How can I force daffodil bulbs?

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I have some daffodils that I didn't get planted due to a cold and rainy fall. Can I force them indoors? How? I thought I could pot them and give them away to friends rather than just throwing them out. If I can't, is it ok to put them in a compost pile? Thanks for your help.

-- Kelcey Jacobs (cv_162@omalp1.omeresa.net), March 17, 2001

Answers

You can plant them indoors, but I doubt that you can get them to bloom when you wnat them to.

You can compost them, or you can plant them outside. They will most likely grow and straighten out thier own blooming cycle by next year.

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.come), March 17, 2001.


I agree with Ed - whether you plant them yourself or give them to friends to plant, I think as hardy as they are they will grow and do just fine. However, if you still want to try to force them, you can always hold a gun to their little heads. HA! Sorry, just couldn't resist!! Happy Springtime! Cynthia

-- Cynthia Speer (farmsteader@gvtel.com), March 17, 2001.

If you've stored the bulbs out somewhere cold enough over the winter, you can pot them up now and they will likely bloom. They require somewhere around 6 weeks of chilling I believe in order to form buds (assuming that they were big enough to be blooming this year anyway). If the bulbs still look fresh, rather than shrivelled up and dried to hard little knobs, you can still plant them either in pots or in the garden. Some plant catalogs are even selling cold-treated bulbs for spring planting now.

Plant them in pots with enough depth for the roots (about 5" from the underside of the bulb). You can use pebbles, sand, or potting soil for the roots to grow in (I prefer soil simply because I plan to put the bulbs outside later on, but some decorative pebbles on top make it look nice). The bulbs can be set into the pot and the soil filled in around (only need to leave an inch or so of space). You do not have to cover the 'nose' of the bulb, just around the base. Water the soil. Add only enough water to keep the bulb bases moist. Put the pots into a bright but cool, sunny windowsill. They should be up and growing in a couple of weeks.

If they're going to bloom this year, you can judge by the flower spikes starting. After they're done, plant them out in the garden at the regular depth and spacing. Do not remove foliage.

If they're little dried out things, or gone soft and starting to rot, then the compost heap is the place for them.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), March 17, 2001.


You can put them in the freezer for a week or two. Then when you bring them out and plant them they will think it's spring. Master Gardener Grant

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), March 17, 2001.

I planted mine in a planter, buried it in September and redug it up in end of Jan.... Had and still have lots of daffs, scilla, tulips starting now and grape hyacinths. worked well, buried the pot 1 foot down under pine needles and leaves. Good luck

-- Michele Rae Padgett (michelesmelodyfarm@Yahoo.com), March 18, 2001.


my question is how do I store my tulip bulbs if there taken out of the ground.This is my first time at planting these bulbs? or do I just leave them . I live in California.

-- beatrice engquist (beatriceengquis@ix.netcom.com), April 04, 2002.

Beatrice- I just leave our tulips in the ground and they overwinter fine, it gets well below zero here in the winter.

About the daffodils, I cannot see composting them, why not plant them? They might bloom this year yet, but even if they don't they'll bloom next year. Either way, they'll be ahead of never blooming at all.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 04, 2002.


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