How to Grow Tulip Bulbs Indoors
Tulip bulbs offer a colorful addition to your home. The added benefit to growing them inside is that you do not have to wait until spring for color. Most people grow tulips indoors to "force" them, meaning to make them bloom at a different time than they would normally bloom. Knowledge of how to plant tulip bulbs indoors can help you brighten up the winter and add a unique decoration to your home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Obtain a clay or plastic pot with drainage holes in the bottom. Place gravel in the bottom of the pot for added drainage. Fill the pot most of the way with a mix of equal parts peat moss, sand and good garden loam.
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Place the tulip bulbs on top of the soil with the pointed end facing upward and the flat side facing the outside of the pot. This will ensure that the long leaves will flop over the sides of the pots. Adjust the soil level so that the top of the bulb is even with the rim of the pot. Place five bulbs in a 5-inch pot and six bulbs in a 6-inch pot.
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Place more of the potting medium around the bulbs to secure them in place. Allow the top of the tulip bulb to stick out of the soil. Water the bulbs deeply.
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Put the potted tulips in a cool area with temperatures between 35 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 13 weeks. The tulips need this cold treatment to bloom. A refrigerator or unheated cellar should do the trick. Make sure the tulip bulbs have complete darkness and water them frequently so they stay moist.
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Remove the tulips after the cold treatment. They should have yellow shoots at this point. Move them to a cool area between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit with low to medium light for four to five days. In this time the shoots should turn green. Maintain moisture in the pot.
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Move the pot to a brightly lit location with temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the pot periodically so the tulips grow upright. Keep the potting medium moist. The tulips should bloom in three to four weeks.
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References
- Photo Credit red open tulip amid multi-colored tulips image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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I disagree. Take the bulb, put in a 5x 6in pot and set by a sunny ledge for 8-10 weeks. Water 2ce a day. Any soil will do fine, gravel not needed, and put a thin layer of sand but keep very top point of bulb exposed. Water the tulip away from the bulb but keep it so it can still drink. After the tip of the leaves are getting a diff color, move to a sunnier, more spacey window. Working fine for my beautiful Gem :S.
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Tanya Neuvirth Sparrow
Jan 26, 2011
forcing tulip bulbs indoors
