Forcing tulips of the winter helps with the seasonal withdrawal from outdoor gardening in our extended cold season here in Calgary. Our growing season (frost free days) runs from May 20-September 11th on average, but most gardeners I know do not put out any tender plants until the first week in June, as we have been burned by the averages in past seasons. Tulips are a satisfying plant to grow indoors during this time as they need very little care and are colourful and spring-like when blooming. This year, one of my pots had only half of the bulbs emerge and they did not thrive. I have been forcing tulips for over 30 years and only twice have I had a pot of bulbs not emerge, so they are quite reliable.
I planted tulip bulbs October 5th to force in the garage (kept at 5 degrees C) over the winter period. You can also do this is a cold room or a spare fridge. Tulips need a cold period before they can bloom. I loosely cover the top of the pot (leave a little gap for air circulation) with cardboard to keep it dark. I water them sparingly once a month.
I brought them indoors on January 9th as they finished the cold period and were starting to show nice growth. These photos are from January 12th – they start to green up very quickly.
By January 27th, buds have formed and leaves are much higher.
By January 30th, the buds are starting to show colour.
By February 3rd, they are in bloom!
“Freeman Double Peony” tulips – gorgeous peachy colour.
Everyday Cheer 