Contact: Diane Relf, Extension Specialist, Environmental Horticulture
Posted April 1997
Bulbs are unique, self-contained plants. They can be planted in pots and exposed to specific environmental conditions to bring them into bloom during winter. Florists and garden centers display them for sale for people who desire a little floral color in their home.
To receive maximum enjoyment from the plants, consumers should purchase potted bulbs in the tight-bud stage. If bought in full bloom, the flower will last only seven to ten days in the house.
Forced bulbs open quickly in the warm environment found in most homes. Keeping bulbs in a bright location where the temperature is 55 to 60 degrees F adds about five or six days to the flowers. Moving pots to a cool garage at night will add days to the floral display. An alternative idea is to place bulb pots in a breezeway or other cool place where they can be seen often and appreciated. If you want to delay flowering in potted bulbs, hold the plants at between 35 and 40 degrees F to retard growth. At these temperatures, the plants can be stored for up to two weeks without deterioration in quality. A refrigerator or unheated garage would provide this environment.
For bulb plants stored in a cool environment, watering is not crucial. However, once in a warm spot, it is important to keep the bulbs from drying out.
For bulbs, the cooler the temperature, the better the plant form and the longer the flowering. If forced bulbs get too warm, they will stretch or elongate, and become unsightly.
Light is also important for indoor bulbs. If it's too dark, the plants will elongate toward any available light.
To obtain the highest quality forced bulbs at the best price, look for those sold in season in plain pots. Although individual growers' production times may vary, these are the peak seasons for flowering bulb plants:
|
Daffodils |
Mid-January through April 1 (Usually plentiful.) |
|
|
Tulips |
Mid-January through mid-April |
|
|
Hyacinths |
January 1 through April 1 |
|
|
Crocus |
January 10 through March (Beyond March 1, they bloom rapidly and grow leggy.) |
|
| Iris reticulata |
January 15 through February 15 |
|
|
Grape hyacinths |
February and March |
Try matching the undecorated pots to baskets and decorative pots you may have at home. If you must purchase containers, search for baskets and pot covers which can be used at other times when customized with seasonal accessories and bows.
Combine pots of bulbs with other flowering plants, and foliage plants, to create a blooming garden. Mix tulips, hyacinths and crocuses with primroses or small cinerarias in baskets. Add pussy willow branches or small silk ornaments for a personal touch.
Forced spring bulbs can be planted outside for reblooming. After a bulb blooms, put it in a bright window, stop watering it and let the foliage dry out. Then the bulb can be planted outside in late Spring and will usually bloom within a year or two. Bulbs should be planted in a bright, sunny area. Depth varies with different species: tulips and daffodils - 6-8"; hyacinths -5-6"; crocuses, grape hyacinths and Iris reticulata - 3-4". Bulbs should be planted at the maximum depth in areas where winter temperatures are harsh.
Replanted tulips and hyacinths will bloom for two or three years. Iris reticulata will return reliably. Crocuses, grape hyacinths, and daffodils will naturalize, and not only will bloom year after year, but will multiply to produce more bulbs and blossoms.
(Prepared by Virginia Klara Nathan, Extension Technician, Consumer Horticulture, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0327.)
Visit Virginia Cooperative Extension test