Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Today we are going to conclude our three part series on Forcing Bulbs! If you are interested in learning about the items you will need, instructions on how to force bulbs, and useful tips and tricks to help make you successful, check out Add Holiday Cheer With Flowers: Forcing Bulbs Part 1 and Part 2. Here, in Part 3, we are going to take an in depth look at what to do after your bulb starts to sprout, keeping your bulbs blooming, and replanting that bulb next Fall!

What to do After your Bulb Starts to Sprout

You went through all the steps mentioned in Part 2, about forcing your bulbs, but what do you do now that the whole process is working!? Well if you see roots coming out of the bottom of the pot (this should take at least 6 weeks), and green shoots between 2 and 3 inches tall sprouting from the top, it means that your bulbs are ready for a new spot in your home!

Bring your container to an area of your home with indirect sunlight and make sure to rotate the container a quarter turn once every few days to keep your bulbs growing straight!

Make sure that the bulbs never go dry! Keep the soil moist at all times!

Finally, when you start to see buds on the stems, this mean that your bulbs will be in bloom soon, so move your container to a nice sunny window!

Keeping Your Bulbs Blooming

Want to get the maximum show out of your bulbs? When your container is in full bloom, return it to a window with indirect sunlight. This will help prolong the bloom period of your bulbs.

Save That Bulb!

Just because a bulb has bloomed once doesn’t mean its blooming capabilities are over with! Save those bulbs and plant them in your fall garden! Here’s how…

Step 1: Cut the stem (not the leaves!) back to the base (where the stem sprouts out of the bulb).

Step 2: Allow your bulb to go through the whole cycle of life by letting the leaves droop and die back naturally! As needed, remove dead leaves at the base with clippers.

Step 3: Store the pot in a cool dark place until late summer or early fall and then go ahead and plant outdoors! You should see your bulbs bloom the following Spring!

I hope I have encouraged you to try forcing your own bulbs! They can make such a special display around the holidays, aren’t very expensive, and can leave you with fond memories. Whatever the reason enjoy the experience and have fun trying it!

Stay tuned to the Daily Weeder for more tips, tricks, ideas, and inspiration on northern gardening!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Here we continue our series on forcing bulbs for the holidays. In our last article, Add Holiday Cheer with Flowers: Forcing Bulbs Part 1, we told you the basics and everything you need to get started. Now that you had a chance to gather your materials, lets get to the how to!

How to Force Bulbs

Step 1: Fill your pot half full with the mixture of light potting soil and a handful of fertilizer or bone meal!

Step 2: Set the bulbs onto the potting mixture making sure that the pointed part of the bulb is standing upright. It is important to make sure that the bulbs are not touching each other, even though they are close together.

Plant bulbs in groups of three, five, or seven to add visual appeal!

Step 3: Cover the bulbs with the remaining soil up to within an inch of the rim of the pot.

Step 4: Water well! This will help settle the soil around the bulb.

Step 5: Label your container with the name of the bulb you planted and the date.

Step 6: Store the container in a cool, dark area (rodent and pest free). I use my unheated basement or even my refrigerator vegetable crisper drawer depending on how much place I need.

For More Information

Another method is to start bulbs in a refrigerator, for more information, check out this great article from DIY!

Also, for an interesting in depth look at how a bulb grows check out Forcing and Growing Colchicums - Freaky Bulbs That Are Actually Corms from fellow blogger You Grow Girl!

Print out these instructions and keep them handy while planting! In our final article we will discuss what to do when your bulbs start to sprout, how to keep your bulbs blooming, and using the bulbs again in the Spring!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Do you want to bring to your home a little Christmas cheer in the form of festive flowers? Poinsettias and Christmas cactus’ are beautiful, but you may want a little more variety. Why not try forcing bulbs for the holidays!? You can deck your halls with freesias, amaryllis’, tulips, and more! However, Christmas may seem like months away (ha!) but its right around the corner, so you’ll need to get started ASAP!

Forcing Bulbs

Forcing Bulbs is just as the term implies, it simply is forcing bulbs to bloom before they are naturally ready. You basically fool them to bloom out of season.

Forcing bulbs is easy to do, here we will let you know the time requirements and everything you need to get started, and in our next article we will let you know exactly how to force those little darlings!

Time Requirements

Crocus, Grape Hyacinth, Freesias – 4 to 6 weeks

Tulips require 8-10 weeks

Daffodils – 12 to 14 weeks: You probably won’t have these in time for Christmas, but hey, you get to enjoy a little indoor sunshine when it’s cold wet and snowy outside!

When buying bulbs for forcing always buy top quality bulbs! The best bulbs gives you the best show! Also remember, the bigger the bulb the bigger the flower!

What You Will Need!

1. A plastic container that is no more than a couple inches deep, but at least twice as deep as the size of the bulb!

No need to buy expensive garden equipment here, I have been known to use a disposable aluminum pan or a 13×9 Gladware pan with great success! Just make sure to put a few holes in the bottom, and insert the pan into a basket type container and no one is the wiser!

Some bulbs such as hyacinth, crocus and amaryllis can be grown in water with pebbles on the bottom for support. For these particular types I use a favorite cut glass container to add to the holiday atmosphere!

2. Bulb fertilizer or slow release fertilizer, or bone meal. I personally like Bulbs Alive, which is an all natural fertilizer.

3. Light potting soil (soil that contains equal parts peat moss or perlite) for good drainage!

4. Bulbs!

5. Labels! Label your containers with the name of the bulb and the date planted!

6. A dark cool place (such as a basement, or an unheated garage) to keep the bulbs after they are planted.

Once you have all of this together, you can start your bulbs anytime! Stay tuned for how-to directions in our next article!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne