October and November are the fall months when I pick up extra bulbs to use inside, to force in a vase! The bulbs will then bloom come February inside, when we’re feeling ready to have a bit of spring inside……… but there will still 8 or more weeks of winter!
This is a fun thing your kids will love watching grow in the window sill and then bloom and smell amazing during those cold last days of winter. My kids always enjoyed forcing bulbs over and over through the years when they were younger. This is a good project for kids. But you have to get it ready in the fall:)
All you need to do is Simply buy a package of mixed hyacinth bulbs, now in the fall. Then find some cute bulb vases. I found ours at thrift shops (and yard sales during the summer) or search your home you probably have something! The dollar store might be a place to find some perhaps and inexpensively.
This is easy! All I do is set the bulb in the vase and add water so that only the bottom of the bulb sits in the water (not floating in it).
Then I put them in the back of my refrigerator for 5-6 weeks (even up to 8 weeks). They need at least 4 good weeks in the refrigerator; check them after a couple weeks because they probably will need a tablespoon of water, that the growing roots will have drank. Now a cool porch or basement works too, just don’t let them freeze!
This is a fun school project for kids, because they will be able to see those roots growing longer and longer into the vase/ jar and then they can watch that big flower bud sprout out the top. They can watch as the bud comes into full scentful bloom springing forth wide open. We use hyacinths because they have a wonderful smell, are easy to force and have never failed. Some bulbs don’t like to be forced into bloom early and won’t give a very good bloom, but hyacinths and paper white narcissus will do very well.
Now There are tons of creative ways you can force bulbs, if you look on the pinterest, and forcing bulbs is easy and fun.
We always had at least 6 vases on our window sill come spring, as each child got to do one. Through the years, my kids would guess what color they thought their bloom would be, and even measure to see whose bloom would get the tallest and had lots of fun learning.
I just always enjoyed the pretty blooms in the windows as we waited for spring!.
Hope you’ll pick up some hyacinths this fall and get them in the fridge before Christmas so you can enjoy some early spring in your home come February & March!
Forcing Fall Bulbs for Spring!
Instructions
All you need to do is Simply buy a package of mixed hyacinth bulbs, now in the fall. Then find some cute bulb vases. I found ours at thrift shops (and yard sales during the summer) or search your home you probly have something ! The dollar store might be a place to find some perhaps and inexpensively.
This is easy! All I do is set the bulb in the vase and add water so that only the bottom of the bulb sits in the water (not floating in it).
Then I put them in the back of my refrigerator for 5-6 weeks (even up to 8 weeks). They need at least 4 good weeks in the refrigerator; check them after a couple weeks because they probably will need a tablespoon of water, that the growing roots will have drank. Now a cool porch or basement works too, just don’t let them freeze!
This is a fun school project for kids, because they will be able to see those roots growing longer and longer into the vase/ jar and then they can watch that big flower bud sprout out the top. They can watch as the bud comes into full scentful bloom springing forth wide open. We use hyacinths because they have a wonderful smell, are easy to force and have never failed. Some bulbs don’t like to be forced into bloom early and won’t give a very good bloom, but hyacinths and paper white narcissus will do very well.
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