We all know tulips as the ultimate sign of spring, usually popping up to say hello around late March. But if you’re like me and can’t wait that long to see some color, I’ve got a little secret: you can actually “trick” nature and force tulip bulbs to bloom early right inside your home!
Forcing Tulip Bulbs
Normally, tulip bulbs need to be planted in the chilly fall soil so they can experience a long cold snap. Without that period of cold, the bulbs just won’t sprout properly. If you want tulips blooming in the dead of winter—maybe even by Christmas—you have to fake a winter for them. Here’s how you do it:
- Start your “cold treatment” as early as October or November.
- Put your tulip bulbs in a plastic bag with a little bit of sand.
- Pop that bag right into the vegetable crisper drawer of your fridge.
- Aim for a temperature around 45°F (8°C).
- Let them chill out in there for anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks.
I get it—not everyone wants a bag of bulbs next to their lettuce! If that’s you, you can also store them in a box filled with sand or peat moss in a cold cellar or garage. Just make sure the temperature stays between 32°F and 45°F.
Forcing Tulips in a Glass Vase
One of the coolest ways to grow tulips indoors is in water. For this, you’ll need “stratified” bulbs (bulbs that have already finished their cold treatment) and a special tulip vase. These vases look a bit like an hourglass—they have a wide bottom for water and a pinched neck with a little bowl on top to hold the bulb.
Simply fill the bottom with water and set the bulb in the top section. You want about a 1/4 inch (5 mm) of space between the bottom of the bulb and the surface of the water—don’t let the bulb sit directly in the water or it might rot! Place it in a warm spot, and as the water evaporates, the humidity will encourage roots to grow downward. Before you know it, you’ll see green shoots. Just remember to keep that water level topped off!
Forcing Tulips in Soil
If you prefer the traditional route, you can also force pre-chilled bulbs in pots. Grab a container with a drainage hole (I like to put a piece of broken pottery over the hole to keep the soil in) and fill it with a mix of potting soil and sand.
The pot should be about twice as deep as the bulb is tall. Place the bulb in the soil with the pointy end facing up—the tip can be level with the rim of the pot. Fill in the rest with soil and give it a good drink of water. Set your pot on a bright, warm windowsill, and you should see sprouts popping up within ten days!
