At a time when the days are getting shorter and the nights are longer, when everything around is nondescript, boring and dull, I really want to speed up the arrival of spring, even for the residents of one separate apartment. What gives us the feeling of nature awakening and the hope that warm days are about to come? Of course, spring flowers. And if one can only dream about the arrival of spring in January, humanity has already learned to grow spring flowers in their homes in the middle of winter.
What flowers are planted for forcing?
Flowers are sold in stores all year round, but growing a spring flower on your own windowsill is an incomparable pleasure. Most often, bulbous plants with a short period from awakening to flowering are grown in the middle of winter. Such plants include small-flowered daffodils (cyclamenoid, calceum-loving, triandus, bulbocodium), hyacinths, some varieties of lilies and tulips (Kaufman, Greig tulips) and small-bulbous ones that bloom in open ground in early spring– crocuses, muscari, scylla, chionodoxa, pushkinia. The technology for forcing bulbs is not at all complicated, and if you learn its rules, you can decorate your home with spring flowers all winter. Forcing of bulbous plants is carried out according to the same rules for all representatives, however, each bulbous crop has its own terms and conditions for forcing, which we will now consider in more detail.
Forcing tulips on March 8
Tulip bulbs for forcing
Tulips are easy to force, and the most important condition for successfully growing these flowers in winter is well-organized artificial lighting. But first you need to determine which bulbs are suitable for forcing and which are not. To grow tulips at home in winter, you need extra bulbs with a diameter of 12/12+ (which means 40 mm or more in circumference), first or second parsing (from 30 to 40 mm in circumference) - the larger the bulb, the larger the flower. But size isn't everything. It is also important what the weight of the bulb is, since a heavier bulb is a sign that it already contains a flower bud. It happens that small bulbs are heavier than large ones, which are simply overfed with nitrogen. Bulbs weighing less than 25 g are not suitable for forcing.
When to plant tulips for forcing
According to the timing of flowering, forcing can be early (forcing tulips before the New Year and before Orthodox Christmas), medium (flowering lasts throughout January) and late (flowering from February to March, and sometimes until April). In order to grow tulips by a specific date, you need to know when to start forcing. Early forcing of tulip bulbs requires planting in late summer or early autumn, and forcing on March 8, like the middle forcing, requires planting the bulbs during October-November. The following tulip varieties are suitable for early forcing: Apricot Beauty, Brilliant Star, Dixis Favorite, Christmas Marvel, Lustige Battle. For the average: Scarborough, Confux, Apeldoorn and Oxford. For late forcing, dedicated to International Women's Day, the following varieties are suitable: Parade, Diplomat, Vivex, London, Kis Nelis and Eric Hofsier.
Forcing tulips at home
So, we found out that forcing tulips by March 8 requires planting the bulbs in late October or early November. Before planting, peel the covering scales from the bulbs to inspect them for disease damage and also to speed up their rooting. Treat the bulbs with a bright pink disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate.
The optimal substrate for forcing tulips is a mixture of one part river sand, one part compost or rotted manure and two parts garden soil with the addition of some wood ash. Fill the forcing container two-thirds full with this substrate and compact it slightly, then place the tulip bulbs on the surface at a distance of 1 cm from each other and lightly press their bottoms into the soil. Fill the containers to the top with the same substrate or clean sand and pour generously with a two percent solution of calcium nitrate. If the soil settles from the liquid and the tops of the bulbs are exposed, add more sand or substrate so that there is a small layer of soil above the bulbs - 1-2 cm, then place the container in a dark place with a temperature of 5-9 ºC at an air humidity of about 75%. Do not allow the substrate to dry out; water it daily if necessary. As soon as sprouts appear, the temperature should be reduced to 2 ºC. About three weeks before the target date, place the container in a dark room with a temperature of about 13 ºC, and four days later place the sprouted bulbs in a bright room with a temperature of 16-18 ºC. Now it's time to use additional lighting to increase daylight hours for growing tulips to the required 10 hours. If the day is shorter, the tulips will begin to stretch painfully. When the buds acquire the color characteristic of the variety, the temperature must be lowered by a couple of degrees - this will make flowering longer and brighter. Caring for blooming tulips involves regular watering of the plants and periodic feeding with calcium nitrate.
Forcing tulips in a greenhouse is practiced mainly to obtain large quantity flowers for sale.
Forcing hyacinths
Forcing hyacinths by March 8
If you are the lucky owner of hyacinth bulbs, store them in a dry, dark place at a temperature of 17-18 ºC until planting. Keep in mind that forcing on March 8 takes from three to four months, and you need to prepare for this sacrament in the summer: in June or July, hyacinth bulbs are dug up after the leaves have completely dried. For forcing, you need dense, intact bulbs with a diameter of at least 5 cm. If you don’t have these, it won’t be too late to buy them in September at a flower shop. In order for hyacinth to bloom in early March, it must be planted in early November. Two weeks before planting, the bulbs are disinfected for half an hour in a medium-strength solution of potassium permanganate or in Fitosporin. Then the bulbs are placed on a tray with their bottoms down, water is poured to a height of 2 cm, the root former is diluted in it and the tray with the solution and bulbs is removed into the vegetable section of the refrigerator - within two weeks in a cold environment, the roots of the bulbs begin to grow.
Forcing hyacinths at home
Choose a pot that is at least 15cm high and the width of the pot depends on how many bulbs you are going to put in it. Place a drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles, shards or sand on the bottom, then add a layer of a fertile mixture of peat, leaf soil and river sand in equal proportions. Place the hyacinth bulbs in the pot at a distance of 2.5 cm from each other and add so much more soil so that, after compacting it, the hyacinth bulbs protrude from it by a third. Moisten the soil through a tray, cover the pot with black paper or film and keep it in a room with a temperature of about 10-12 ºC. After sprouts appear, replace the leaf with a dark paper cap. When the peduncle reaches a height of 3-4 cm, the cap can be removed and the pot moved to a bright place with a temperature a couple of degrees higher.
The optimal temperature for flower development is 16-18 ºC, but keep it away from heating devices, direct sunlight and drafts. All this time, make sure that the soil in the pot does not dry out. Watering is best done as before - in a tray, adding a little Epin, Kornevin or Heteroauxin to fresh water. It would be nice to add a little snow to the pot. If there is not enough light in the room, provide additional lighting for the hyacinths.
You can grow hyacinth even more in a simple way, which is grown in the spring on windowsills green onions. Find a transparent narrow vessel, pour water into it, dissolve the tablet in it activated carbon To prevent the water from spoiling, place a circle of cardboard with the middle cut out on top of the neck: the point is that the hyacinth bulb does not touch the water; only the regrown roots of the bulb should be in the water. We place this structure in the refrigerator in November and wait for the sprout to appear, adding water to the vessel from time to time. When the sprout reaches 5 cm, place the vessel on a cool windowsill and continue growing under the conditions described above.
Forcing crocuses
Forcing crocuses by March 8
Forcing bulbs at home involves the use of large planting material, which already contains a flower bud. As for crocuses specifically, you need to choose for forcing large-flowered varieties plants because botanical varieties will look too frail. They have proven themselves best in this capacity Dutch hybrids spring bloom: Joan of Arc, Striped Beauty, Grand Lila, Pickwick, etc. To create beautiful bouquet Several bulbs of the same size are planted in one container. If you have your own crocuses growing in your garden, dig them up before the beginning of September. Both crocuses from the garden and store-bought crocus bulbs have small sprouts at this time of year, but this does not mean that they are ready for forcing. Forcing crocuses by March 8 begins with preparing the bulbs: before planting, keep them in the refrigerator or on a cool loggia, placing them in a paper bag. Depending on which variety you grow, planting occurs from mid-October to mid-November.
Forcing crocuses at home
For forcing crocuses, wide pots or bowls are suitable, in which you can plant 5-10 bulbs. A layer of expanded clay is placed on the bottom of the bowl, then a layer of substrate is poured, consisting of part turf and part leaf soil with the addition of half a part of peat and sand. Crocus bulbs are placed in a pot with the bottoms down so that they do not come into contact with the walls of the pot or with each other, the container is completely covered with sand, watered abundantly and kept at a temperature of 5-9 ºC. From the moment the bulbs are planted in the cold until the start of forcing, at least three months usually pass. Forcing flowers is carried out if several signs are present:
- the height of the sprouts must be at least 5 cm, and this applies to the weakest of the seedlings;
- the readiness of seedlings for forcing is determined by their density - the seedlings should not seem empty to the touch;
- The roots should be peeking out of the drainage holes of the pot.
If these signs are present, you can move the bowl from the basement to a bright room with a temperature of about 15 ºC, but not higher, because the crocuses will quickly fade. As soon as the sprouts see the light, the crocus will begin to develop by leaps and bounds. To prevent flowering from happening too quickly, place the flower pot overnight in an unheated room with a temperature close to 0 ºC. If you follow this ritual, your crocus will bloom for about three weeks.
Forcing daffodils
How to plant daffodils for forcing
Narcissus bulbs can be ready to bloom within two months. Planting material, if you do not grow daffodils in your garden, can be purchased at flower shops on the eve of planting - large bulbs specially prepared for forcing. In addition to the species already mentioned, the most suitable for growing at home are taceta daffodils - Geranium White, Lawrence Coster, Scarlett Jam. Bulbs for forcing must be single-vertexed, healthy, weigh more than 60 g and have at least 4 cm in diameter. Before the forcing process begins, the bulbs are stored at a temperature of 17 ºC. Before planting, they are kept for about half an hour in a medium-strength potassium permanganate solution. You can do the same with daffodil bulbs as with hyacinth bulbs: before planting in the ground, place them in a tray with a root-forming solution and keep them in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator so that the bulbs have roots, or you can immediately plant them in a pot with a substrate.
Forcing daffodils at home
Forcing for the New Year or March 8th differs only in the timing of planting the bulbs, but the principle and procedure remain unchanged. The container for growing daffodils must be at least 10 cm high and have drainage holes. Place a drainage layer in the pot. You can use garden soil with sawdust, sand or neutral peat as soil. The bulbs are placed tightly in the pot, only their lower part is immersed in the substrate - about one third. Forcing in greenhouses is an activity for professionals, but experienced amateurs advise placing a container with daffodil bulbs in plastic bag and, without tying it tightly, keep it at a temperature of 5-9 ºC and at high humidity air 3-3.5 months. During this time, you should regularly inspect the planting, watering the bulbs at least twice a week.
After the seedlings grow to 10 cm in height, the container is transferred to a room with a temperature of about 17 ºC and air humidity of about 50%, and when the flowers appear, you can extend their flowering period by placing the pot in cooler conditions - about 11-12 ºC. By lowering or raising the temperature, you can regulate the duration of flowering of any bulbous plants.
Forcing lilies
When to plant lilies for forcing
Suitable for forcing at home low-growing varieties golden lilies, long-flowered lilies, Japanese lilies, tiger lilies, Taiwan lilies, Philippine lilies, snow lilies, lilies, lilies, etc. As in the case of other bulbous plants, the planting material must be impeccable: large, dense, healthy bulbs, treated before planting for half an hour with a solution of medium-strength potassium permanganate. Another condition is age - the bulbs should not be younger than three years. On average, the time period from planting a bulb in the ground to the start of flowering lasts 3-4 months, or more precisely, for Asian hybrids it is 55-70 days, for oriental and tubular lilies 3-4.5 months, for long-flowered lilies - 6-8 months from the moment the sprouts appear, and the flowering of the tiger lily begins after the emergence of shoots in just 1.5-2.5 months. For early forcing, the bulbs are planted in the ground in October-November, for late forcing - in February or March.
Forcing lilies at home
The container for lilies should be deep and wide - at least 15 cm in diameter. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the pot, then a few centimeters of substrate consisting of equal parts of turf, humus, leaf soil and sand, a bulb is placed on the substrate layer, which is covered with the same substrate, immersing it to a depth of 5 cm. After planting, the bulb is watered, lay a layer of wet sphagnum on the surface of the substrate and place the pot in a bright place with a temperature range of 8-10 ºC - a window sill in unheated room. Planting care involves periodically moistening the soil. From the moment the sprout appears, the temperature is gradually increased, eventually bringing it to 20-25 ºC. Lighting should also be maximum, but without direct sunlight. Watering gradually becomes more frequent and then more abundant; developed leaves need to be sprayed. The water temperature for watering and spraying lilies should be no lower than room temperature. After the leaves appear, the lily needs to be fed alternately with mineral and organic fertilizers weak consistency. When flowering comes to an end, spraying the leaves and fertilizing is stopped, and watering is gradually reduced until it stops completely.
Forcing small-bulbous flowers at home
All early spring small-bulbous plants - muscari, scillas, chionodoxes, snowdrops, pushkinias, iridodictiums, hazel grouse, etc.) can easily be forced at home. Forcing flowers is carried out according to the principle common to all bulbous plants: planting the bulbs in September-November, storing them in cool conditions, moving them to warmth in January or February, when white sprouts appear, and earthen lump will be completely entwined with roots. After installation in warm room The plants are kept in the shade for several days until the sprouts turn green, then the lighting should be maximum, but the plants should not be exposed to sunlight. Whatever soil you plant the bulbs in, pour a 2 cm thick layer of sand on top of it. Since most bulbous plants have approximately the same forcing time, you can plant the bulbs in one container different colors and get a colorful spring bouquet as a result. A wonderful composition would be daffodils and tulips grown in the same pot, or yellow tulips and muscari, or yellow crocuses and red tulips, or daffodils and hyacinths. This bouquet will decorate any home and will be an exquisite gift for anyone who knows how to appreciate beauty.
After home-grown bulbs have finished flowering, keep them in a cool room until it is time to plant the bulbs outdoors.
Forcing tulips is a series of technological techniques that “force” a tulip to bloom during an unnatural period, for example, by February 14 or March 8.
An important and initial step is the need to choose the right varieties of tulips, since each variety has its own individual characteristics: flowering period and cooling period. Therefore, not all varieties are suitable for forcing.
Next, you need to decide on the forcing technology. Based on our own experience, we recommend using 9-degree forcing technology. This forcing has significant advantages over the 5-degree technology, where even a deviation in temperature of 0.5 degrees can lead to the death of the crop. Another important advantage is the quality of the cut: with 9-degree forcing, the tulip turns out to be much larger, taller and brighter.
It is important to find a good and responsible supplier with high-quality planting material. To transport tulip bulbs from Holland, trucks with refrigeration chambers and a ventilation system must be used. The temperature during transportation should be 18-20 °C. Failure to comply with these measures, as well as further improper storage (in a warm, unventilated area) will further negatively affect the quality of distillation.
Bulbs should begin to be planted in boxes in the first half of October, and in the ground after October 25. The soil should be loose and have good drainage. Good rooting is one of important conditions. The most best temperature environment(air and soil) for planting and rooting +9 degrees. The rooting process lasts about 3 weeks.
The bulb from Holland comes fully prepared for planting. You don’t need to add anything additional to the soil.
After planting, the boxes with the bulb are taken to a cool, damp place, preferably in the basement. The room in which the bulb is stored until heating season, must be well ventilated. Temperature for rooting +9 degrees.
You need to bring the boxes into the greenhouse from approximately January 20 (depending on the tulip variety and the desired flowering date). The temperature of the first week of the heating season should gradually increase from 10 to 17 degrees. It is advisable to pour calcium nitrate 2-3 times in the first half of forcing to strengthen the stem (1 tablespoon per bucket of water).
The remaining time before flowering, the temperature in the greenhouse should be stable at 17 degrees. It is important that the greenhouse is well ventilated throughout the entire forcing period. Sudden changes in humidity in the greenhouse are not allowed. The humidity norm is 70-85%. High humidity can lead to a number of diseases: drooping of the stem (topping), gray rot, defects in tulip foliage.
It is necessary to water tulips as the soil dries out.
After cutting, it is necessary to remove the greenhouse from the remaining planting material and disinfect the soil for further planting.
An important point is the correct storage of the tulip after cutting. Flowers should be wrapped in clean dry paper, 15-20 pieces each, and sent to storage for dry storage. Immediately before using tulips for their intended purpose, they must be infused cold water few hours.
Important!
As the temperature in the greenhouse increases, the process of tulip growth and flowering accelerates.
Reducing the temperature in the greenhouse by 2 degrees slows down the flowering process of tulips by 7-10 days. Thus, by adjusting the temperature in the greenhouse, you can adjust the blooming period of the tulips yourself.
- Deviations from temperature are unacceptable at all stages of distillation and transportation. Any significant changes in temperature will affect the final quality of the product.
- The process of air circulation in the greenhouse is mandatory.
- Dependence of growth on temperature:
Lilies of the valley and hyacinths blooming on December 31 or tulips and crocuses blooming by March 8 are not a fairy tale, but the most real reality. A similar miracle can be obtained if you resort to forcing plants - in a simple way obtaining flowering crops at the wrong time. To do this, flowers or shrubs need to create conditions close to spring in order to speed up vegetative processes.
Forcing flowers at home: terms and rules
When there is a blizzard outside and the temperature is minus twenty, I really want to speed up the arrival of spring. But this is quite within the capabilities of any gardener, even in an ordinary city apartment. We are talking about forcing. Transformation of an onion into beautiful flower every time it is perceived as a miracle, as a challenge to nature. In those days when natural plants are still very far away, fragrant hyacinths or exquisite daffodils, bright tulips, delicate crocuses or original bulbous irises.
Modern methods of forcing bulbous plants make it possible to obtain blooming crops, starting in December. Lilacs lend themselves well to forcing from shrubs; you can even make branches bloom in nutrient solution. Lilies of the valley are also often grown in winter.
According to the timing, forcing is divided into:
- very early (end of December - January 1);
- early (January);
- middle (February - March 8);
- late (end of March);
- very late (after April 1).
Beginners can be advised to do middle and late forcing at home - it is much easier and will allow you to acquire certain skills.
When forcing bulbous crops, you must follow three basic rules:
- Digging of bulbs from open ground is carried out earlier than usual, before the leaves turn yellow and dry out.
- First, the bulbs are kept at elevated temperatures.
- All bulbs then require a cooling period.
If forcing flowers at home is carried out by March 8 or more late dates, then the fulfillment of the first two conditions is not necessary.
IN major cities Now you can buy imported bulbs (usually from Holland), which are specially prepared for more early flowering, - the packaging is marked “For distillation”. They are more expensive than regular ones, and they need to be planted as soon as possible after purchase.
Technology for forcing plants at home
If you are planning to prepare the bulbs for forcing yourself, this must be done in advance. Large, dense bulbs with a small even bottom, intended for forcing on next year, planted in a separate bed. In tulips and daffodils, after coloring the buds, decapitation is carried out, that is, the heads are cut off; Hyacinth inflorescences are sniffed after the first flower opens. This creates favorable conditions for bulb development.
In order for all the rules of forcing technology to be strictly followed, after digging, the largest, healthiest bulbs are selected.
From daffodils, it is better to take one or two-vertex bulbs with a diameter of at least 4.5 cm, which produce 1-2 peduncles. Three-peaked plants can throw out a third peduncle, but the flower will be smaller and bloom later. It must be remembered that size is not always the criterion for the readiness of bulbs for forcing. Some varieties of daffodils (for example, small-crowned) and tulips (Triumph) have small bulbs.
However crucial in preparing bulbous flowers for forcing has temperature regime. When bulbs are dug up ahead of schedule, they do not have time to complete the processes of forming a flower primordium. Therefore, they must be exposed to elevated temperatures. The bulbs are kept for 7 days at 34 °C in a thermostat, a converted incubator, or a germination cabinet. Then the bulbs are stored at a temperature approximately corresponding to the natural one at this time of year: until August at 23-25 °C, in August at 20 °C, from September until planting - at 16-17 °C.
To force bulbous plants at home, the bulbs are usually planted in the first half of October in a neutral, moisture-intensive, breathable substrate - a light garden soil, sand, peat, perlite or a mixture of these components. There is also a method of forcing using hydroponics. Hyacinths can bloom in ordinary water, but if you want to save the bulbs for later use in landscaping, you need to plant them in pots with fertilized water. earth mixture. Bulbs planted in the substrate must be cooled at a temperature of 8-9 °C. For daffodils and tulips the cooling period is 16-22 weeks, for hyacinths it is shorter - 10-16 weeks. During this period of artificially simulated winter, the growth hormone gibberellin is synthesized and accumulated in the bulbs, rooting occurs and the growth of the peduncle and leaves begins.
Before forcing, you need to prepare pots or other containers. In pots with a diameter of 9 cm, one large onion is placed, 13 cm - 3 onions, 16 cm in diameter - 5. The largest ones are planted almost closely, and gaps of up to 1 cm are left between the smaller ones.
They also use standard plastic boxes (60 x 40 x 18 cm) with support legs, where you can place 50-60 large hyacinth bulbs, 60-80 daffodil bulbs or 80 tulips. Plant the bulbs closely, but in such a way that they do not touch each other or the walls of the container. Then water abundantly: after watering, the tops of the bulbs should peek out from the substrate. Tulips are watered with a 0.2% solution of calcium nitrate, since their bulbs are poor in calcium. This feeding prevents the formation of blind buds and drooping of future flowers.
Then the boxes are installed in a dark, cold room with an air temperature of 8-9 ° C and a relative humidity of more than 95%. Pots can be stored in the lower compartment household refrigerator, closing plastic film for supporting high level humidity. The substrate is watered weekly. During rooting, humidity is increased to almost 100%, ventilation is reduced. After rooting, air humidity is reduced to 70% with constant ventilation, avoiding drafts. Boxes or pots can be buried in the garden; when cold weather sets in, they are covered with leaves and foam rubber so that the temperature in the area where the bulbs are located does not fall below 0 °C. If the flowers are “in a hurry” or “late” to the scheduled date, correction is carried out by increasing or decreasing the temperature.
To determine the time when it is necessary to start cooling the bulbs (for example, daffodils), add another 2.5 weeks to 16-18 weeks for the development of peduncles and leaves in the light and the resulting result (18-20.5 weeks) is counted from the desired flowering date. For example, for forcing by March 8, cooling must begin in the first ten days of October. In hyacinths, the development of flower stalks takes up to two weeks, in tulips - up to three or four. If you want to get a cut at the end of March - beginning of April, you need to start planting and cooling in the middle - end of October and keep the daffodils at 5-8 ° C. At this temperature, the peduncles and leaves will still continue to grow, and by the time of planting, that is, transferring the planted bulbs to a bright, warm room, they can stretch up to 20 cm, which will lead to their lodging. To avoid this, in mid-December the temperature is reduced to 2 °C for March forcing and to 0.5 °C for later forcing.
Photos “Forcing bulbous plants at home” will help you better understand the technology of the process:
Flower forcing schemes for March 8 and New Year
Forcing using nine-degree technology by February 23 - March 8 is carried out according to the following scheme:
- The bulbs are dug up at the usual time.
- From July 15 to October 1, the bulbs are stored in storage at a temperature of 17-20 °C.
- Planting in the substrate in batches from October 1 to October 10.
- Store in the refrigerator at 9 °C until December 1, then at a temperature of 2-3 °C.
- After January 25, they are transferred to a greenhouse where the temperature is maintained at 16-18 °C.
- Flowering occurs 3.5-4 weeks after planting.
Forcing for the New Year using five-degree technology is carried out according to the following scheme:
- The bulbs are dug up no later than June 20, before the leaves dry out.
- Dry for 1 day.
- Warm up for 1 week at a temperature of 34 ° C, air humidity 70%.
- Then it is kept for 2-3 weeks at a temperature of 20 °C.
- The bulbs are placed in the refrigerator, where they are kept at a temperature of 5 ° C and air humidity of 70%.
- Planted in the substrate on October 25 and installed in a bright room.
- For the first 2 weeks, the soil temperature is maintained at 10-11 °C, air temperature at 11-13 °C, then at 16 and 16-18 °C, respectively.
- Tulips bloom in 6-8 weeks.
Forcing flowers by March 8 using five-degree technology is carried out according to the following scheme:
- From mid-July to mid-October, the bulbs are stored in storage at a temperature of 20 °C.
- Refrigerate at 5°C for 12 weeks.
- Planting in the substrate on January 10-20.
- The first two weeks maintain soil temperatures of 10-11 °C, air temperatures of 11-13 °C, then 16 and 16-18 °C, respectively.
- Flowering occurs in 6-8 weeks.
Very often, flower growers make the mistake of trying to speed up flowering by increasing the temperature at the last stage of forcing. The air temperature in the greenhouse in December, January and February should not be higher than 18 °C, and the soil temperature - 16 °C. At higher temperatures, many cutting qualities deteriorate, blind buds appear, flowers overturn, plants are damaged by fusarium and ethylene toxicosis. Larger flowers are formed at 15 °C, but the growing season is extended by an average of 5 days.
How to force hyacinth bulbs for the New Year at home (with video)
Hyacinths obtained by forcing are superior in decorativeness even to open ground plants: they have a large, dense inflorescence with a much larger (sometimes 2 times) number of flowers and a higher peduncle.
How to force hyacinths for the New Year and Christmas? Not all varieties are suitable for early forcing, but only those that require a short cooling period. The bulbs are dug out of the ground a week earlier than usual. To force hyacinths for the New Year and Christmas, bulbs weighing 60-80 g, with a diameter of at least 4 cm are selected, dried and stored for 2 weeks at 30 ° C. For the next 3 weeks, maintain the temperature at 25 °C. Then the bulbs are stored for a month at 22-23 °C and then until planting at a temperature of 16-17 °C. Hyacinth bulbs are planted for forcing into the substrate from October 1 to October 5. Containers with bulbs are transferred to the basement, where the temperature is maintained at 8-9 ° C and relative humidity air more than 95%. Small pots can be placed at the bottom of the refrigerator, wrapped in a plastic bag. The optimal cooling time is 10-14 weeks. The suspension of forcing hyacinths at home is carried out 14-20 days before the scheduled flowering date. The room temperature should be 23-25 °C. For the first 3-4 days, hyacinths are shaded with black film or paper so that the flower stalks stretch out. When the flowers begin to open, the temperature is reduced to 16-18 ° C, which will prolong flowering. Water daily in the morning. Cut after all the flowers in the inflorescence have opened.
Preparing hyacinths for flowering in late February - early March. Bulbs are dug out of the ground at the usual time. Until September 1, store at a temperature of 20-25 °C, then maintain 17 °C for a month. Plant no later than October 5th. Until December 15, cooling is carried out at 8-9 ° C. Then, to slow down the growing season, the temperature is reduced to 1-2 °C. Plants are brought into the light 3-4 weeks before the planned flowering date.
Suitable varieties for November forcing are “Anna-Marie” - pink, “Bismarck” - light purple, “General Köhler” - blue (double), “La Victoire” - pink-red, “Ostara” - blue, “ Rosalia" - pink, "Tubergen Scarlet" - red.
For flowering in December-January, it is better to use “Blue Magic” - blue, “Violet Pearl” - lilac, “Delft Blue” - blue, “Innosance” - , “Lord Bal-four” - dark lilac, “Marconi” - pink , “Pink Pearl” - pink, “Eros” - pink, “Jan Bos” - red.
For February forcing, they recommend “Amethyst” - lilac, “Amsterdam” - pink-red, “Ben Nevis” - white (terry), “Blue Jacket” - blue, “Trootvorst” - light lilac (terry), “Gypsy Queen” - orange, "Yellow Hammer" - yellow, "Carnegie" - white, "Lady Derby" - pink, "Menelik" - black and purple, "Pearl Diamond" - blue.
Almost all varieties are suitable for late forcing, but the following are more often used: Indigo King - black and blue, "King Codro" - blue (double), "Sunflower" - pale cream (double), "City of Harlem" -, "Hollyhock" " - raspberry (terry), "Horkey" - cream (terry), "Chesnut Flower" - pink (terry), "Cyclops" - red.
When forcing hyacinths, like other bulbous plants, problems may arise:
- Yellow leaves. Most often, drafts lead to yellowing of leaves; insufficient lighting or improper lighting can also contribute to this.
- The buds do not open. If watered irregularly, the buds may dry out without opening. In addition, the buds may not open when water gets on them due to careless watering.
- Uneven flowering. The main reason for this is planting bulbs of different sizes in the same pot.
- Long flaccid leaves. This defect appears when a pot of plants is kept in the dark for too long. Another reason may be insufficient lighting during flowering.
- Slow growth. Pots with plants were moved too early to a bright room, without waiting for the sprouts to reach a height of 3-5 cm. Another reason may be insufficient watering of the plants during forcing.
- Lack of flowering. Plants will not bloom if the bulbs used for forcing are too small or the cooling period is not maintained.
- Flower rotting. This is caused by waterlogging of the substrate. It is necessary to plant the bulbs in pots with drainage holes. Excess water when watering is drained by slightly tilting the pot.
Watch the video “Forcing hyacinths” to avoid all of the above problems:
Forcing daffodils in winter at home
The simplest scheme for forcing daffodils in winter is by March 8th. The bulbs are dug up at the usual time, the largest ones are selected, weighing 80-90 g, preferably double-topped. Before planting, store in the shade at normal air temperatures, but not more than 25 ° C. At the beginning of October, the bulbs are planted in standard boxes in fertile soil. Keep in an unheated room at a temperature of 5-9 °C. They are transferred to light in February and kept for the first 3-5 days at a temperature of 10-13 °C, then at 16 °C. Flowering occurs in 25-30 days.
The choice of varieties for forcing daffodils at home is limited only for early dates. Typically used are Barrett Browning, Flower Record, and Golden Harwist.
For later forcing, you can take any daffodils, except for the most late-flowering ones; “Ice Follies” and “Mount Hood” are traditionally used. For potted culture, low or even miniature varieties like “Tete-a-Tete” are better suited.
Technology on how to force tulips by March 8 (with video)
And now about how to force tulips by March 8 according to the five-degree scheme. To obtain cuttings for Women's Day, bulbs weighing at least 25 g are suitable, and for forcing for the New Year, bulbs must be larger, weighing at least 30-35 g.
As you can see in the photo of forcing tulips, the fuller the bulbs, the larger and best quality there will be flowers:
IN last years The five-degree forcing method has become widespread, in which the bulbs are cooled before planting in the substrate. They are kept in the refrigerator at 5 °C in gauze bags. The optimal cooling time for bulbs for forcing tulips at home is 12 weeks for the Darwin hybrid class and 9-10 weeks for varieties of other classes.
According to the technology of forcing tulips, 6-7 weeks before the expected flowering date, cooled bulbs are planted in a substrate and exposed to light, the air temperature is maintained at 16-18 ° C. Thus, the process of active root growth coincides with the growth of leaves and peduncle. In this way, five-degree forcing differs from nine-degree forcing, when the bulbs take root during the cooling period.
After forcing, tulip bulbs are usually destroyed. However, rare varieties can be grown in open ground; their restoration takes 1-2 seasons.
Now watch the video “Forcing tulips by March 8” and try to get flowering plants for Women's Day on your own:
The best varieties of tulips for forcing at home
The best varieties of tulips for forcing at home are:
From Darwin's hybrids- varieties “Oxford Elite”, “Eric Hofsue”, “Forgotten Dreams”, “Scarborough”, “Ad Rem”, “Vivex”, “Königin Wilhelmina” (red different shades with yellow or orange border), “Ivory Floradale” (cream white), “Gordon Cooper” (pink).
From the Triumph class- varieties “Alberio” (red with a white border), “Kis Nelis” (dark red with an orange border), “Blizzard” (pure white).
For beginners, we can recommend the varieties of Darwin hybrids: “Diplomat” (dark red with a strong waxy coating) and “Oxford”, or rather its clone (flowers of an elongated shape, orange-red, with a slightly greenish bottom). They are quite decorative, easier to force than others, and the bulbs are relatively cheap.
For forcing in pots, simple early varieties are usually used, for example, “Christmas Marvel”.
But it is better to give preference to short hybrids of “Foster” and “Greig” tulips with bright and large flowers: “Toronto” (pink), “Dano” (white-pink), “Grand Prix” (red with a yellow border), “ Princesses", "Grand Prestige", "Princesses Charmant" (red, the latter with a strong pleasant smell).
The clone of the Excellent tulip “Fusi” (orange, multi-flowered) is also good for these purposes.
The range of varieties for five-degree technology is somewhat smaller than for nine-degree technology, but still quite wide.
The most commonly used Darwin hybrids with red coloring are “Oxford”, “Parade”, “London”.
Much more spectacular are flowers with a yellow, orange or white border along the edges of the petals: “Forgotten Dreams”, “Eric Hofsue”, “Gordon Cooper”.
The pure pink “Pink Impression” is very good.
Lower-growing Triumph class tulips are also used: “Kis Nelis”, “Lustige Vitve”, “Apricot Beauty”.
Planting crocuses and bulbous irises for forcing at home
Crocuses and bulbous irises are used much less frequently for forcing, but you cannot deny yourself the pleasure of receiving touching buds of delicate flowers in the middle of winter.
Of the irises for forcing at home, the most commonly used species are reticulate and Denford.
The bulbs are dug up in early June, the largest ones are selected, stored at 20 ° C until mid-August and then at 9 ° C until planting. They are planted in the substrate in early October so that the distance between the bulbs is 1 cm, sprinkled with a 1 cm layer of soil on top. When forcing bulbous irises, boxes or pots with planted bulbs are kept for 14-16 weeks at a temperature of 9 ° C. Then they are transferred to a bright room, where the temperature is maintained at 16 - 18 °C. Plants bloom in 2 weeks, flowering lasts 7-9 days. Watering is moderate.
All types and their numerous hybrids are suitable for forcing crocuses at home, blooming in spring: spring crocus, golden-flowered crocus, beautiful crocus.
Among the varietal crocuses most often used for forcing are Flower Record, Purple Sensation, Pickwick, Grand Yellow, Joan of Arc, and Remembrance.
For forcing in February-March, large bulbs after harvesting are stored at a temperature of 20 ° C until September, then at 17 ° C until planting. Planting of crocuses for forcing into the substrate is carried out from early October to mid-November, depending on the period of forcing. The bulbs are lightly pressed into the ground almost close to each other. Can be distilled in glass flasks with water. Cooling period: 5 weeks at 9°C, then 10 weeks at 5°C. If it is necessary to delay flowering, the temperature is temporarily reduced to 1-2 °C. Next, the containers with rooted and sprouted bulbs are transferred to a bright room and kept at a temperature of 15-17 ° C 2-3 weeks before the expected flowering date. For the first time after transferring them to the light, it is advisable to cover the plants with paper caps so that the flower stalks stretch out a little.
Technology for forcing lilies of the valley at home
Another spring flower can please us in the cold season - lily of the valley. Garden forms May lily of the valley can be successfully forced. In autumn, flower and vegetative buds are clearly visible on the rhizomes. The first ones are larger, blunt-ended and directed vertically upward. To force lilies of the valley, cut pieces of rhizomes with flower buds and roots are taken. Harvesting of sprouts is carried out after the above-ground part of the plant dies off - from late September to mid-October. They are placed in bunches in a box and covered with damp moss or covered with sawdust to protect them from drying out. The boxes are buried in the garden. With the onset of frost (-5-6 °C) they are kept in the open air for another week. Then, around the first half of November, they are transferred to the basement.
It will take 25-30 days to get flowering plants for the New Year. Before forcing lilies of the valley at home, the rhizomes are kept for 10 hours in warm water(30-35 °C), avoiding a drop in temperature.
Then they are placed in small containers filled with damp moss or leafy soil, shaded with black paper and installed in a room at 25-30 ° C (next to the radiators or directly on them). The substrate is kept moist, the plants are sprayed every day warm water. When the peduncle reaches a height of 8-10 cm and buds are formed, the paper is removed and the containers are transferred to the windowsill, where the air temperature should be 12-15 °C. Blooming lilies of the valley You can decorate a holiday table, but at night they should be moved closer to the window, otherwise they will quickly fade.
Shrub forcing technology
Shrubs can be forced quite successfully. And it is not at all necessary to dig up a whole bush; cut branches are quite enough. Suitable for this method early varieties lilac. In winter, powerful, preferably central, shoots weighing at least 200 g are cut off. They are immediately brought into the room and immersed entirely in a bath of cold water for 12 hours. Then the ends of the branches are cut under water and placed in a special solution in the light.
For forcing shrub plants For 10 liters of soft (snow, rain or twice boiled) water take:
- 8 g of potassium alum;
- 4 g potassium chloride;
- 3 g sodium chloride;
- 300 g sugar.
The solution is changed once a week. The room temperature should first be 20 °C, then 15 °C. The branches must be sprayed with water, and it is advisable to spray them with sugar syrup for the first week. Flowering occurs in 22-27 days.
For the New Year, simple white varieties of lilacs work best, since purple varieties turn out pale due to lack of light. Terry lilac blooms 3-4 days later and in general it is more suitable for late forcing.
This method can be used to drive out branches and other shrubs and. At the same time, forsythia blooms after 10-12 days, chestnut - 30, wild apple and pear trees - 21, bird cherry - after 15-16 days.
When, according to the calendar, spring has already arrived, and the frost is still raging outside the windows and snow is blowing, the sight of blooming spring flowers brings special joy. That is why forcing tulips at home, like other bulbous and corm crops, causes big interest from flower growers.
Choosing varieties of tulips and optimal timing for forcing
If desired, in own apartment you can grow low-growing tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, small-flowered daffodils, hazel grouse, muscari, scylla and galanthus, creating a beautiful miniature garden at home at any time of the year. All these plants belong to the category of forcing plants, which, subject to certain rules and proper care, you can make them bloom whenever you want.
Let's look at how tulips are forced:
- what varieties and varieties of tulips are considered most suitable for forcing;
- when should you start growing plants?
- what to consider when planting bulbs;
- in what conditions should the bulbs be kept during the dormant period?
- what needs to be done so that the tulips begin to grow and bloom at the right time.
Video about how to make tulips bloom at any time of the year
When considering the possibility of forcing tulips at home, you already know approximately by what time you would like to receive blooming buds. In floriculture, it is customary to conditionally delimit the timing of forcing tulips and, in addition, select certain varieties for each period. This way you are more likely to get the results you want.
Early forcing
Just falls on new year holidays(at the end of December - the first ten days of January). The best varieties tulips for forcing this holiday season: Apricot Beauty, Lustige Battle, Dixis Favorite, Miles Bridge, Christmas Marvel, Diamond Star. Varieties for early forcing should be selected that have a cooling period of at least sixteen weeks.
Mid-early forcing
Held from mid-January to early February. Varieties such as Apeldoorn, Confux, Oxford, and Scarborough are ideal for this period.
Average forcing
For International Women's Day (from the end of February to mid-March), tulips of the Parade, London, Eric Hofsier, Diplomat, Kis Nelis, and Vivex varieties are usually grown.
Late forcing
In the spring, when it’s not yet outside suitable conditions for tulips, and you already want to admire the flowers, at home you can start forcing the varieties Aristocrat, Temple of Beauty, Triumph, Negrita, Hibernia and Fringe Elegance. Late forcing is carried out from the end of March until the May holidays.
Preparing bulbs for subsequent forcing
Having determined the varieties of tulips that will be used for forcing, you need to take care of the proper preparation of the bulbs for this purpose in the spring. Because the best flowering at home, you can only achieve large, healthy, dense bulbs; you must observe them throughout the growing season correct agricultural technology: water the bed with tulips, loosen the soil, destroy weeds, periodically feed the plantings with complex mineral fertilizer.
Tulip bulbs
The flower buds in the bulb form around mid-August or even later. If you need flowers for the New Year, you can speed up the formation of all the organs of the future flower by growing tulips under a film, followed by decapitation (pruning) of the blossoming buds. Another way is to dig up the bulbs early, as soon as spots appear on their scales yellow color, and keeping them at a temperature of +34 for a week. Until planting, such bulbs can be stored in the refrigerator, in the lower section.
Storage of bulbs dug up at the usual time is carried out in a dry, dark room at a temperature of +22 degrees for 30 days, after which the temperature is lowered by a couple of degrees for another 30 days, and then the bulbs are stored at +16 degrees. With a significant increase or decrease in temperature, there is a high probability of the formation of “blind” buds or slower flower formation in the bulb.
Rules for planting bulbs
By the end of September, tulip bulbs for forcing will need to be planted in containers with a nutrient mixture. Some people use a mixture of sand and peat or sand and turf land, some use pure peat or perlite, Dutch flower growers grow tulips on clean river sand. The main thing is that the substrate is light, with a neutral reaction.
Boxes, containers, low wide pots or bowls are suitable for planting bulbs. At the bottom of the container there must be drainage hole, which is covered with a shard and sprinkled thin layer drainage.
Forcing tulips
Planting bulbs is done as follows:
- pour two-thirds of the substrate into the container and compact it slightly;
- the bulbs are evenly distributed over the surface one centimeter from each other, lightly pressing them into the soil;
- the bulbs are completely covered with the remaining substrate;
- The plantings are watered abundantly and, if the tops of the bulbs appear from under the ground, the substrate is also added.
Boxes with planted bulbs should be moved to a room where the temperature is from +5 to +9 degrees, and the air humidity is at least 75%. Plantings are watered daily so that the substrate does not dry out. When sprouts appear, it will be necessary to lower the temperature to +2 degrees.
The approximate period for rooting and germination of planting material ranges from sixteen to twenty-two weeks. Duration of exposure cold temperature for bulbs depends on the planned timing of receiving flowers and on the variety of tulips.
What is the technology of forcing tulips
Three weeks before the desired flowering time, the boxes with bulbs should be moved to a room with dim lighting and a temperature not lower than +13. Four days later, the lighting is turned on at full power, and the temperature is raised to +18. Artificial lighting intensity of at least 40 W/m2 when forcing tulips in winter is simply necessary - without getting sunlight 10 hours a day, the plants will stretch.
Video about forcing tulips
Daily watering and periodic feeding of tulips with calcium nitrate will have a positive effect on their flowering and will significantly increase their decorative value. If you want to admire the bright buds for as long as possible, do not keep blooming tulips under sun rays and lower the room temperature to +15 degrees. This simple technique will make the flower stalks stronger, and the color intensity of the flowers will noticeably increase.
As you can see, forcing tulips at home is possible not only for professional flower growers, but also for inexperienced beginners. The main thing is to follow the recommendations for storing, planting, growing bulbs and monitor temperature, humidity and lighting during forcing of plants. If everything is done correctly, you will have an amazing opportunity to admire exquisite tulips right at home, even when winter is in full swing outside.
