This time of year is a little sad for Bedford gardeners. You have cleaned up the beds, harvested the last of the cold-weather veggies, and cut back perennials. Now what? A great way to continue growing in Ohio is to force bulbs indoors. Start them early in November and you’ll have beautiful blooms for Christmas and through the New Year.

Choosing Flowers for Christmas

Amaryllis is the traditional choice for winter and holiday bulbs. They come in striking bright red and stark white, just right for Christmas décor. Also try Narcissus (paper whites) for a touch of winter white. You can also use any spring bulb to ease into winter. Hyacinth is the easiest type of spring flower to force indoors.

 Gather the Materials

Once you have bulbs to force, make sure you get everything else you need:

  • Containers. Glass bulb vases are easy to find at garden centers. They are designed to hold just one bulb to be forced. You can also use any pot or container you would use to grow a houseplant. Amaryllis prefers tight quarters. The container should be an inch (2.5 cm) or less wider than the bulb.
  • Gravel and soil. For vases, you won’t need these, but any other container should have drainage holes, a layer of gravel, and high -potting soil or compost.
  • Stakes. Amaryllis flowers get top heavy. Stakes help them stay upright.
  • Decorations. For the holiday season, use decorations to make your forced bulbs festive. Use cheerful ribbons or seasonal wrapping paper around the vase or pot. Cover the soil with sphagnum moss or materials from the garden, like pinecones and evergreen twigs.

Pot up the Bulb

Now you’re ready to get the bulb in the pot and ready to grow. Put the bulbs securely in the soil. There should be no air pockets underneath them. Bury the bulbs until just the tips emerge from the top of the soil. For a bulb vase, situate the bulb in the top, root side down. Add water to about three-quarters up the bulb.

Situate the bulbs in a dark place until roots start to grow. Move them to a warmer, sunnier spot to allow the shoot to grow. During the dark phase, keep the soil just barely moist. Water more once the shoots develop. Turn containers as they grow to keep the stalks growing straight. This is especially important with amaryllis.

Keep watering your bulbs as they grow and add stakes as needed to keep the stems and flowers erect. When watering amaryllis, avoid the bulb, which prefers to stay dry.

Forcing bulbs for the holidays is a great way to bring the garden indoors here in Bedford. You can still get your hands dirty and bring plants to life, even while the garden outside goes dormant.