Q-My husband and I ordered a lot of bulbs for planting outdoors this fall, yet as we finished planting them both of us agreed that the job hadn`t been as time-consuming as expected. The ground outdoors where we live is already frozen and I have discovered we overlooked a carton of bulbs that had been stored in the basement. We have a total of several hundred different hardy spring-flowering bulbs, divided into numerous lots of from 5 to 25 of a kind. None is marked for forcing indoors in pots, yet this is the only solution we can think of to save the bulbs. Help!
A-Your letter was waiting when I arrived home from planting 1,100 bulbs in a friend`s back-yard garden in the city.
That misplaced carton of bulbs can actually be a blessing because now you can spread the therapy of working with them and the soil over a longer season. You are right, some bulbs force more readily than others; yet if well-rooted in a cool, dark place for at least 8 to 10 weeks, most of the hardy spring-flowering types can be brought to bloom in pots.
So no reader is left in the dark, we are presumably discussing Dutch hyacinths, tulips, daffodils and other narcissus, snowdrops, squills, crocus and a host of other harbingers of the spring season. Of these, certain naturally fall- or early winter-flowering narcissus species such as paperwhites and Chinese sacred lilies are commonly forced to bloom indoors at almost any time from October to spring. They need only moderate coolness, say 50 to 60 degrees, to start roots for two or three weeks, and can then be quickly brought to bloom in any bright to sunny indoor growing area.
The other spring bulbs listed typically need a period of 8 to 12 weeks at temperatures around 35 to 40 degrees in a dark place in order to form thrifty root systems. They are grown ideally in bulb pans or azalea pots, in an all-purpose potting mix (equal parts soil, sand and peat). Allow at least two inches of growing medium below the bulbs for roots and an inch or so over the tops for stability.
Once bulbs are planted, keep them evenly moist at all times. Avoid any periods of sudden heat if at all possible. Severe drying at any point after roots begin activity can have a disastrous effect on the flowerbuds.
If you are an apartment dweller as I am, a limited number of bulbs can be rooted in the refrigerator on a shelf or in the vegetable crisper section. Paperwhites are the easiest for me to bloom. The bulbs are set in waterproof cachepots on top of two inches of all-purpose potting soil, then stabilized by marble chips added to just the topside of the bulb shoulders. After generous watering the plantings are set on the floor next to various windows. They bloom in four to six weeks without any prior rooting in a dark, cool place.
Paperwhite narcissus are winter hardy in areas of the country where winter lows are about 10 to 20 degrees. In warmer zones the bulbs can be planted out in the garden following bloom. Elsewhere they are best added to the compost pile when the flowers and leaves begin to dry.
The other bulbs planted in fall and early winter for forcing indoors can be set into the outdoor garden in spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. It is always important with bulbs to preserve the foliage until sufficient food has been restored in the plant system to sustain it through the following season.
It is also possible to buy pots of bulbs that have been precooled, and thus can be set directly to grow in a moderate to warm window garden. Air that is cool and moist will produce the sturdiest growth with flowers that unfurl to full size and last maximum time.
Q-How do you feel about artificial plants for where the real thing won`t grow, for lack of light, or there is no one to deal with frequent maintenance? A-To be honest, I have no feelings about artificial plants. I don`t have any in my house, but that doesn`t mean they are wrong for someone else. I would always prefer a living plant or flower in a guest room, for example, but as you say, there is not always enough light or an energized resident gardener.
Q-I have several potted miniature roses. They grew all summer on my patio and before frost I brought them to a sunny window garden. Now many of the leaves have turned yellow and this morning I noticed there seems to be fine spider webbing across the tops. What should I do?
A-Your miniature roses have been invaded by tiny spider-mites, the presence of which suggests that your plants have been kept consistently too dry, too warm and in air that does not circulate freely. Cut the bushes back sufficiently to remove all or most of the insect-infested growth.
Spray or dip the remaining stems and leaves every five to seven days using insecticidal soap and water. Try to improve the growing conditions. It is possible to grow miniature roses as houseplants, but they do need generous watering, lots of fresh air that circulates freely among them and regular applications of a fertilizer labeled specifically for roses or flowering houseplants.
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Elvin McDonald cannot answer all questions individually, but he will respond to questions of general interest in this column. Write to him c/o The Chicago Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
