Bulb Forcing
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Year-Round Color in Your Garden from Your Bulbs
Do you want to have your bulbs bloom year-round? Learn this technique of forcing your bulbs.
BULB FORCING FOR YEAR-ROUND COLOR
Forcing is a technique you can use to have fresh bulbs in bloom throughout every season of the year, even in winter. Virtually all bulb plants have periods of dormancy followed by new growth and bloom. Keep your spring bulbs dormant by storing them at 40°-45°F (4°-7°C) for up to eight months. They'll reward you with beautiful blooms when you remove them from storage for planting.
You will need a paper bag, nylon mesh, porous landscape fabric, potting soil, and your bulbs.
Allow about 30 minutes to plant a container, two to three weeks for sprouts to form, and one to two weeks for the bulbs to bloom. Follow these steps.
Keep Bulbs Dormant
Bulbs suitable for forcing are available right now at Blooming Bulb at discount prices with your early order. Keep bulbs dormant by storing them loosely in a breathable paper bag placed in the vegetable keeper of a household refrigerator for at least 6-8 weeks prior to planting. Store bulbs away from ripe fruit, including apples and bananas. Remove them as needed after that.
Protect Drain Holes
Protect the drain holes from clogging with plastic mesh covered by porous landscape fabric to promote evenly moist soil with good drainage.
Crowd Bulbs in Potting Soil
Fill 3"-4" (75-100 mm) of the container with potting soil. Crowd the bulbs upright into the container with their flat sides—if any—facing outward. Press them gently downward into the soil to hold them in place. If bulbs lack clear tops and bottoms, lay them on their sides.
Place Container in Cool Dark Place
Fill the space around the bulbs with additional soil. Raise the container on pot feet. Water thoroughly to settle the soil, adding more soil as necessary. Install optional decorator accents. Place the container in a dark, cool spot and keep moist until sprouts form, then bring it into a warm, full-sun location. In 7-14 days, the bulbs will bloom.
All Fall planting bulbs and plants are now available on bloomingbulb.com. All early orders placed now until March 9th are 20% off. Plus all new subscribers to their newsletter will receive an extra 10% off of their order total.