Spring Bulbs-It’s Fun to Fool Mother Nature

By Lee Oliphant Master Gardener

There may be a time in the upcoming winter that you yearn 
for spring fragrances and color before their time. Getting 
spring bulbs to flower indoors in the winter is called 
“forcing”. It’s fun to “fool Mother Nature” and potted 
spring bulbs make great gifts for the upcoming holidays.
Normally a spring bulb is dormant in the winter. Shoot 
growth begins in the spring when temperatures rise. 
Flowering follows. In order to force a bloom you must mimic
its natural pattern and expose it to cold (chill). Bulb 
varieties differ in their “chill” or dormancy requirements. 
A chill temperature is considered to be around 40º but 
length of time varies in plant varieties. Bulbs can be 
chilled in a bag in a refrigerator before planting or can 
be chilled in the pots you wish to grow them in. Place 
planted pots in a cool garage or cellar, or dig a trench in 
a shady area of your garden and cover with dried leaves, 
straw, or spaghnum moss. Dig up when ready to place in
light and “force” the bloom.

Some bulbs are more easily forced to bloom than others. 
Both paperwhite narcissus and amaryllis need no “chill 
time”. Other spring bulbs need more chill time. The elegant 
hyacinth can be forced in “hyacinth vases” using only 
water. They need 10–14 weeks of chill time then 2-3 more 
weeks to bloom. Small flowers such as the Muscari (grape 
hyacinth) and snowdrop can be clustered in pots. They need 
13–16 weeks of chill. Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) 
need 15 weeks of chill as do some varieties of tulip. 
Once bulbs have completed their chill cycle, they are 
exposed to low light until their leaves turn green. 

Finally, they can be placed in a sunny window where they 
“go into action”. If you are thinking of giving potted 
bulbs as holiday gifts, get them started now. Enclose a 
handwritten card with instructions on how the receiver can 
finish the process to enjoy spring blooms in the upcoming 
months.