I forced some spring bulbs this year for the first time. It was a total experiment and I was so shocked and thrilled when it actually worked! If you're flower obsessed, like I am, you must try this!!!
With inspiration from BHG, this is what I did. Back in November I scored some tulip and daffodil bulbs for a steal. Less than $2 a package! :)
In early January I finally got around to planting them. First I planted the bulbs in shallow pots in damp soil, covering them but leaving the tips of the bulbs showing. Then I put each pot in a plastic shopping bag and tied the bag handles loosely shut, leaving them open just a bit so the pot could 'breathe'. I then took the pots and tucked them all safely in my fridge on the bottom shelf out of the way.
Then I waited. . .
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| 01.08.2014 |
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. . .I waited and waited.
10 weeks later, in mid March, I pulled a couple of the pots out of the fridge and to my surprise, they were already growing, with stems peeking through the soil. It was so exciting! I marveled at the green stems in the midst of the polar vortex burdened winter. What a way to lift your spirits!
The daffodils grew and bloomed so fast. They were already budding within a week and blooming soon after, brightening things up with their soft frilly yellow blossoms. The tulips took a little longer to bloom but once they did they were stunning!
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| 03.20.2014 |
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| 03.25.2014 |
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| 03.28.2014 |
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| 03.30.2014 |
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| 03.31.2014 |
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| 04.04.2014 |
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I planted a mixed variety of daffodils and they all did well. The tulips were a little more finicky. I planted three varieties of tulips; Van Eijk, Holland Beauty and Apledoorn. The one pictuered above, Van Eijk, did wonderful! Holland Beauty did ok, some of them bloomed, some of them didn't. They weren't nearly as vibrant or hardy as the Van Eijk. And the Appledorn variety didn't do well at all. Maybe they needed more chill time in the fridge or maybe just more sunlight to grow? All in all, I was so happy with the outcome.
Once I brought the pots out of the fridge I moved and rotated the pots every few days or so from places like my dining room table, window sills, a sunny spot in front of the patio door. This helped them get plenty of varied sunlight from day to day.
Also, I planted several pots of bulbs and took a couple of pots out of the fridge at a time, about a week apart. That way I had blooms for many weeks all the way through Easter. It was perfect!
Maybe I just got lucky but I thought this was so worth the chance. I will definitely do this again next year. I'm already excited to try hyacinth and maybe even plant them sooner so I have flowers blooming in mid winter too. I'm imagining a pretty little pot of white hyacinth blooming around Christmastime, doesn't that sound lovely?!
