How to Grow Bulbs Indoor

Growing bulbs indoors will brighten any space.

Growing bulbs indoors can be tricky, but there are certain steps you can take to create an environment where bulbs will flourish in your home. Growing bulbs in your home is called forced growing because you are forcing the bulbs to grow outside of their natural environment. Forcing bulbs in your home is a fun project for a gardener at any experience level.

Things You'll Need

• Planter pot
• Peat moss
• Bagged soil
• Flower bulbs
• Trash bag or grocery bag

Instructions

1. Choose a container for your bulbs; clay or plastic pots are equally good for growing bulbs. The pot you choose should have holes in the bottom for drainage.

2. Mix equal parts peat moss and bagged soil. Add water until the mix is damp. Fill the pot 1/2 full of the soil mixture and place the bulbs on the soil, with the pointed ends up. Adjust the soil level so the tips of the bulbs reach to edge of the pot. Place the bulbs as closely together without the bulbs touching each other. Cover the bulbs the rest of the way with the soil mix.

3. Water the bulbs until there are water droplets coming out the drainage holes. Take a trash bag or plastic grocery bag and place over the top of the planter pot. Place in cold storage for five to six weeks, in a refrigerator or an unheated garage. The temperature should be around 37 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Check the bottom of the planter for white roots shooting out of the bottom. Remove the plastic bag and discard. There should be 2 to 3 inches of greenery coming out of the soil. Remove from cold storage and move to a cool place to keep the pot. Put the pot in a breezeway, basement or patio; the temperature should be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Place the plants in a sunny windowsill when the flowers begin to bud. Remove from the windowsill once the buds bloom to make the blooms last longer. Cut flowers and move the pots to a sunny area when the flowers are done blooming. Store the bulbs in a cool, dry place after the plants wither until late summer or early fall and then plant them in your flower bed.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use the same bulbs for forcing two years in a row. This weakens the bulbs and causes small plants and undesirable bloom size.

References

• Savvy Gardener: Forcing Bulbs Indoors