HOW TO GROW BULBS INDOORS

  

1.Fill a pot three quarters full with good garden soil, mixed with some sand if possible for better drainage.  Plant the bulbs gently in the pots, close together then pack some soil around the bulbs leaving the tips visible.

2.Water them thoroughly, allowing time for the soil to absorb enough water so it is thoroughly soaked.

3.Now the pots need a period of cold storage for about 12-14 weeks, in a dark and cool place.  This period is of vital importance, because the bulbs need to develop good roots and sprouts.  You need to fool them and make believe that they go through winter.  Most ideal is to burry the pots in the garden.  Simply dig a trench, put the pots in and cover them with a 4-5 inch layer of sand or peat moss and Mother Nature will take care of them.

4.  The best time to pot the bulbs is the end of October or the first part of November.  The best time to take the pots into the house is the middle to the end of January.  Perhaps the ground is frozen by the middle of January but if you have a thick layer of mulch on top of the pots, you will probably be able to get them out anyway.

5.Chances are you do not have a garden or you will absolutely not be able to get into the ground in the middle of January.  Then we look for alternative places.  Ideal cold storage temperature is between 40 and 50°F.  A cellar, a basement or perhaps an old refrigerator are ideal alternatives, providing the temperature can be kept at the required level.  (Do not store fruits in the same place.  They set off ethylene gas which can kill the flower buds inside the bulbs).

6.The pots may need watering while in cold storage and should be checked from time to time.  Keep the soil damp at all times.

7.As soon as the bulbs have developed sprouts of about 2 inches long, the pots can be brought into the house.  Place preferably in a sunny window at regular room temperature.  The more light the better.  This will prevent them from stretching too tall.  In a matter of a few weeks you will have a beautiful indoor flower show.  We need to mention that Crocuses should be kept cooler than other bulbs after they are released from cold storage.  Too warm a temperature can dry up the flower buds in Crocuses so they may not bloom.

8.Be sure to water bulbs well, because they drink lots of water at warm room temperatures.  You may need to soak the pots about twice a week in a bucket of water and allow time for the pots to absorb enough water or keep a matching saucer filled with water under the pot.

After the buds unfold, flowers will last longer if you move the plant to a cooler place.

NARCISSI PAPERWHITES

Paperwhites can be grown without going through a cold storage period.  Simply fill the pot halfway with soil, wet the bulbs gently in the soil and pack more around the bulbs, leaving the tips visible.  

Water them thoroughly, allowing time for the soil to absorb enough water so it is thoroughly soaked.

Place anywhere in the house and watch them develop into bloom, preferable in a window sill where there is plenty of light; water regularly.  

(If you place your Paperwhites in a cooler, place for 3-4 weeks directly after planting, they will have a tendency to stay shorter).