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

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Today we are going to conclude our three part series on planting Spring bulbs! If you would like more information on Naturalizing, how to choose spring bulbs, and even the different methods of planting, check out Planting Bulbs 101: Part 1 and Part 2!

Hard to Find Bulbs

Want something really special in your garden? I love to find heirloom plants for a unique look!

Old House Gardens sells heirloom bulbs including tulips (dating as far back as 1597), lilies (as far back as 1568), daffodils (1597 and even older!), and more!

However, if you love what you find, order it right away because Fall shipping is ending soon!

A couple more good places to purchase bulbs over the Internet is Breck’s and White Flower Farms.

How Many Do I Need?

Breck’s has a very useful chart to give you an idea just how many bulbs you’ll need for that bed! The chart goes by square footage, lists different varieties, and even mentions how far apart different bulbs should be planted!

Fertilizing

I don’t like to fertilize my bulbs until Spring because the fertilizer seems to attract rodents. In the Spring I like to sprinkle an organic fertilizer (like 10-10-10 and bloodmeal) over my bed and let it seep into the ground on its own.

Protecting Your Bulbs

Master Gardener Paul James has a great article on protecting your bulbs! Mr. James discusses bulb cages, and crushed oyster shells and just how to implement them in your own garden! A must read for those burdened with pesky rodents and deer!

Maintenance

Okay, so your bulbs gave you a beautiful show, but now the leaves are just…sitting there, drooping.

When you bulbs are done with their display, do not tie the foliage or braid it! The leaves need to absorb nutrients for the bulb to survive!

Instead allow the foliage to die back naturally and then cut it back at ground level using scissors. In the mean time you can plant daylilies or any perennials that has tall foliage for the purpose of hiding the fading leaves of the Spring bulbs you planted.

Tools That May Come in Handy

Planting bulbs can be a lot of work! If you are thinking of planting many bulbs you may want to check out some tools to make the job easier, especially if you suffer from back pain or other disabilities that don’t allow you to kneel or bend for extended periods while planting.

Bulb Planters and Bulb Planters for Borders…

Small Hand Held Bulb Planter…

Bulb Planter for Naturalizing…

Made extra tough for “unprepared” and “inhospitable ground!” To learn more about naturalizing your Spring bulbs check out Planting Bulbs 101: Part 2!

Bulb Augers…

As always, use caution when using gardening tools! Know where you are digging! In other words, make sure you know what is under the ground before you start using tools to dig out soil! You don’t want to run into electrical, DSL, or even phone lines. They not only could hurt you, but will be expensive to fix!

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

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne