Each fall, the stores and online sites are full of bulbs for spring. It is too easy to place a few orders, buy a few bags, put them down to plant later and then forget about them. For those in the north, if the ground is not frozen, you can still plant the bulbs all the way through to New Year. In the south, where winter chill is short, you have to wait until the first hard frost has occurred. The ground should be cool enough for bulbs, which could be as late as New Year. Picking bulbs that need low chill, or no chill time is a better option for growing bulbs in these areas. Whether you forget the bulbs or not, there is always a case for forcing a few bulbs for late winter. Later, you can plant them in layers in containers for early displays. Bulbs in containers outside do get slightly colder than those planted in the ground. It’s worth noting for borderline areas where the ground rarely freezes below the surface.

Storing Bulbs for Forcing:

In cold ground, spring bulbs stay dormant until spring sun warms the soil and starts a new growth cycle for the bulbs. If it is too warm to plant the bulbs for them to stay dormant, the back of a fridge or a cool, dry basement are good places to store your bulbs. If you are in a cold region, you can dig the bulbs from the ground before the ground freezes. Alternatively, keep a few back and store to force when you are ready. Most common bulbs – crocus, daffodils and tulips – do need chilling time. This is regarded as the number of days below 45⁰f. Most refrigerators hold the food at 38-40 degrees. A wine fridge are closer to 44⁰. Old garage beverage fridges are also popular fridges to use for holding bulbs until planting time.

Timing:

Keeping the bulbs dormant is only part of the battle of forcing the bulbs. You want them to start growing and produce a bloom while the snow is still flying outside. Bulbs should be kept dormant for at least 6 weeks unless your supplier has already pre-chilled the bulbs for you. Once dormancy is completed, the bulbs can be brought out to start the growing phase. The amount of time for the bulb to grow and put out a flower is determined by the species. Little crocus take just a few weeks, while large daffodils take longer.

If you want your bulbs for a specific date – such as a birthday in January, take that as a target date for your bulbs to flower. Count back from that date about 4 weeks for growing and 6 weeks for dormancy and start your bulbs around that time – October/November. For a basic display in winter months you will still need the 10 weeks. You have a little wiggle room for when to start. Note that bulb size and variety can add or detract a few days to a week, so be ready for some adjustments in timing.