From The Gardens

Although ornamental bulbs have been grown for beauty since pre-Christian times, it  was not until 1907 that Nicholas Dames, a Dutch man, discovered that  bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocus and iris could be forced to bloom early indoors if given an extended cold treatment.  Now more bulbs are sold worldwide for forcing than for any other purpose.  Charts and time schedules have been  developed for each variety of bulb  so that  commercial growers know exactly how many days at a given temperature it takes to produce blooms.

The home gardener  can succeed in forcing bulbs by using one of several methods.  Always buy the largest, healthiest bulbs available.  Use those marked especially for forcing if possible.   The most common forcing method is to pot up bulbs in October, store outside  at as close to 40  F as possible for 10 to 14 weeks, then bring inside to a light (not bright) place at 60  F for several days.  The pots can then be put in a bright window for bloom in 3-4 weeks.

Bulbs  are best planted close in the pot, not touching each other.  Plant tulips with the flat side of the bulb facing the rim of the pot.  Fill the pot with soil up to  2-3″ from the top.  Gently place bulbs on soil, then fill in around them  up to 1/2″ from the top of the pot.  The tops of the bulbs may be exposed.   Any potting or garden soil may be used.   Care should be taken to keep the soil moist at all times and light must be excluded.    A cold frame, unheated garage, or cellar stairway would be a good storage place.  Put the pots in a dark plastic bag and check every  few weeks to make sure they are still moist.

Alternatively, potted bulbs may be stored in the refrigerator, again wrapped in a plastic bag.  The temperature in the refrigerator is a constant 40  , something that cannot be achieved by outside storage.  In general, smaller bulbs, such as crocus take a shorter cold storage period,  perhaps 8-10 weeks, while the larger daffodils, tulips and hyacinths will need 12-14 weeks.  Therefore  crocus planted in late October can be brought into the warmth  in mid January to bloom in early February.  Tulips  and other large bulbs planted in late October  will be in cold storage until early February and should bloom by the end of February.

Unplanted bulbs can be placed in a paper bag and put in the refrigerator for the required amount of time, removed and gently potted, then placed in a bright location.  This method requires  perhaps four to six weeks of warmth before blooms appear.  Narcissus such as Paper Whites and Soleil d’Or  need no cold treatment, may be planted in pebbles rather than soil and will bloom 3-4 weeks  from planting time.