Do you need a little indoor cheer during the gloomy winter? Are you ready for spring as soon as we turn back the clocks? Try forcing some bulbs for beautiful blooms in winter. Any spring bulbs can be forced into winter blooms indoors. Paper whites are inexpensive and easy to grow indoors. Amaryllis are a popular Christmas bulb to force indoors, but they tend to be pricey. Hyacinths, which can also be forced indoors, are my favorite flowers because of their wonderful fragrance, but I have had less success with these.
To force bulbs:
- You will need a container without holes. I like to use glass. It is pretty and I can see the roots of the bulb. I just use a glass bowl or mason jar. You can buy vases developed specifically for forcing bulbs.
- You also need a substrate such as rocks or glass pebbles. Pick whatever is pretty! Fill the container with water to the top of the pebbles. The water should just reach the bottom of the bulbs.
- Place bulbs on top of the pebbles so that they are sitting upright with the pointed end up and the root scar down. The bulbs should be set so that they are stable and sitting upright but on top of the pebbles so that only the roots and very bottom of the bulb are in the water.
- Place in a dark cool location and wait for the roots to develop. Add water if it falls below the bottom of the bulb. Replace the water if it gets cloudy or as needed.
- Once roots develop place the container in a sunny location and wait for the blooms to grow.
Remember that some bulbs need to be chilled. Paper whites and Amaryllis do not need chill time. Hyacinth need several weeks of chill time.
Bulbs that are forced are generally not renewable and cannot be forced a second season. They generally will not grow the next season (but I trim them and plant them outside just in case).
Forcing bulbs indoors is easy and allows you to bring spring indoors during the winter months. Good luck and happy planting.
