Why shouldn’t you be among those who, each winter, enjoy the pleasure of having a midwinter display of spring bulbs— one of the easiest and most certain of all types of gardening?
The simple ingredients are a few bulbs, a cool cellar, and a sunny window.
The procedure is simple, and the expense is moderate. As the season for outdoor bulb planting draws to a close, obtaining the bulbs at a very considerable price reduction is often possible.
One should, however, beware of fake “bargains.” Only top-size, first-quality bulbs procured from a reliable source should be used for indoor bulb culture.
For Successful Indoor Bulb Culture
The essential conditions for successful indoor bulb culture are few.
First comes light. The more direct sunshine, the better, but they can be grown when there are only a few hours of full sunshine, especially during the morning.
Next comes moderate temperature and a fair degree of humidity. Bulbs indoors will not do their best in a constant temperature of 70° to 80° degrees Fahrenheit and in air from which a hot-air heating system has extracted all the moisture. (Such conditions, of course, are also detrimental to most other plants grown indoors.)
The undesirable effects of high temperature and low humidity can. However, be greatly offset by placing them at night when they will be cool (even down to 40° degrees Fahrenheit):
- By giving them all the direct fresh air possible when the outdoor temperature is above freezing
- By keeping water pans near them for evaporation
- By making sure that the soil in the containers in which they are growing is kept constantly moist. Placing the pots or bulb pans in saucers or a shallow tray and replenishing the water frequently enough to maintain it as nearly as possible to a depth of ¼” inch or so will usually keep them in good condition even in adverse surroundings.
Easiest Bulbs For Growing Indoors
The easiest of all bulbs for growing indoors are daffodils. The tender “bunch flowered” varieties—paper-white narcissus and its golden-yellow companion Soleil d’Or are quickest to come into bloom, both of which may readily be grown in pebbles (or vermiculite and water) without a previous period of root growth.
However, many longer-lasting flowers may have much better results by growing them in the soil as recommended for other bulbs.
Other excellent bunch-flowered sorts, which do need an introductory period of outdoor root growth, are:
- Geranium, white and orange
- Scarlet Gem, yellow with a red cup
- Cheerfulness, double white
- Yellow Cheerfulness
All of these are decidedly fragrant, which adds to their attractiveness. Among the yellow daffodils, the large trumpet-flowered King Alfred, grown in pots by the millions by florists, is still the favorite, though newer varieties in more brilliant colors do as well.
Among these, our favorites are:
- Ada Finch, Cream, and February Gold, both extremely early
- Dick Wellband
- Francisca Drake, with her gracefully recurved petals
- Scarlet Leader
- Sunrise
- Old Queen of the North. W. P. Milner, not listed in every catalog but worth hunting for, is a charming miniature trumpet
Hyacinths, too, may be grown in plain water or pebbles, but here again, you will get better results with soil. Don’t buy them in a mixture if you want pleasant, soft colors. We like:
- Bismarck, light blue
- Pink Pearl, soft pink
- City of Haarlem, yellow
- White L’ Innocence
The French Roman hyacinths are quite different, with smaller flowers and more graceful stems, and are even more easily grown indoors.
Regarding tulips, one must be a bit careful about selecting varieties, for many of the large-flowered late Darwins and breeders require a long period of pre-rooting and more exacting aftercare. Also, they take up much more space and are inconveniently tall.
Some catalogs specify which varieties are suitable for forcing, but even so, the beginner will do well to choose from among the early, less-robust-growing kinds.
All of the new hybrid species and variations we have tried have done well, even the huge-flowered Red Emperor, though it is unwieldy. All of the single earlies are suitable.
Our favorite is General de Wet, a glorious orange. It is delightfully fragrant, as are also Prince of Austria, Fred Moore, and Glory of Lisse, varying through shades of gold to orange.
Proserpine is pink; Princess Juliana is white and rose; and there is White Hawk for a while. In the cottage group are the new Rosy Wings, salmon pink; Carrara, pure white; and Ellen Willmott, yellow.
Among the Darwins, William Copland, lavender is an old favorite. Le Notre, rose-pink, Red Pitt, and Mrs. Grullemans, yellow, give a good range.
Practically all of the early doubles do well indoors. The parrots are too large and floppy for ordinary house conditions.
Growing Bulb Indoors: Mechanics and Soil Preparation
The mechanics of growing bulbs indoors are not at all difficult. While flower pots will do as containers, bulb pans, which are merely shallow flower pots, are preferable because they are less easily tipped over.
Ordinary good garden soil will serve as the growing medium, but we get better results with a compost made up of equal parts (by bulk) of garden loam, peat moss, and compost or well-rotted manure. (If soil is heavy, add enough sharp sand to cut it thoroughly.)
For plant food, add one pint of a mixture of dehydrated manure and one bonemeal for each peck of soil.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and screen to get an even, light compost. This is the ideal soil, but good results can be obtained with plain, rich garden loam and dried manure.
In potting, place about an inch of coarse screenings or sphagnum moss in the bottom of the pot, and then fill half to two-thirds of the prepared soil.
P’acc bulbs close together—one-half to one inch apart—and deep enough to be barely covered when the pot is filled to one-half inch or so of the rim. Press soil firmly around them.
Label each pot, using preferably narrow, 12-inch wood labels that will stick up above the soil to be filled in over the pots for the pre-rooting period.
After planting, place pots in a pan or the sink and leave long enough to let the water soak up from below until the soil’s surface is moist.
Care and Maintenance of Indoor Bulbs
The potted bulbs are now ready to be moved to a foot or so deep trench, to a cold frame, or a really cold, dark cellar.
Actual freezing is not essential, but the bulbs should have several weeks to make roots before top growth starts.
The regular method is to cover the bulb pans with 6 inches or more of soil, but we find it much more convenient to fill in around and over them with peat moss or vermiculite, with a layer of compost (or soil) over this.
Cover the pots (except the daffodils) with wire screening where there is any danger of injury from mice. With this method, getting them out when and as they are wanted is much easier.
Care after they are brought in is easy. Give a good watering, and then keep only moderately moist until top growth starts.
They will not require full sunlight until the tops are several inches tall. After that, the more direct sunshine, the better.
Placing the pots or bulb pans in saucers kept half full of water is much easier than watering from the top.
Above all, avoid excessive heat. The cooler they can be grown—even down to 55° and 60° degrees Fahrenheit—the better.
Transitioning Indoor Bulbs To The Outdoor Garden
When the flowers have faded, keep the soil moist and the foliage green as long as possible.
When the frost is out of the ground in spring, the bulbs, just as they are removed from their pots, can be set out in the garden for future bloom.
They should, of course, be covered 5” or 6” inches deep. Thus, you will both have eaten your cake and still have it to enjoy in the springs to come!
44659 by F. F. Rockwell