Forcing Bulbs Indoors

Forcing bulbs indoors can bring the colors and scents of spring to a dreary winter's day. Forcing bulbs means encouraging plants to grow and flower out of their natural environment and season. Crocus, tulips and daffodils are all excellent forcing candidates.

Forcing Bulbs Indoors Is Easy
There are many varieties of bulbs suitable for forcing. A bulb catalog or your local nursery can tell you which types are best suited to forcing. With bulbs in hand, forcing is easy if you follow these tips:

• Timing is everything. You'll want to start the forcing process in October. If you're ordering bulbs to be shipped, start shopping in August so the bulbs will have time to arrive. If you're buying bulbs locally, you can buy them and store them in a cool, dray place until you're ready to force.
• Mixed messages. If you force different types of bulbs, grow each species in its own container. Mixing bulb types will create bloom timing issues that you'll want to avoid.
• The good earth. To begin, create a potting medium out of three parts potting soil, two parts peat moss and one part sand. Your bulbs carry all of the nutrients they'll need to grow, so fertilizer or other amendments won't be necessary.
• Pot to force in. Any plastic or clay pot is suitable for forcing, but you'll want to choose a smallish pot for the best look. Forced bulbs sit close together in the pot and with a large pot, you'll be left with a bunch of empty space. Make sure your pot has good drainage and that you have a tray to sit underneath the pot to catch excess moisture.
• Placing bulbs. To place your bulbs in their new home, fill the pot with soil so that the tip of a bulb placed in the pot will be at the same level as the pot's rim. Place your bulbs in the pot with the pointed end facing up. Space the bulbs so that they are close together, but not touching-1" or less of space between bulbs is fine. Finally, cover the bulbs with soil, leaving the very tip of each bulb exposed.
• Baby, it's cold inside. To accelerate the growth of your bulbs, they'll need to be exposed to cold temperatures (35 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 12 weeks. An unheated garage or spare refrigerator makes a good candidate. Wherever you store your bulbs, you'll need to keep it dark. Covering your pot with some black plastic (don't forget ventilation holes) will help keep things dark.
• Mark your calendar. Mark your calendar as a reminder, and when at least twelve weeks have passed, bring your pot inside. Gradually, move your pot closer and closer to the sun over a period of days. Your pot's final resting place should be on a table (so you can see the blooms) near a window that gets at least a few hours of sun each day.