I know we are in the forefront of global warming, but Alaskans are clearly not going to see outdoor planting weather again for quite some time, nine months to be exact. The one big exceptions are spring-flowering bulbs. You don’t plant these in the spring; you plant them now and they flower in the spring. Of course, you could “force” them to get early flowers, indoors.
Normally, one would have these bulbs planted by now. Ah, but I know how this goes. People forget. I bring this up because as of this writing, there are still big bags of bulbs available at some nurseries and box stores. Yes, buy them and plant, but you better do it soon as the ground is getting hard. I found my lovely spouse planting some the other day and we will force the rest this morning.
I go over forcing every year, but it is worth doing so again because the process results in indoor blooms. Some bulbs can be forced right out of the box, literally. Others require a chilling period before they will flower.
Of all the bulbs we plant, paper whites (aka Narcissus) and amaryllis are the two that are readily available locally and do not require chilling. Paper whites can be planted indoors now and will bloom in four to five weeks. Some folks do not like their fragrance, so be aware. Most think its scent is heavenly.
Since we always strive to be correct, technically daffodils are Narcissus and paper whites are Narcissus tazetta. It probably doesn’t matter; who labels daffodils? Well, now that you know there is difference, you might want to.
Amaryllis, which can produce the biggest flowers you can grow (though some are grown for flower color, shape, and smaller sizes), don’t need chilling, but they do need a dormant period. They will be capable of producing flowers after they have rested for eight weeks in a cool, dark location. They should bloom six to eight weeks after the dormancy ends.
It seems all the amaryllis sold these days have a decorative wax coating. Sure, it is pretty, but I am sure this constricts the plant’s growth and should be removed. At the most, keep it this season, but remove it when you put your bulb into dormancy.
On the other hand, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and grape hyacinths do need to chill out, so to speak. How much? Well, in my experience you can’t fail if you give yours 16 weeks, but each one has a different chill minimum. I know that tulips only need 12 weeks. Hyacinth need 14. By the way, some people are allergic to the skin of hyacinths and get a rash. Use rubber gloves if this is the case.
You can force bulbs in a cold basement, cellar or crawlspace. You want 40 degrees. If you use your fridge, keep your bulbs out of the veggie compartment and away from apples, which admit ethylene gas that stalls the growth of bulbs.
And, if this all sounds too complicated, if you look hard enough you will find there are pre-chilled bulbs for sale.
Jeff’s Alaska Garden Calendar:
Alaska Botanical Garden:The Alaska Botanical Garden invites community leaders with a passion for its mission to apply for The Garden’s board of directors. Apply by Friday, Nov. 6.
Lights: Get ’em set up.
Windows: If it leaks cold, move plants accordingly.
Heat: It’s on, move plants accordingly.
Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus: To trigger buds, they need a drop in both temperature and artificial light. Put yours in a cool location and make sure it gets 12 to 15 hours of complete darkness. My dad used to jokingly say, “Not even the light from a cigarette!”
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