Force bulbs now for winter time color

By Bev Johnson | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, October 20, 2007

Now is the time to buy bulbs for forcing. There is still time to plant tulips in the garden but too late for daffodils, so many bulbs will be on sale. You want naturally shorter growing cultivars; otherwise, the plants will be too tall and have a tendency to fall over. Not the look you are striving for.

Some easy to force bulbs are hyacinths, daffodils, squill (scilla) grape hyacinths, tulips and Dutch iris. Pot the bulbs, pointed side up, in a soil-less potting mix. They can be planted very close together, even touching.

Most of them are round, the exception being tulips, they have a flat side. The first leaf will emerge from the flat side so put that side facing out to make your pot more symmetrical when it grows.

If you have ever bought potted bulbs, you will notice that the pots they are in are quite shallow and wider than usual. These are called azalea pots. They are a perfect shape for forcing bulbs. Water the pots and keep them at room temperature so the root system starts to develop. Now comes the fun part. Go and buy a used refrigerator because these pots now have to be kept between 34 degrees and 48 degrees for at least three months. They must not freeze and must be kept moist, not wet.

If you have a warm garage, that might work, but don't put them on a heated garage floor.

If you are using a fridge, do not put any fruit in with the pots. The ethylene-gas fruits, especially apples, can lead to abortion of the flower buds, leaving you with pots of nice green leaves.

After the 12 weeks of cool treatment, bring the pots into an area with

bright indirect light in a cool room. Temps between 55 to 70 are ideal. Warmer rooms lead to long lanky plants.

Bring in a few at a time to enjoy a longer time with flowers. When the plants are done blooming, many people throw the bulbs in the compost. Take a chance. Keep them in very bright light, give them 1/2 strength fertilizer and keep them moist until the leaves die naturally. Let the pot dry up at that point, then plant them in the garden in the spring. They may or may not flower or even come up again but, what the heck, it's worth a try.

If your house plants don't seem to do well for you, look at the pots. Many gardeners think more is better when it comes to potting soil so their plants are in a pot that is much too big.

Put the ailing plant in a pot not much larger than the plant's roots. Only transplant when roots start to stick out the bottom of the pot. Keep those plants cozy in a smaller pot and they will reward you with a fuller, healthier plant.

Moral for the day. Buy some cheap bulbs now for a floriferous late winter.

Bev Johnson is a master gardener for West Otter Tail County.