This process is also known as “bulb forcing.”
With a little care and effort, you can enjoy flower bulbs indoors throughout the winter and early spring. You can begin putting your favorite spring bulbs now to prepare them for winter flowering. It may be preferable no to mix varieties in the same container since they flower at different times.
Tulip, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and grape hyacinths in your home is a beautiful way to enjoy your flowers. The bulbs should be planted close together in potting soil leaving the tips exposed. Water after planting and do not let the soil dry out. A cold temperature treatment of 35-48 degrees F for a minimum of 12-13 weeks is required for flowering.
Use a cold basement, garage or attic.
Once they are moved out to cold storage, place the pots in a cool location with indirect sunlight. It is not necessary to fertilize as the bulbs have enough stored food to flower once.
” Who would have thought it possible that a tiny little flower could preoccupy a person so completely that there simply wasn’t’ room for any other thought.” Sophie Scholl
Hyacinths, paperwhites, and crocus grow well in shallow pans of water filled with crushed rocks or pebbles. The bulbs should be secured in the stones deeply enough so that they stay in place. Only the very bottom of the bulbs should be in contact with the water.
Paperwhites are very fragrant, and we have found that you either love or hate the smell. They do not require a cold treatment but should be placed in a cold, dark room for a couple of weeks until the roots begin to develop.
Then put them in a sunny location.
Once they start to flower, moving them into the indirect sunlight will prolong the bloom period. Amaryllis will bloom without special treatment when first purchased. Plant them in the potting soil in a container that is only 1-2 inches larger in diameter than the bulb. The upper half of the bulb needs exposure above the earth.
After watering thoroughly, allow the soil to become quite dry. Water more frequently after the flower stalk appears. But never water when the soil is already moist. Place the plant in a warm, sunny spot until the flower buds show color. Then move it out of direct sunlight. Amaryllis can then be a houseplant year round. However, the bulbs probably will not bloom until spring. Adequate light and fertilizer are necessary to endure repeated bloom.
