Forcing Bulbs for Indoor Display

Now is the time of year to think about buying prepared bulbs for early flowering indoors. Specially treated bulbs are available in garden centres. These are best for winter forcing as they will have been well grown, lifted at the right time and thoroughly dried to prevent disease or premature rooting. They will also have been stored at a carefully controlled temperature to induce proper development of the flower buds inside the bulb for flowering at the desired time.
Plant your bulbs in a correctly balanced compost such as John Innes No.2 or use bulb fibre which is cleaner and easier to handle. Both these growing mediums can be used in glazed bowls with no drainage holes. Place a layer of damp compost or moistened fibre in the bowl. Set the bulbs as close as possible. Fill the spaces with compost or fibre. The noses of large bulbs such as hyacinth, daffodil or tulip can be left exposed but cover all other bulbs completely. The surface of the compost or fibre should be well below the rim of the bowl.
Put the bowl in a cool, dark place. Check every couple of weeks that the bowl has not dried out. Well dampened compost or fibre should not need more than an occasional watering, if any, during this stage. When the tips of the leaves are showing 1-2 inches high, move the bowl to a greenhouse, conservatory or windowsill of a cool room (about 10 degrees Celsius). When the leaves have grown to 4 inches high, the bowl can be moved to a warmer room (about 18 degrees Celsius).  Taller flowers such as hyacinth, daffodil or tulip may need support - place a cane in the pot and tie the stems with string.
My favourite bulb for growing indoors is the hyacinth which has a beautiful rich fragrance when it flowers. It is available in a range of colours but my favourite is the blue flowered variety. I always plant the bulbs out in the garden when they have finished flowering. Plant to a depth of about 6 inches. Bulbs grown in compost will usually flower again the following year, whereas those grown in fibre often take a year to recover.
Start growing your prepared hyacinth bulbs now and they should be flowering in the New Year.