Easy Bulb Forcing Guide
Foring bulbs indoors
easy STEP-BY-STEP instructions to bring color to your home this winter.
I love a good hard freeze in the wintertime. There is less mud, and I get a good solid freeze on my to-do list. But it doesn’t take long before I miss fresh flowers in my house.
I suspect if you’re reading this, you are a fellow flower lover who is missing them too.
So, how can we fix our flower withdrawal in winter?
The answer is simpler than you think: forcing bulbs indoors!
Forcing bulbs is one of my favorite ways to bring fresh blooms into the cold months. The process is straightforward, with just a touch of magic. Essentially, you’re tricking the bulbs into thinking it’s spring by mimicking its warmth and light indoors.
A Bulb’s Journey to Bloom
Tulips, like many spring bulbs, need a cold period to kickstart their growth cycle. This mimics the chilly winter outdoors, which signals the bulb to begin producing glucose (its energy source for blooming). A cold period of 12–14 weeks at 35–45°F is ideal.
Think of a bulb as a tiny life capsule—it has everything it needs inside to become a gorgeous flower. With a little patience and the right setup, you can enjoy their blooms long before spring arrives.
Why Forcing Bulbs is Easier Than You Think
I love gardening, but I’m all about keeping it simple. Unfortunately, gardening has a lousy PR rep and intimidates newbies right out of trying. Gardening often gets a bad rap for being intimidating, but it’s really just one experiment after another. Forcing tulips indoors is no different. It’s fun, low-maintenance, and totally beginner-friendly.
Let’s dig in!
How to Force Tulips Indoors
Step 1: Choose Your Bulbs
Start with early-blooming tulip varieties—look for labels that say “Early Spring.” While other types will work, early varieties are naturally eager to bloom, making them perfect for forcing.
Step 2: Chill the Bulbs
You have two options for chilling:
In a mesh bag: This method is great if you plan to store them in your refrigerator.
Potted up: Plant the bulbs in the soil before chilling.
Either way works, so choose what fits your setup best!
Where to Chill the Bulbs
Refrigerator: Ensure there are no fruits inside, as they release ethylene gas, which can prevent blooming. Tulip bulbs are one of the less weird things I have had in my fridge. 10K ladybugs ranks up there as the strangest.
Cool basement
Unheated garage (as long as it doesn’t drop below freezing)
Outdoors: Insulate the bulbs with a thick layer of leaves or mulch.
Ideal Chill Times
Chill in September, bloom in January
Chill in October, bloom in February
Chill in November, bloom in March
Step 3: Plant the Bulbs
Use a clay pot or any container with drainage holes. Fill it halfway with potting soil. Place the tulips pointy side up, spacing them close together (like eggs in a carton). Cover them with soil, leaving about an inch of space below the pot’s rim.
Any pot will work as long as it has drainage holes about half full of potting soil. Quick sidebar, if you are looking for a cute clay pot idea, you can check out my previous blog post on how to create a Fabric Flower Pot.
If your bulbs were chilled in a mesh bag, move the planted pots to a cool, sunny spot like a sunroom and water them well.
If you’re chilling the bulbs after planting, check weekly. If the soil is completely dry, water moderately.
Step 4: Transition to Warmth
After 12 weeks, move the pots to a warmer spot with indirect sunlight. Continue watering as needed.
When buds start to form, move the pots to a sunny location and increase watering. It typically takes 3–4 weeks for the blooms to appear after the chilling period ends.
Tips for Success
This method works for other spring bulbs like crocuses and hyacinths, too!
You can plant these bulbs outdoors after they are done blooming. You will likely only get foliage the first year, or it might lay dormant but it’s worth the effort to plant them.
Thanks for experimenting with us and following along.
