Gardening
Gerald Filipski
Forcing Bulbs
All right, I’ll admit it! I’ve already had enough of winter and have started
craving spring and the flowers it brings with it. The snow in September did
not help these feelings. I thought that many of you would feel the same,
so today we will talk about how to get a head start on spring by enjoying
flowering bulbs indoors.
Having a beautiful fl oral display
and even some fragrance would
be a welcome addition to any
home, and that is especially true
with snow still on the ground. In
fact, a pot of blooming tulips can
inspire a winter-weary gardener
to survive the remainder of the
winter. For me, forcing bulbs
is something I like to start in
November or December so
that I can enjoy the blooms in
February or March.
Small bulbs such as
snowdrops, scilla, grape
hyacinths, chionodoxa, and
crocus can be forced to bloom
just as easily as daff odils,
tulips, and hyacinths . The
basic technique is similar for
these bulbs. Forcing is basically
inducing the plant to leaf out
and fl ower well ahead of its
natural schedule. Forcing needs
to imitate and compress in
an indoor setting the process
that the plant would normally
experience outdoors.
18 | arta.net
You can force bulbs in many
diff erent types of pots or
containers. You can choose
to use clay or plastic pots.
While they are perhaps more
aesthetically pleasing, clay pots
do tend to dry out more quickly
than plastic ones so that may be
a consideration if you don’t want
to water as often. The bulbs
won’t care which you choose as
long as they have the moisture
they need. Make sure that you
use clean pots for forcing. Scrub
them clean before you use them.
When buying bulbs to force,
choose number one bulbs. In
other words, use the ones that
are the biggest and best in order
to give you the best display of
bloom size and colour. Do not
buy bulbs that are soft to the
touch or may be sprouting.
Avoid any that appear to be
damaged. The reason for being
so picky is that you need a bulb
that is healthy and full of the
nutrients required to produce a
great fl ower.
Another good idea is to ask
your local garden centre expert
which of the bulbs that they
are selling are best for forcing.
When you’re in the garden centre
choosing your bulbs, pick up
some good quality potting soil
as well. A mix of potting soil and
a handful of sand will give the
bulbs the well-drained soil that
they need. Don’t worry about
fertilizing the bulbs as they have
enough food stored to get them
through a single bloom.
When planting, ensure that
the drainage holes in the bottom
of the pot are not covered with