Container Gardening

Force Spring Bulbs to Bloom Indoors

By Nina Koziol

Move the bulbs outdoors after they’ve bloomed

The best thing about growing hardy spring bulbs indoors for a cheerful winter display is that the bulbs can be planted outdoors in the spring. Once they’ve finished blooming indoors, I continue watering until the leaves become dry. When the leaves are totally dry, I plant the bulbs outdoors. An exception is paperwhite narcissus—a tender daffodil that is not hardy in our Zone 5 garden. Once they finish blooming indoors, they go into the compost pile.

Tulip bulbs do not like to be in wet soil in the summer, so I pop them into a shade garden where drought-tolerant perennials, such as hellebores, epimedium and hostas grow. By the time the bulbs finish blooming the following spring, the perennials cover up the dying leaves.

Time to start the bulb forcing process

There’s plenty of time left to purchase bulbs on sale and to prepare to force spring bulbs to bloom indoors. Check out the local garden centers, big-box stores, and the online resources below. As long as the soil has not frozen, you can go ahead and plant outdoors. And, once your extra fall bulbs get a cooling period in a garage or in the refrigerator, they’ll be ready for planting indoors. Get those bulbs now, so you can brighten the dark, cold winter months ahead with a little hint of spring. Happy Growing.

Online bulb sources

John Scheepers

www.johnscheepers.com

Old House Gardens Heirloom Bulbs

https://oldhousegardens.com

Netherland Bulb Co.

https://www.netherlandbulb.com

K. van Bourgondien

www.dutchbulbs.com

Good ‘reads’ (about bulbs):

“Tabletop Gardens: 40 Stylish Plantscapes for Counters and Shelves, Desktops and Windowsills,” (Storey Publishing, 168 pages).

“Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bulbs,” (Timber Press, 228 pages)