cut branches from spring-blooming trees and shrubs and bring them inside. Pussy willows are a good choice for forcing inside. The stems are tough and woody, so crush the cut end with a hammer or cut into it with clippers to help the branches take up water once they're placed in a vase. Cherry, flowering quince and forsythia can be cut and forced in the same way. Place prepared stems in warm water in a well-lighted room. A drop or two of hydrogen peroxide will speed the blooming process. If you want the blooms to last longer, place cut branches in a cool room in low light. You can cut pussy willows at exactly the stage you want them. Bring them indoors, but don't put the branches in water. Just spray them with hairspray, and they'll last a long time. Tip: - Professionals recommend storing bulbs in a cool place for 1000 hours, or around 12 weeks. So mark your calendar to note when you put the bulbs in, and when you should take them out again.
RESOURCES :
For tools from the Gardener's Supply Co.
Gardener's Supply Company
Burlington, VT 05401-2850
Fax: 800-551-6712 -or- 80
Email: info@gardeners.com
Website: www.gardeners.com
For bulbs from Brent and Becky's Bulbs
Brent and Becky's Bulbs
Gloucester, VA 23061
Phone: 804-693-3966
Fax: 804-693-9436
Website: http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com
For bulbs from the Van Bourgondien Brothers
Van Bourgondien Brothers
Babylon, NY 11702-9004
Phone: 516-669-3500
Fax: 516-669-1228
Email: blooms@dutchbulbs.com
Website: http:www.dutchbulbs.com
For bulbs from Dutch Gardens
Dutch Gardens
Lakewood, NJ 08701
Email: info@dutchgardens.com
Website: http://www.dutchgardens.com
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