Start your Paperwhites and Amaryllis Indoors
Spring bulbs “forced” to flower in mid-winter are special attractions. A pot of bulbs can brighten your kitchen or dining room table. They also make a nice gift to give or receive during the holidays. Among our selection of bulbs, we have some pre-cooled Amaryllis, hyacinths, and narcissus (Paperwhites) that are well adapted for forcing.
What is Bulb Forcing?
Spring bulbs “forced” to flower in mid-winter are special attractions. A pot of bulbs can brighten your kitchen or dinning room table. They also make a nice gift to give or receive during the holidays. Among our selection of bulbs, we have some pre-cooled Amaryllis, hyacinths, and narcissus (Paperwhites) that are well adapted for forcing.
Bulb Forcing Stages:
Growth of spring bulbs and corresponding temperature can be divided into four stages. Duplicate these four natural stages and they will flower earlier than normal.
1.Stage one (Dormancy) – plant the bulbs in a pot with potting soil.
2.Stage two (Root Growth) – Keep pots in a cool dark spot, always keeping the soil moist, for 6 to 8 weeks.
3.Stage three (Growth begins) – Move to a bright light location, but temperatures should be cool in the 13 C to 19 C range.
4.Stage four (Blooming) - After two or three weeks at stage three, move into warmer temperature of 20 C to 22 C and watch the beautiful flowers pop into bloom.
For forcing, you require a good, well drained potting soil (for example our “Potting Soil”). You do not have to fertilize during this process; the bulb contains all the food it needs. Come in today to see a selection of bulbs that you can use for your home. Some popular varieties include:
Crocus – Mammoth Yellow, Remembrance
Hyacinths – Delft Blue, Jan Boss, Carnegie
Narcissi (Daffodils) – Paperwhites, Grand Soleil D’or, Tete-a-tete, February Gold
Tulips – Showwinner, Princess Irene
Specialty Bulbs – Iris reticulata, Muscari armeniacum