DIY Network

Forcing Bulbs From "Ask DIY" episode ADI-711

Q: I want to brighten up this winter by forcing some spring bulbs in time for an Easter party. How do I do this?

A: (Walter Reeves, Ask DIY Gardening expert) Forcing bulbs, or tricking them into blooming when they ordinarily wouldn't, is a simple way to have spring flowers indoors while it's still cold outside. Several types of flowers -- among them tulips (figure A), hyacinths (figure B) and paperwhite narcissus (figure C) -- make good candidates for forcing. (If you use hyacinths, keep in mind that they have a heady fragrance and should be used more sparingly than some other flowers. Also, paperwhites are more fragrant than other varieties of narcissus and daffodils, so just a few of them can go a long way.)

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

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For a different look, try forcing a hyacinth bulb in a clear-glass container, surrounded by smooth rocks. Add water just to the base of the bulb -- if the bulb gets wet, it will rot.

Materials:
Bulbs (choose firm bulbs that are free of rot and mold)
Container with drainage holes
Soilless mix (potting soil, available at gardening center)

1. Fill the container half-full of potting mixture and level it.

2. Press bulbs into the soil. Be sure to use plenty of bulbs, but don't let them touch one another or the edges of the container.

3. Cover the bulbs with soil.

4. To allow the bulbs to lie dormant, put them in a cool place for about three months. You can dig a trench outside, set the pot in the trench and cover it with mulch; or if you prefer, place the container in the refrigerator. Be sure to protect the bulbs during this phase, not only from the cold but also (if they're in the fridge) from the gases emitted by fruits and vegetables as they ripen.

5. After three months, remove the container from its cool spot and set it in a sunny window. Water and fertilize it regularly, and in a few weeks you should be rewarded with an abundance of spring blooms.

RESOURCES :
Bulbs (The Time-Life Encyclopedia of Gardening)
Model: 0805003525
Author: James Underwood Crockett
Time Life Books
Website: www.timelife.com

Burpee Basics: Bulbs
Model: 0028626370
Author: Douglas C. Green and George Ball, Jr.
1999
Hungry Minds, Inc.

Taylor's Guide to Bulbs
Model: 0395404495
Author: Norman Taylor
1986
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com