How to Plant Spring Bulbs Inside

Force tulip bulbs to bloom inside.

Crocus, daffodils, hyacinth, tulips and irises are all spring flowers that grow from bulbs. If you live in an apartment or simply have limited planting space outdoors, planting spring bulbs inside is possible with the use of bulb pans. Filled with the proper soil, bulb pans provide the perfect environment for forcing spring bulbs into bloom. After a recommended chilling period, most spring bulbs will bloom within one month.

Things You'll Need

• Bulb pans
• Organic potting soil
• Refrigerator
• Water-soluble fertilizer
• Mesh bags or cardboard boxes

Instructions

1. Fill 6-inch bulb pans 3/4 full with organic potting soil. Organic soil is airier than ordinary potting soil and is not easily waterlogged.

2. Press one spring bulb into the center of each pot. Plant each bulb bud side up, just below the soil line.

3. Water the spring bulbs, making the soil damp, not wet. Allow the water to flow through the soil and out the drainage holes in the bottom of the bulb pan.

4. Place the pots in a refrigerator for at least four months. This cold period will prepare the spring bulbs for blooming just as the cold earth would if planted outdoors in fall for a spring bloom.

5. Remove the spring bulbs from the refrigerator after the four-month chilling period. Place the bulbs in an area that receives indirect sunlight until you see signs of growth. Once the growth cycle begins, move the bulb pans to an area that receives bright, indirect sunlight.

6. Keep the soil moist as the spring bulbs grow. Apply a water-soluble fertilizer to the soil according to label instructions.

7. Allow the bulbs to die back naturally. Remove the bulbs from the soil after dieback and store them in mesh bags or cardboard boxes, in a cool, dry place until the following planting season.

Tips & Warnings

• The usual rules that apply to outdoor planting of bulbs, such as depth and spacing, do not apply to indoor forced bulbs.

• Do not attempt to plant forced bulbs in the backyard landscape. Once forced to bloom indoors, bulbs do not perform well in the garden.

References

• University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program: Forcing Bulbs
• The Garden Helper: How to Force Spring Flowering Bulbs

Resources

• University of Missouri Extension: Forcing Bulbs for Indoor Bloom