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Brightly colored tulips and daffodils are a sure sign that spring has arrived in the my yard. Fortunately, I don't have  to wait until April or May to enjoy these spring-blooming favorites. Tulips and daffodils can easily forced indoors to brighten the cold, gray days of winter. With a little planning, these flowers can be enjoyed indoors from January through March.

When selecting bulbs to force, think bigger is better! The larger the bulb the more robust plant. I look for bulbs that stay under 18", that way I won't have to stake the tall flowers.

Choose a soil that is well-drained. Fafards Complete Potting Mix works wonders for us here at the greenhouses.  A suitable container is anything with a hole at the bottom.  Containers for forcing can be plastic, clay, ceramic, or metal. Almost any container can be used as long as it has drainage holes. If you are forcing multiple containers, plastic pots may be easier. You can always pot up the plants into your favorite pottery before they flower.

To plant your bulbs, begin by partially filling the container with potting soil. Then place the  bulbs on the soil surface. (If you have any difficulty determining the direction of the bulb, remember that pointy ends always go up!) Adjust the soil level until the tops of the bulbs are even or slightly below the rim of the container. The number of bulbs to plant per pot depends on the size of the container. Generally, 4 to 5 bulbs are placed in a 6-inch-diameter pot, 6 to 7 in a 8-inch-diameter pot. If you are forcing tulips, place the bulbs in the container, position the bulb so the flat side of the bulb faces the wall of the pot. When positioned in this way, the large lower leaf of each bulb will grow outward over the edge of the container forming an attractive border around the edge of the pot. Once properly positioned, place additional potting soil around the bulbs. However, do not completely cover the bulbs. Allow the bulb tops (noses) to stick above the potting soil. For ease of watering, the level of the soil mix should be1/2 to 1 inch below the rim of the container. It is helpful to label each container as it is planted. Include the name of the variety and the planting date. Once you've finished  potting, water each container thoroughly.

In order to bloom, tulips, daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs must be exposed to temperatures of 40 to 45ºF for 12 to 16 weeks. Possible storage sites include the refrigerator, root cellar or unheated garage. If need be, you can dig a trench or bed into on of your gardens then place the pots there covering them with mulch or leaves to keep them insulated. During cold storage, water the bulbs regularly and keep them in complete darkness.

Begin to remove the potted bulbs from cold storage once the cold requirement has been met. You should see yellow shoots emerge from the bulbs. Place the pots in a cool (50 to 60ºF) location that receives low to medium light. Leave them in this area until the shoots turn green, usually 4 or 5 days. Then move them to a brightly lighted, 60 to 70ºF location. Keep the plants well watered. Turn the containers regularly to promote straight, upright growth. On average, flowering should occur 3 to 4 weeks after the bulbs have been removed from cold storage. For a succession of bloom indoors, remove pots from cold storage every 2 weeks.

For More Information Contact:

Lakeview Nurseries
308 Electric Avenue Lunenburg, MA 01462
Tel: (978) 342-3770
FAX:
Internet: webmaster@lakeviewnurseries.com