I love planting bulbs, they are just so easy to care for and the end result is a fantastic bountiful flower that smells just wonderful as well. While I haven’t had the time to experiment with too many varieties of bulbs just yet, I have big plans on continuing growing bulbs, all types, through out all my greenhouse seasons. While learning about the many varieties of bulbs I have also be learning about how to grow, force and care for bulbs in my controlled environment which I am going to tell you a little more about here.
Forcing bulbs is actually just fooling a bulb into thinking that they are going through winter. You can control this wintering effect by putting your bulbs in a cool or even cold dark space. Keep your daffodils in the cool area for about fifteen weeks, while you are hyacinths will only need about eleven or twelve, and the tulips need fifteen to sixteen weeks in the cool dark before they will start to grow again. After your ‘winter’ time is up for these bulbs, planting them and adding a little water in a warmed area will bring them back to life. This forcing of bulbs requires actually very little effort or work on the gardeners’ part – which is what I love so much!
When you are ready to plant your bulbs, be sure to keep the tip, or the very thin pointy portion of the bulb facing up, as this is the portion, which the plant will actually grow up and out of the soil at. You should make sure to add a little sand if you are only using potting soil in your bulb planters to keep the soil loose and well drained. Too much water will drown out and rot your bulbs. Now that you know more about how to force and grow bulbs, you can plant a variety in one pot for a beautiful display for mother’s day or for any special occasion that you might need a blooming flower for. Raising bulbs gives me a chance to enjoy flowers in my greenhouse while I am working on growing seeds, flowers, and vegetables for another season and they can do the same for you!