A. Many gardeners like to force bulbs indoors during the Winter because it is an indoor activity during an otherwise slack time of the gardener's year. It's wonderful seeing flowers blooming during the cold, gloomy days of winter. We will discuss forcing three kinds of bulbs--amaryllis, paperwhite narcissus, and Dutch hyacinth.
Amaryllis are one of the easiest bulbs to grow indoors and will bloom from October until February. If you decide you would like your amaryllis to be blooming during the Christmas holidays, pot them the last week of October through the middle of November. Amaryllis come from South Africa and the flowers vary from red to white, solid or striped. They require warmth and water. Pot your amaryllis bulb in a container six inches wide and eight to ten inches deep with a drainage hole. Put a layer of pebbles on the bottom of the pot, and fill it one-half full with moist potting mix. Place the bulb root side down with the pointed end up on top of the soil. The upper third of the bulb should be above the rim of the container. Add more potting mix between the bulb and container, then water thoroughly. Put the container in a warm location and keep the soil slightly moist. After the first growth appears, move the container to a sunny spot. Blooms will appear six to eight weeks after planting.
Bulbs such as paperwhite narcissus and Dutch hyacinth grow well in a container filled with water. For paperwhite narcissus, a low container without a drainage hole but deep enough for root growth can be used. A few pieces of garden charcoal may be placed on the bottom of the container before adding several inches of clean gravel. Gently set the narcissus bulbs on the gravel close together but not touching. The tip of the bulbs should be above the rim of the container. Add water to just below the bottom of the bulb, and maintain the level until the blooms are completed. To secure the bulbs, add more gravel until they are half buried. Place the container in a cool, dim location having good air circulation for about three weeks until the roots are well established. The shoots will be about four inches tall and very pale. The container should then be moved to a brighter location where the foliage will green up in a couple of days. Too much light will promote foliar growth, which robs the nutrients needed to produce a flower. Soon your container will be full of dainty white blooms.
Dutch hyacinths can be forced in special hyacinth bulb glasses. Remove the hyacinth's loose outer skin to reduce the incidence of molding. A piece of garden charcoal placed in the glass helps the water to remain sweet smelling and will absorb odors. The water level needs to be just below the base of the hyacinth bulb. Because it is not cold along the Upper Gulf Coast, the glasses should be put into the refrigerator during the rooting phase. Temperatures between 40º F and 50º F aid in root development and retard growth of the foliage. (In colder climates, the glasses may be covered with a paper sack and left in an suitably cold location). It may take as long as 8 weeks for the foliage to emerge from the bulb but be sure to maintain the water level. When growth is about 4 inches high, move the container out of the refrigerator into moderate light. As was the case with narcissus, too much light promotes growth of the leaves to the detriment of flower production.
Because they were planted in dirt, the amaryllis bulbs are not so severely depleted that they die. They may survive if planted outside in a flower bed, although it can take several years for good blooming to occur. However, the paperwhite narcissus and Dutch hyacinths will not grow if planted outside; they should be tossed into your mulch pile.