There is NOTHING like some color and fragrance in the house in the middle of winter! Why force bulbs? Unlike cut flowers, the process of forcing bulbs lasts more than six weeks allowing ample time to enjoy the growth and fragrant flowering phases.
Force Bulbs
Forcing bulbs is very easy, and I’m guessing that once you’ve done it once, it’ll be a seasonal favorite! There are only a few rules to forcing bulbs. Experimenting with multiple containers, rocks, no rocks, etc., is half the fun. The only hard and fast rule? Keep the water below the edge of the bottom of the bulb. Any higher, and the bulb rots.
Where to get bulbs
Right around December, you’ll notice bulbs for sale everywhere, from the big box stores to your local feed store. If you wait until near the end of December, stores start to fire-sale them, and you’ll find them on sale!
Where to buy supplies
The supplies are simple, really, some sort of container, vase or planter, rocks, and bulbs. I found some containers at the dollar store but really scored big at the local thrift store. I also found white and neutral-colored stones at the dollar store. Make sure to rinse the rocks well and run the containers through the dishwasher before beginning. Bulbs need a certain amount of time to be chilled before they will grow. However, since retail stores want you to be successful with their bulbs, they are “pre-chilled.” If you order in bulk, make sure to check this detail.
Build the planter
Now the fun part! Simply stack the rocks and nestle the bulbs together tightly. As the roots grow, the bulbs need stability to balance the heavy blooms. The most successful planters sit the bulbs at least 6” deep below the rim of the containers. Next, fill the container with water only to the BOTTOM of the bulb.
Lastly, find a nice spot in indirect sunlight and watch the show.
Supplies
If you’re short on time and would rather order online, here’s your shortcut!
~ Lola
“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments!”
Have you tried forcing bulbs in winter? Oh, it’s worth it for the color and scent alone!
Materials to force bulbs!
This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see our disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting The Gardening Passion!
Gardens we’ve built
Why I Garden; if you grow it, they will eat it
Community Oasis Garden; exploring the passion
The Gardening Passion Expands; the garden that created a bidding war
Quick Turn Garden; two years and counting
The Empty Nest Garden; totally out of control
Coops we’ve built
How NOT to Build a Chicken Coop
The Bored Engineer’s Coop
This content was originally published at The Gardening Passion and is copyrighted material. If you are reading this on another website, it is being published without consent.
