I know many of us are still in the “cold” of winter; which makes it the perfect time to think about “Spring” right?  Forcing bulbs is a perfect way to bring a little spring to your home during the cold of winter. 

Here’s what I do-

I force both paper whites, amaryllis and hyacinths in water – be sure to keep the water surface just at the base of the bulb or slightly below. The roots should be in water but not the bulb itself.  Mold and unpleasant smell may happen because part of the bulb is submerged and is rotting.

Amaryllis are a bit trickier, but only because they are such large bulbs. They need a substantial container and good amount of stones/glass to anchor the roots as the growth on the amaryllis will make it quite top-heavy. I prefer to use vases designed for this purpose with more of an hourglass shape, like hyacinth forcing vases only much larger.

Just make sure the container is big enough to allow for growth of the bulb…fill the container half way with rocks or glass…{I fill it half way so the tall vase can also be a support for the growing bulb, if you are using a short vase you will need to use something as a support, like a stick.}fill with water to just the top of the stones, place your bulb on top of the stone; then set it in a sunny area, add water as needed.  Then sit back and watch it grow; and enjoy the early spring it will bring to your home.

Happy Day