by Gail Seymour

Created on: July 07, 2010

Nothing beats the winter blues like a bowl full of bright cheerful flowers promising better things to come. OK, so you might have to cheat a little to coax them out of their bulbs a little early, but it’s not hard to do.

Spring bulbs for forcing fall into two camps: those that require chilling, and those that don’t. Bulbs that don’t need chilling include Amaryllis, Freesia, Calla Lily, Paper White Narcissus, Autumn Crocus, Dutch Iris, Bluebell and Fairy Lily. Those that need a cold snap include Hyacinths, Tulips, Daffodils, Crocus, Grape Hyacinth and Lily-of-the-valley.

For bulbs that need chilling, details of the length to chill, temperatures required and any specific requirements should be supplied with the bulbs, but in general, they will need at least three months stored at around 35-48 degrees Fahrenheit, 5-9 degrees Celsius. You can chill bulbs in a fridge, but if you do, it’s best to use a separate fridge for this than to put the bulbs in with your food. If that is your only option, though, at least make sure they are well labeled and won’t get confused with your food, as some of them, like the narcissus, are toxic if ingested.

Other ways to chill the bulbs include placing them in a cool dark basement, shed or garage, or in a cold frame, but if the temperature is likely to drop too far you may have to bury them in soil or insulate them from the worst of the winter weather some other way, such as stuffing them into sacks of hay. The best way to achieve just the right temperature will depend on ambient temperatures near you, so it’s always a good idea to get local advice from a nursery or garden center.

By the end of the chilling period, your bulbs should have started to produce roots, so they will need either soil or some suitable medium, or water to draw moisture from, but the bulbs don’t want to be standing in water or they will rot.

When the bulbs are chilled and you’re ready to start forcing them, bring them into the warmth gradually, or you will shock them into a short burst of growth that they won’t be able to sustain and the flowers will die in bud.

Place a few pebbles or a layer of gravel on the bottom of the pot then half fill it with soil. Place the bulbs in the pot pointed side up, so that their noses just peek above the rim of the pot. You don’t need to leave space between the bulbs, as they are not going to stay in the pot after flowering. Plant tulips with the flat side of the

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