In early January, when you see gorgeous tulips, hyacinths and
daffodils blooming in pots at the florist or nursery, you will find
yourself saying,
”
Why didn’t I think of that?
”
In early January, when you see gorgeous tulips, hyacinths and daffodils blooming in pots at the florist or nursery, you will find yourself saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Indeed. Why not? It’s possible to coax these spring beauties into bloom three or four months early by starting the bulbs in pots now. Bulbs planted in pots before Thanksgiving will begin to bloom in mid-January and will last through March.
The technique is called “forcing.” All it takes is a handful of your favorite bulbs, a suitable container, a bag of potting mix, and a cool, indoor place to stash the pots while the roots form. Bulbs best suited to forcing are tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and paperwhites. Sometimes florists mix-and-match these bulbs in the same pot, but unless you are certain of the bloom time, it’s best to stick with one kind of bulb so that they all bloom at the same time. .
For starters, choose a container than has a drainage hole. The choice of container depends on the kind and number of bulbs. For instance, a six-inch pot will hold six tulips or 16 crocuses or three hyacinths. A deep pot is better than a very shallow one, since the bulbs need to put down roots. The exception is forcing paperwhites, which are merely anchored with tiny rocks or a little soil, so a shallow bowl works fine.
Fill the container two-thirds with potting soil. Space the bulbs close, but not touching each other or the sides of the pot. Put the bulbs pointy end up, with the tips just even with the brim of the pot. Fill the pot with soil to within 1 inch of the brim. The pointy tips of the bulbs will be exposed above the soil line.
Water well to firm down the soil, then set the pot in a cool, dark spot for about 10 weeks until the roots form and shoots appear. A dark closet, a corner in the garage or even under a carton box on a windowsill will all work.
Then move the pot to a room that is warmer but not too hot. The warmth will make the bulbs think spring has sprung and they will start putting out green leaves and flower stalks.
There are a number of “forcing” starter kits available at nurseries and garden centers starting at about $5. You can, for instance, buy a single hyacinth bulb with a forcing jar, which allows you to watch the hyacinth roots develop in the water. No potting soil needed. Paperwhites are another bulb readily available in starter kits, while the king of all kits is the amazing Christmas amaryllis.
Either as a gift for others, or to brighten your own spirits, flowering bulbs in the dead of winter are winners.
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A Reader Wants to Know: There are a lot of small rocks and hunks of redwood bark in the planter box in my front yard. I’m thinking I need to dig out this messy soil and start over with new, but that sounds expensive. Any ideas?
Joan Says: New soil for a planter box wouldn’t be that expensive, but why don’t you first try to sift the soil. My husband made a “sifter” using a 2-foot square piece of wire screen with 1/4-inch openings in the screen. He tacked the wire to a wood frame, put handles on each side, and then shoveled the soil onto the screen, shaking it so the soil passed through but the rocks (actually broken cement) was sifted out. It was inexpensive to make, easy to use and our soil is now beautifully clean of all the junk that was mixed in there. By the way, redwood bark will eventually break down in the soil, but large bark takes a very, very long time to do so. That’s why I always advise folks to use small bark in landscapes since big bark seems to last forever.
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Tip of the Week: Slightly prune top-heavy trees to reduce wind resistance, but hold off on heavy pruning until the trees are completely dormant in January.
