Share your paperwhites and other forced bulbs...?!

This Christmas we received a nice planter of mixed bulbs (from Breck's as I recall) as a gift. I didn't have high expectations for them, but I set them in a sunny window near a lamp, and I am so surprised to have such a pretty bouquet to brighten these January days...

Anyway, thought it would be nice if everyone who is forcing bulbs would like to share a few photos here to keep us entertained and quell our anticipation until our real bulbs start to bloom...any pics to share please??


(and I just wanted to say Hi! to all the bulbsters on the forum!..)

And these pots are full of paperwhites I scored on Bleek and Ingrid's 'Touch of Nature' inventory clean out/end of season sale after Christmas.

I put them under florescent lights in the kitchen for about ten days or so. Today I moved them to a sunny window with a lamp to give them a booster of light and some of them will begin blooming later today, I think.

I am so happy that they aren't leggy and floppy (yet)...I suppose that is because I tried to give them a lot of light...

Just the boost we needed on this wintry day...!

What a lovely surprise! Those did beautifly, congrats!

Gemini--where are yours??!

I have had about 100 Paper whites bulbs bloom of so far. We always have planters full in several rooms since early Nov. I ordered my normal big bunch in the spring, then Bleek made them available so cheap in a coop later on that I had to have more. Bulb hound. I will be hitting up Bleek first thing next year.

Here is a tiny peek of some in the GH with our Paper white pooch, Winnie. I have a mess of freesias from Bleek that are growing up nicely too. Patti

What a great set-up you have! Love your pooch, too.

I wish now I had forced more, but last year I over did it and made my family crazy with my pots--unfortunately we don't have a greenhouse (yet!)...

BTW--ran across this photo when I was looking for bulbs yesterday---do you recognize it?!

http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/spring/gallery/index.php?viewpicture=15

Very pretty!

Tabasco, Yes, it is one of mine from last year. Becky and I had some e-mail correspondence about me trying to get the same plain green labels like they use, and we digressed to bulbs, funny. These are some of the bulbs that I bought from them. She wanted to see pictures and asked if she could use them. I will have tons of B&B bulbs this year popping up, I hope. The GH is a passive solar one that helps heat our house. We had it designed and built when we built the house in 1981. It is a joy. Here is our other joy, Nell who is Winnie's sister. Patti

No forcing for me this year, but I do have a couple of crocus blooming outside already, LOL!

Patti, I'm coveting your greenhouse, just thought you should know, LOL.

Still waiting...

Paperwhites ready to go.

jmorth--what's in the fridge?!!

Do tell us what you're forcing along!

And what you'll do with all of your pretty pots o' flowers? So many!

There's 31 pots in there- 20 are various tulips, 10 are daffodils, and 1 Iris Reticulata.
A few will be given away as gifts, the rest brighten up the house.
About half were potted up in Oct/Nov, the remainder came from Brent & Becky's Dec. sale.

When will you take them out? Staggered schedule?

Will you put them in a sunny window or under lights?

They usually start coming out in mid-February through March. It is staggered. They initially are placed under several banks of fluorescents in the basement (where the avg temp usually runs 60 degrees), then when the buds are about to burst, taken upstairs to grace the house.

I must get an extra refrigerator!!

Do you use specific tulip and narcissus varieties for forcing or just random bulbs?

I did see Brent & Becky's catalog offered a range of pre-cooled narcissus and tulip bulbs for southern gardens and until this week it never occurred to me that those bulbs could be used for forcing in pots (duh) and I could forego the refrigeration segment here...I do have some shop lights in the basement for good bright light to get them going and avoid the legginess.

Do you have trouble with 'legginess'? Someone said to add alcohol to the planting medium (water?) to keep that from happening but I think that would just keep the bacteria down and the water cleaner, no?

tabasco,
The varieties chosen usually have certain prerequsites. The tulips chosen are mostly short early singles with an occasional early double or Triumphs. Every once in a while I'll force a Darwin. Varieties used this year include Flair, Couleur Cardinal, Mickey Mouse - the singles; Yellow Baby and Monsella- double earlies; Cairo & Helmar - Triumph;
Orange Queen - Darwin.
Daffodils are usually chosen for height (shorter is better) and bloom time (early is better). Narcissus forced this year are: Falconet (div 8- Tazetta), Pipit (div 7- Jonquilla), Kaydee & Jetfire (div 6- Cyclamineus), Thalia (div 5- Triandrus), and Topolino (div 1- Trumpet).
The time under the fluorescents in a cool environment usually helps with the 'legginess'. I'm not familiar with with any adding alcohol to planting medium technique.
I usually end up planting the daffodils outside after bloom and weather permitting. The tulips are unfortunately, discarded after bloom. I also force hyacinthus in water. They are subsequently planted outside with some success.
Pic is Monsella and a hyacinth from last year.
Edit - opps this pic is from yr before last.

This message was edited Jan 17, 2008 2:05 PM

Here's one from last year - Mickey Mouse and Princess Irene.

Thanks, j. Good info.

If you don't mind, I would like to copy and paste your info to my DG journal so I don't lose it?

Would love to try some next year...

So pretty and bright!

Could use some of those day brighteners in my window today--very grey and dull here. Storm coming in, I think.

Thanks for the pics!

by all means, help yourself...

am really glad to have found this thread. Am doing paperwhites for the first time this year. the first batch were ready just in time for Christmas giving (the timing was just a lucky break). But they were leggy. So now I'm trying some more and am using the alcohol solution. I think it might be helping but too soon to tell.

Lack of light and too high temperatures makes them more leggy than needed.

Bleek is absolutely correct, but why would this great bulb man be anything less? I noticed that if I put my paper whites in a cool room with east or west light they form nice sturdy clumps, but if I force them in a room that is warmer with south light they do a Wilt the Stilt thing and get all floppy. Never have used the alcohol. I use that very thin elastic silver or gold package ties to give them a little belt to keep them standing tall. It works very well.

jmorth, I can see it now, we will need a new forum for forced bulbs next year. I too am inspired. Thanks. I have some in pots, but I forgot about them, so I better check on them tomorrow. I will advise if I have any chance of success otherwise I will just enjoy yours when you post pictures. Patti

Patti,
hope your forgotten pots are salvageable; hopefully I'll post the forcers next month sometime ...
J

---Just wanted to show off a few of my paperwhite bulb blooms from my 'Touch of Nature' purchase. I think there are 6 bulbs in this pot...

We are really enjoying them!

jmorth, I finally remembered to check on them and they are beginning to form a bud spike under the soil, so I think they are on their way, but I did only 4 pots of Darwin Hybrid Tulips so if it works it will be a small show, but very welcomed. I picked these bulbs up in late Nov in a sale bin, so it was just a trial to see if it works for me. Fingers crossed. But I can't wait for your show. And hopefully I can do more next year, I would love to have a house full like you. Inspiring. Patti

Just make sure you keep them in the cold and darkness untill they are about 6 inches tall before bringing them into the livingroom.

how do you "force" bulbs. As you can tell I've never done anything much with bulbs. I buy a few at the store when it's early spring and that's about it.
This year I want a whole bed of bulbs.
I since ya'll are the bulb people, you might know what to plant together etc in the bed.
Can I winter sow them now? I have an old 55 gallon aquarium that I'm going to use for a greenhouse for them

Hi, Lorraine--

It might be best if you began a new thread with your question on it. I am sure there are a lot of other gardeners who want to know the answers too and the subject would make up a nice new thread for this forum...

Can you force Daffodils?? I have alot left that I didnt get planted this past fall. I have refigerated them since December. I'd like to plant them now if thats possible. I'm new to bulbs so any info is appreciated.

Angel, sorry, I don't know the answer, I suspect it wouldn't work too well but you can always try....

Just plant them in the garden ....they'll be fine. Make sure you give them some fertilizer after planting and after flowering.

If I cant, I wonder if I could dig some up that are starting to come up and move them?? I'm kinda picky about things being symetrical. LOL I was so tired after doing the left side of the house in the fall that I stopped. Now my right side has none..

Will it shock them to move them. None are blooming yet, just foliage barely peeking out..

Really? Will they come up this season since they were chilled??

They will come up yet this Spring and will do better since they were chilled than if they were not. They still do need some TLC though, so make sure that when it is dry for a few days, give them some water, since they still need to make roots quick.

Bleek-- should I do that for my Paperwhites I e-mailed you about, too? tabasco

Finally, a first forced this year - Falconet

jmorth,

Is that a daffodil?? So you can force those as well as tulips?? Gorgeous..

We'll I went by Lowes on Friday afternoon. I guess I"ve never been there this early in the year since our last freeze date isnt until March 21st. I was happily surprised when I saw they had tons of tulips, daffs and other spring bulbs for sale. They are all a nice size so I cant wait to get them planted. I can fill in where my others didnt get planted last year. So if anyone wants some tulips and you didnt get them planted in the fall, check your Lowe's..