Force bulbs for winter beauty

When the long winter days start to get to you, a little spark of spring can really lift your spirits! You can bring a bit of a spring day indoors by forcing the bulbs to bloom during the winter months. While there is still snow on the ground, you can have beautiful fragrant white paper hyacinths or daffodils blooming indoors where you can enjoy their full beauty.

Forcing bulbs to flower indoors is a fairly straightforward process. All you need is a container that is a little deeper than your bulb, light planting material like peat moss, vermiculite, or even gravel, and some good quality bulbs. When choosing which bulbs you want to force, keep in mind that hyacinths and white paper daffodil are two varieties that work very well for forcing. Also, be sure to select bulbs that are thick and firm. The higher the quality of the bulb, the bigger and more beautiful the flower will be!

First of all, you need to place about an inch of your planning material in its container. Smooth it out and place the bulbs, flat side down, on the planting material. For a full, beautiful bouquet, make sure the bulbs are lightly touching each other. In the garden, you will want space between the bulbs, but not when growing them in a pot. You want the flowers to be together for an intense pop of color!

You will then place more planting material in the container until only the top inch of the bulbs are visible. When growing bulbs indoors, having a little visible bulb is part of the appeal. I would never grow them this way outdoors, they should be completely covered in the garden to keep them safe from rodents and a hard frost.

Water the container well and wrap it in a black garbage bag. Then you will place the pot in a cool, dark place for about six weeks. If your weather stays above freezing but still getting cold, you may want to put them in your garage or basement. If you live in a cold area where temperatures drop below freezing, or in an area where it is not cold, place the container in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

After six weeks, remove the container and place it in a sunny spot in your home. If you don’t see green shoots coming out of the bulbs when you take it out of the cold, you will see it shortly after placing it in a sunny spot. It’s fun to watch the plants grow each day until they finally bloom. Be sure to turn the pot every day for even growth. The plants will lean towards the light, so turning it will help keep it from tipping.

You can make the bulbs enjoyable in your own home or as a winter gift to someone you care about. Just a note, bulbs that have been forced will not grow in the garden. However, although you can only enjoy these bulbs once the little bit of spring they bring into your home during the dull winter months is worth it!