One of the best ways to bring the joy of the garden indoors for winter is by forcing bulbs, i.e. tricking them to bloom early for an indoor display. This is a particularly popular practice for festive displays, and they even make beautiful holiday gifts. To take your indoor bulb display up a level, you can dabble in hydroponics and grow bulbs in water.
When it comes to forcing bulbs in water, there are only a handful of steps to follow. But, not all indoor bulbs to force for Christmas are suited to a hydroponic growing method. Amaryllis, for example, is often better forced in soil.
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3 of the Best Indoor Bulbs to Grow in Water
Forcing bulbs for Christmas does require some preparation a few weeks in advance, but early November offers a last window to start forcing bulbs in time for a flourishing festive display. Here are three of the best indoor bulbs to grow in water:
1. Paperwhites
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First on the list of indoor bulbs to grow in water is paperwhites, a dainty type of narcissi that looks gorgeous when grown in a tall, narrow vase (like this one from Amazon).
‘You can grow paperwhites in a hyacinth forcing jar (from Amazon), but I find that you usually want to grow more than one at a time, which makes growing them in a shallow dish without drainage holes the best option,’ notes Julie Bawden-Davis, indoor growing expert at Healthy Houseplants.
‘Fill the dish with gravel, marbles, pebbles (from Amazon), or sand and add water just below the bottom of the planting medium,’ Julie advises. ‘Then work the paperwhites into the medium so that the first half of the bulb is submerged (pointed side upwards). Space one to two inches apart for an impressive display.’
You should plant paperwhites in water in the fall for a festive display, as they take four to six weeks to bloom indoors. Make sure they’re kept in a cool, dark spot until they start to sprout. They can then be moved somewhere brighter to encourage blooming.
Find paperwhite bulbs on Amazon.
Julie Bawden-Davis
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Indoor Plant Expert
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden author and University of California Certified Master Gardener, who has written several gardening books, including Indoor Gardening The Organic Way. In addition to running HealthyHouseplants.com, she shares indoor gardening advice on her YouTube channel @HealthyHouseplants.
2. Crocus
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This indoor bulb to grow in water is a bit more challenging, but it’s certainly a rewarding endeavour.
‘To grow crocus bulbs in water indoors, you need to chill them beforehand for around 12 weeks by placing them in the refrigerator in a paper bag away from ethylene producers like apples (which could start decaying the bulb),’ Julie describes.
This chill period works much the same as seed stratification, kickstarting growth when the crocus bulbs are planted in the hydroponic set-up.
It’s also important to choose spring-flowering crocus bulbs (from Amazon) for forcing at this time of year.
‘You can then plant them much like paperwhites, but since the bulbs are smaller, you will want a smaller dish to grow them,’ Julie suggests.
Something like this amaryllis bulb vase from Amazon would make the perfect vessel for indoor crocus bulbs.
Once again, keep the bulbs somewhere dark until they start producing roots and sprouting.
3. Hyacinths
(Image credit: iBulb)
Some of the best hyacinth varieties can be forced indoors in water for the festive season. In fact, these are some of the best bulbs for Christmas flowering.
‘Chill hyacinth bulbs (from Amazon) for 12 weeks in the same way as crocus, by placing in the refrigerator in a paper bag, avoiding placement next to ethylene producers,’ Julie says.
‘Hyacinths are best grown in a hyacinth forcing jar (from Amazon). You should fill the jar with water and place the bulb tip end down, just above the water level but not touching,’ Julie describes.
The bulb should be kept in a cool, dark place until roots emerge. You can then reposition your hyacinth bulbs to a warmer, brighter spot to encourage blooming.
FAQsHow Do I Maintain Water-Forced Bulbs?
To maintain water-forced bulbs and to get a longer blooming period, it’s important to avoid hydroponic gardening mistakes. This includes refreshing the water if it appears cloudy to prevent the build-up of bacteria and algae. Choosing a bright position will also prolong blooming, as will warmer room temperatures.
Indoor bulbs aren’t just for the festive season; you can also grow tulips indoors for a bright display in late winter and early spring. Our guide to forcing bulbs in soil has more information to help.
Shop Bulb Forcing Essentials:
These vases are specially designed for forcing bulbs indoors. They’re fit for hyacinth and paperwhite bulbs.
Clear Glass Beads for Vases
These clear pebbles can be used to secure bulbs in place for forcing. They’re clear as not to take away from the bulb display.
These paper bags can be used for providing a dark, dry spot for bulbs when chilling before forcing in water.
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