Friday, January 3, 2014

A Sneak Peak of Spring

Growing Bulbs indoors

Growing bulbs indoors lets you enjoy the colors and fragrance of spring when it's still months away.  The key to success with indoor bulbs is to plan ahead.

Many people don't realize there are two types of bulbs for indoor growing:  those you need to chill and those you don't.  Here's how to tell the difference.

Bulb That Don't Need Chilling

These bulbs are native to warm climates, so they don't require a cooling period to trigger blooms.  Amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus both belong in this category.
You can grow these bulbs in a pot filled with soil, or just place them in a shallow bowl and use pebbles to hold the bulbs in place.   Add water, and they'll usually bloom just four weeks after "planting."  To help keep stems short and sturdy, start them out with indirect light and temperatures of about 50 degrees F for the first two weeks, then warmer, brighter conditions after that.  If you're growing your bulbs in a bowl with pebbles or marbles, the water should cover no more than the bottom quarter to third of the bulb.
I will explain about the bulbs that need chilling in tomorrow's post.  Until then, let's think SPRING!

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