Forcing Bulb Flowers: Tulips, Hyacinths

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Photo: Stephen Kirschenmann / Rusmediabank.ru

On the eve of March 8, bulbous flowers such as tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, in elegant holiday pots, appear on sale in markets, flower pavilions and flower boutiques. How are they grown if there are still 2-3 months before flowering in natural conditions, and even the first shoots are not yet on the flower beds?

In fact, any bulbous flowers (even indoor, even garden) can be made to bloom at the time that you need. By the way, if you have children, then this lesson will be not only useful, but also very interesting and informative.

When to start forcing?

It all depends on what time you want to get the finished result. For example, if you need flowers for the new year, then you need to start distilling in late September - early October, if on March 8, then at the end of November - early December. On average, it takes 3 months from the beginning of the process to flowering. But at the same time, the onion should already be prepared for distillation! If you start from scratch, then the preparation should be started in the spring.

Rest period (preparation for forcing)

This is a very important period in the “life” of the bulb. For distillation at home, the largest, healthiest bulbs, without pests and other "joys", are chosen from previously purchased (dug out in the garden) bulbs. Further, it is advisable to process the selected material in order to avoid flower diseases. For this, special purchased products such as Maxim are well suited.

Then put a bag or a special net in a paper bag with holes and put it in the lower drawer of the refrigerator. Our bulbs will be stored there for 3 months. Stored planting material should be checked regularly to prevent rotting tubers.

By the way, all this fuss with preparation for forcing can be avoided. If you missed the deadline or just don't want to bother, you can purchase ready-made planting materials in any specialized stores. True, they will cost more than ordinary ones.

Landing

After 3 months, we take out the bulbs, carefully inspect for rot, check the sprouts (in theory, they should be at least 1 centimeter). We fill the pots with soil (you can plant several different bulbous types in one pot, the only important condition is that they should all bloom at about the same time). At the bottom of the pot, there must be drainage holes (or one, but rather large).

By the way, a little about the ground. You can use any soil for forcing, but if you plan to plant the bulbs later in your garden, it is best to use a peat substrate.

We pour a little sand on the bottom of the pot, then fill it with the substrate up to about half (or slightly higher), carefully “put” the bulb and fill it. In no case should the bulb be pushed or screwed into the ground, just plant it carefully! Now water and place in a cool, dark place with a temperature of about 5-7 degrees Celsius for rooting for about 2 months. After the sprouts reach 2-2.5 centimeters, we transfer the pots to a warm, but always shaded and not too light room with an air temperature of 15-17 degrees for 10 days. After this time, the pots must be transferred to a warm, bright place.

Now you need to make sure that the lighting is good and even, this will allow the buds to be uniform, that is, dense on all sides and of the same color, without dividing into pale-dark ones.

From the moment the bulbs are planted in the soil, forcing must constantly monitor the soil moisture. It should not be dry or waterlogged. We will water the bulbs as needed, but not abundantly.

Everything is ready, now we are waiting for flowering.

Important! If the buds appear too early, then move the flower to a cool place, this will delay the development of the bud.