Battling the winter blues

Linn County Master Gardener, Lisa Slattery, offers tips for forcing bulbs indoors: 

After Holiday decorations are put away, the winter-home-blues set it. Fight back! Arm yourself with a container or two, potting medium and bulbs. If you force some bulbs now, you'll have beautiful flowers inside when winter really begins to drag.

   Narcissus or paperwhites are the easiest to force because they don't require a cold period to flower. If you start them this week, you will have a pretty and fragrant centerpiece for Valentines Day. They can be planted in potting soil or in a pebble-filled tray (my favorite way). I like to use a glass container for the tray because I like to see the roots grow. Even a pie plate will do. Make sure the upper-half of the bulbs are showing, place them in the soil or pebbles and water thoroughly. Keep at about 60-65 degrees (average home temp) and flowers can be expected in 5 to 6 weeks.

    The Amaryllis bulb is another easy bulb to grow for a very showy bloom in about 6 to 8 weeks. For the Amaryllis, pick a container that's 1 to 2 inches wider than the bulb, plant in potting soil with the top half of the bulb exposed. Water thoroughly and place in a warm 70-75 location. When growth starts, use a water-soluble fertilizer every 2-4 weeks.

    For bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses, mix one part soil, one part peat moss and one part perlite. Your containers can be anything you like as long as there is drainage and it's twice as deep as the bulbs you're planting. Plant these varieties with only their tips showing. After planting, chill bulbs for 12 – 16 weeks at 40-45 degrees in a root cellar, unheated garage or refrigerator – but don't place next to ripening fruit since that can harm the plant. When roots are visible through the drainage holes (about 12 weeks) move the container to a warmer area 50-60 degrees. When green shoots appear move them to a brightly lit area and keep them well watered. You should be rewarded with blooms for your efforts.

   Choose bulb varieties that are recommended for forcing. Your local garden center can give you more information, or for a list of suggested varieties visit the Iowa State University extension website

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1319.pdf. Happy forcing and may your house be filled with flowers before spring!!