Forcing tulip bulbs is a good way to get them to bloom indoors, despite being out of season. If you love tulips - or if a loved one loves them - forcing tulips in water can be a great way to get them even in times when they normally couldn't be grown! To best force your tulip bulbs, you will first need to prepare them for forcing, then you will need to take care of them both during and after the actual process.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Prepare the Bulbs for Forcing
Step 1. Trick the bulbs by keeping them cold to make them bloom
The bulbs must be "tricked" into believing they survived the winter so that they can start blooming. This means that they will need to be placed in a cold environment while they are still dormant.
- The bulbs you bought have most likely already been exposed to the cold.
- If the bulbs you use are of your own production, you will need to recreate a cold environment in which to store them on your own.
- You can put the bulbs in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, but be careful to keep them away from fruit, especially apples, as some fruits emit gases that would inhibit their future flowering.
- You can also use a cold room, as long as you can get a temperature between -1 and 10 ° C.
- The bulbs will have to stay in the cold for about 4 months.
Step 2. Choose large, firm bulbs of a short-stemmed tulip variety to increase the likelihood of them blooming
Not all tulips on the market will withstand forcing.
- Check the labels when shopping for bulbs.
- As a general rule, shorter stemmed tulip varieties tend to withstand forcing better than long stemmed ones.
- It is essential to choose large and firm healthy bulbs.
- Discard any bulbs that look small to you or are soft or mushy.
Step 3. Store the bulbs in the right place
After forcing, or after purchasing, store the bulbs in a cool, dark, dry place until you are ready to force them.
- You will need to prevent the bulbs from drying out completely, so keep them away from drafts.
- Storing them in a paper bag inside a cupboard would be ideal.
Step 4. Choose a pot of the right size
You won't always need to buy a special pot for forcing bulbs.
- The most important thing to remember is that the bulbs must not touch the water, otherwise they will rot.
- However, they must remain suspended immediately above it, so that the roots can grow inside it.
- If you want, you can buy special pots for forcing bulbs at any gardening shop or online.
Step 5. Alternatively, you can try the stone-filled vase method
To do this, you will need to fill a tall vase with a few handfuls of decorative pebbles or glass beads. At that point you will need to fill the jar with water.
- The bulbs should be placed on the stones, so as not to directly touch the water.
- The roots will need a few inches of water in which to develop.
- If you are improvising using any other container, just remember that the tulips must be above the water but not touching it.
Step 6. Place the bulb in the container without letting it touch the water
Fill the container with a few handfuls of pebbles or glass beads. Add cold water and place the bulb on top of the pebbles or beads.
- The pointed part of the bulb should be facing up.
- The base of the bulb must not come into contact with the water, but it must be just a few millimeters below the bulb.
- You can force multiple bulbs into the same pot, but keep them from touching, to avoid the risk of spreading infections if one of them rots.
- Remember, the bulbs may swell when forcing, so space them out 2-3 cm from each other.
Method 2 of 2: Caring for Forced Bulbs
Step 1. Put the container you are forcing the bulbs into in a cold, dimly lit place for a month
Cold and dark will prompt plants to develop roots rather than shoots, a better energy strategy for the first few weeks of the plant's life.
- The optimum temperature is around 15 ° C. This is quite a low temperature for a room, similar to what you might have in a basement or garage.
- This step is optional, but still highly recommended.
- After a month, you can move the bulbs and container to a brightly lit room with a higher temperature.
- You will need to make sure there is always enough water.
Step 2. Make sure that the tulips are always well hydrated
Make sure you top up the water in the container if necessary so that the roots remain soaked, but avoid soaking the bulbs themselves.
- Unless your house is really hot and dry, you just need to check the bulbs 1-2 times a week.
- It would be best to avoid exposing the bulbs to direct sunlight when forcing, but a well-lit room won't bother them.
Step 3. From time to time, rotate the pot to make sure the bulbs receive sunlight evenly
It is advisable to rotate the vase continuously. Tulips will grow pointing towards light sources, such as the nearest window.
Rotating the pot will cause them to grow straight and evenly
Step 4. Decide when to start forcing your tulips
Depending on when you want them to bloom, you'll need to decide when to start the forcing process.
- If you start forcing the bulbs in the fall, it will take 3 to 4 months to see them bloom.
- However, those forced from mid-winter, for example from December, will not need that much time to flower; sometimes just 2 months will be enough.
- If you want the tulips to be ready for the holidays so you can display them in your home, you will need to start forcing no later than October.
- If you want tulips to be ready for a specific date, you'd do well to start forcing them at intervals.
- Start in September and continue forcing one bulb per week until mid-October,
- This method will increase the chances that you have some party-ready tulips.
Step 5. Know that you will not be able to force the bulbs multiple times
Unfortunately, forcing the bulbs is an operation that tends to dry out their energy reserves.
- Some types of bulbs are able to recover from forcing and bloom again, but tulips are often not quite as strong.
- A tulip is unlikely to be able to flower again if it was forced the first time, and a tulip bulb will not withstand the forcing twice.
- If you really don't want to give up and want a bulb to bloom again after being forced, you can try planting it in a corner of your garden by adding fertilizer.
- They might even be able to recover after a few years, but you'd better buy new bulbs to replace the forced ones.
- Exhausted forced bulbs can be used to make compost, unless they show signs of disease. In this case, burn them or dispose of them by throwing them in the appropriate trash cans.
