Growing Bulbs in Containers

Remember last spring when you were walking along the sidewalk and saw all the beautiful daffodils and tulips and thought to yourself, "I love these flowers, why don't I grow them? Oh yeah, bulbs...way too complicated."

If you're afraid of bulbs because they seem like mysterious fat seeds that you have to remember to plant ahead of time. You're just being silly. Think how great it would be to wake up one spring morning and find happy spring flowers peaking through the snow on your balcony or back porch. Now, with that beautiful image in mind, be bold and get to know bulbs!

Yes, you're right...bulbs do take a little foresight. But it's not as complicated as it seems. Outside in the below ground garden, bulbs are planted in fall because they need a couple of weeks to get their roots in the ground, followed by a long cold time to rest so they'll be ready to go in spring. The cold period varies depending on the bulb - anywhere from 10 weeks for little ones to 20 weeks for bigger bulbs like tulips.

If you're planting bulbs in a container in fall, insulate the pot so it doesn't freeze solid during winter. Freezing and thawing can disturb the bulb, and cause it to rot if it stays too moist. Bulbs need to be dry when they are cold and resting, and moist when they are warm and growing. So start watering them regularly once the weather warms up, until their leaves begin to die.

The great thing about growing bulbs in containers is that you don't have to follow the rules about when to plant them. Planting bulbs out of their normal season is called "forcing." And although it sounds kind of mean, it's actually a useful way to have beautiful spring flowers at other times of the year.

The trick to forcing is giving the bulb the cold period it needs to trigger a bloom. The bulb doesn't know the difference between cold from being outdoors in the winter, and cold from being in the refrigerator. So if you want tulips in June, put a few bulbs in a pot with soil in January, and put it in dry, cold storage. After 20 weeks, bring it out, warm it up and water.

If forcing sounds to complicated for you, or you don't have adequate cold storage space, you can also purchase pre-chilled bulbs at nurseries that are ready for planting in spring. Even easier - just buy some tulips already in flower and just sit back and enjoy.

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