DIY Cheerful - Botanus · Photo: Jahina_Photography / shutterstock.com Photo: mady70 /...
1
The Family Issue | EcoParent 67 Winter 2015 66 EcoParent | The Family Issue Winter 2015 by permaculture rock star jessica robertson Home & Garden N othing cheers the soul like a flush of bright blooms in mid-winter! Starting bulbs indoors is a fun winter activity to do that will delight on those short winter days and again in the garden for years to come. Most spring flowering bulbs need to go through a cold stratification period before they will bloom – whether that is winter or simulated winter. That is why if you are planting them in your garden you need to get them in the ground in the fall in order to see them pushing up through the dirt in the spring. If you want to trick them into flowering indoors before then, you have to keep them in your cold storage room or unheated garage for a minimum of 10 – 12 weeks. It will then take them an average of 3 to 4 weeks to bloom once they are brought out into the warmth of the house. Calculate backwards from this to determine when you should take your bulbs out of storage if you want them to bloom at certain time. Once you get your bulbs, place at least 2” of indoor potting soil in the bottom of a clean, well-drained pot. Nestle your bulbs into place so they are not quite touching and then add soil so that the tips of the bulbs are visible. Place bulbs close to the edge of the pot so that the foliage will drape outward. Label each pot with bulb type, planting date, and when to remove from cold storage. It is best to stick to one variety of bulb per pot to ensure that it blooms all at once. Now place them in a cold cellar or garage that doesn’t freeze but stays below 7C. The refrigerator is tempting but if you have any fruits and vegetables in there, the ethylene gas they give off can prevent your bulbs from ever flowering even though some may produce foliage. That beer fridge in the basement would be a good alternative! When your flowers finish blooming let the foliage dry and brown at its own pace. Though it’s not very attractive at this point make sure you leave the pot in a sunny location throughout this process so that the bulb can be re-energized for planting outdoors later. When the leaves have all died-off it can be stored in a cool dry and dark place such as a cold storage or cellar until you are ready to plant it outdoors. Packing your bulbs in peat moss so they are not touching is the best option for moisture control, with straw as a more sustainable alternative. Check on them every 2 weeks to ensure they are not drying out too much. Spritz the peat moss or straw with a fine mist if they appear dry. VARIETIES The best bulbs to repurpose back into the garden after planting indoors are Asiatic or Oriental Lilies. They can be planted outdoors in the spring as soon as the ground thaws. Daffodils are second best, though they are usually planted outside in the fall so ideally would be stored in a cold cellar until then. If you would like to plant them outdoors right away in spring, put them in a dry shady place where they will not rot over the summer from too much moisture. Muscari, also called Grape Hyacinth, is another one to try transplanting into the garden after you enjoy the indoor blooms and fragrance. Shorter varieties will do best in indoor containers as they will not need staking and will be proportionate relative to their pot. For lilies, try Border Lilies (12-24”), Stargazer Oriental Lily (18”) or Garden Party Patio Lily (24”). Trumpet Lilies will take a few years to reach mature size so you could try shorter varieties of these. Just ensure that their full- grown height is considered when planting them out into the garden. Some can reach 4-5 feet!! For daffodils, try Quail, Brook Ager, Baby Boomer, Alaska, Bantum Cupped, Barrett Browning or Canaliculatus Mini Narcissi. These are all shorter varieties with long bloom times. There are several varieties of Muscari to choose from. They should all work fine for indoor potting and transferring to the garden afterward. DIY Cheerful Indoor Blooms Photo: Natasha Breen / shutterstock.com If you missed the window of opportunity to acquire bulbs in time to do your own cold stratification you may be able to find indoor Narcissi such as Paperwhites, Chinese Sacred Lily, or Grand Soleil D’or that have already been through the chilling process and are ready to plnt when purchased. They are not hardy to our climate so you will not be able to plant them outdoors afterward. Start them in a cool room with low or no light to let them set roots. Give them a little bit of water. In the second week move them to a slightly warmer room with some more light. Once they start to emerge from the soil (usually in the 3rd week) move them to a warm sunny room and water as needed to keep the soil moist. Amaryllis is another gorgeous flower grown indoors over the winter. Bulbs are sold through the Huntington Society of Canada fall as a fundraiser. I give them as gifts every year. They really are incredibly impressive flowers! The plant can be moved outdoors for the summer so that the leaves can photosynthesize energy back into the bulb and brought back inside in the fall for a rest period before re-potting and blooming again next winter. If you plan it right, you can arrange to give indoor flowering bulbs as holiday gifts that will provide many weeks of colourful and lively pleasure throughout the cold, dark winter months. Include instructions on how to tend to the bulbs afterward, and your recipient can enjoy a gift that keeps on blooming! Photo: Jahina_Photography / shutterstock.com Photo: mady70 / shutterstock.com • Veseys (www.veseys.com) has a mind-boggling assortment of bulbs, plants and seeds. They are based in PEI and ship all over Canada. Thank you to Heidi Carmichael for her advice in writing this article. • Botanus is a newer Canadian company that also ships across the country. They have some unique bulbs and plants and sell top quality and top sized bulbs. Thank you to Wendy Leroux for her advice. • Your local nursery. They may have bulbs in stock earlier than you can guarantee shipment from one of the above suppliers (they ship based on the climate zone you live in). • Amaryllis through the Huntington Society of Canada. http://www.huntingtonsociety.ca/amaryllis-campaign/ • Potting Shed Creations http://www.pottingshedcreations.com/ carries Paperwhites gift kits in the fall/winter that come in a beautiful bamboo box that becomes the planter and can then be reused again afterward. Daffodil Amarylis ape Hyacin Paperwhes SOURCES Photo: Elina Manninen / shutterstock.com Photo: momo_leif / shutterstock.com
Transcript of DIY Cheerful - Botanus · Photo: Jahina_Photography / shutterstock.com Photo: mady70 /...
The Family Issue | EcoParent 67Winter 201566 EcoParent | The Family Issue Winter 2015
by permaculture rock star jessica robertson
Home & Garden
Nothing cheers the soul like a flush of bright blooms in mid-winter! Starting bulbs indoors is a fun winter activity to do that will delight on those short winter days and again in the garden for years to come.
Most spring flowering bulbs need to go through a cold stratification period before they will bloom – whether that is winter or simulated winter. That is why if you are planting them in your garden you need to get them in the ground in the fall in order to see them pushing up through the dirt in the spring. If you want to trick them into flowering indoors before then, you have to keep them in your cold storage room or unheated garage for a minimum of 10 – 12 weeks. It will then take them an average of 3 to 4 weeks to bloom once they are brought out into the warmth of the house. Calculate backwards from this to determine when you should take your bulbs out of storage if you want them to bloom at certain time.
Once you get your bulbs, place at least 2” of indoor potting soil in the bottom of a clean, well-drained pot. Nestle your bulbs into place so they are not quite touching and then add soil so that the tips of the bulbs are visible. Place bulbs close to the edge of the pot so that the foliage will drape outward. Label each pot with bulb type, planting date, and when to remove from cold storage. It is best to stick to one variety of bulb per pot to ensure that it blooms all at once.Now place them in a cold cellar or garage that doesn’t freeze but stays below 7C. The refrigerator is tempting but if you have any fruits and vegetables in there, the ethylene gas they give off can prevent your bulbs from ever flowering even though some may produce foliage. That beer fridge in the basement would be a good alternative! When your flowers finish blooming let the foliage dry and brown at its own pace. Though it’s not very attractive at this point make sure you leave the pot in a sunny location throughout this process so that the bulb can be re-energized for planting outdoors later.
When the leaves have all died-off it can be stored in a cool dry and dark place such as a cold storage or cellar until you are ready to plant it outdoors. Packing your bulbs in peat moss so they are not touching is the best option for moisture control, with straw as a more sustainable alternative. Check on them every 2 weeks to ensure they are not drying out too much. Spritz the peat moss or straw with a fine mist if they appear dry.
VARIETIES
The best bulbs to repurpose back into the garden after planting indoors are Asiatic or Oriental Lilies. They can be planted outdoors in the spring as soon as the ground thaws. Daffodils are second best, though they are usually planted outside in the fall so ideally would be stored in a cold cellar until then. If you would like to plant them outdoors right away in spring, put them in a dry shady place where they will not rot over the summer from too much moisture. Muscari, also called Grape Hyacinth, is another one to try transplanting into the garden after you enjoy the indoor blooms and fragrance.
Shorter varieties will do best in indoor containers as they will not need staking and will be proportionate relative to their pot. For lilies, try Border Lilies (12-24”), Stargazer Oriental Lily (18”) or Garden Party Patio Lily (24”). Trumpet Lilies will take a few years to reach mature size so you could try shorter varieties of these. Just ensure that their full-grown height is considered when planting them out into the garden. Some can reach 4-5 feet!! For daffodils, try Quail, Brook Ager, Baby Boomer, Alaska, Bantum Cupped, Barrett Browning or Canaliculatus Mini Narcissi. These are all shorter varieties with long bloom times. There are several varieties of Muscari to choose from. They should all work fine for indoor potting and transferring to the garden afterward.
DIY Cheerful Indoor Blooms
Photo: Natasha Breen / shutterstock.com
If you missed the window of opportunity to acquire bulbs in time to do your own cold stratification you may be able to find indoor Narcissi such as Paperwhites, Chinese Sacred Lily, or Grand Soleil D’or that have already been through the chilling process and are ready to plnt when purchased. They are not hardy to our climate so you will not be able to plant them outdoors afterward. Start them in a cool room with low or no light to let them set roots. Give them a little bit of water. In the second week move them to a slightly warmer room with some more light. Once they start to emerge from the soil (usually in the 3rd week) move them to a warm sunny room and water as needed to keep the soil moist.
Amaryllis is another gorgeous flower grown indoors over the winter. Bulbs are sold through the Huntington Society of Canada fall as a fundraiser. I give them as gifts every year. They really are incredibly impressive flowers! The plant can be moved outdoors for the summer so that the leaves can photosynthesize energy back into the bulb and brought back inside in the fall for a rest period before re-potting and blooming again next winter.
If you plan it right, you can arrange to give indoor flowering bulbs as holiday gifts that will provide many weeks of colourful and lively pleasure throughout the cold, dark winter months. Include instructions on how to tend to the bulbs afterward, and your recipient can enjoy a gift that keeps on blooming!
Ph
oto
: Jah
ina_
Ph
oto
gra
ph
y /
shu
tter
sto
ck.c
om
Ph
oto
: mad
y70
/ s
hu
tter
sto
ck.c
om
• Veseys (www.veseys.com) has a mind-boggling assortment of bulbs, plants and seeds. They are based in PEI and ship all over Canada. Thank you to Heidi Carmichael for her advice in writing this article.
• Botanus is a newer Canadian company that also ships across the country. They have some unique bulbs and plants and sell top quality and top sized bulbs. Thank you to Wendy Leroux for her advice.
• Your local nursery. They may have bulbs in stock earlier than you can guarantee shipment from one of the above suppliers (they ship based on the climate zone you live in).
• Amaryllis through the Huntington Society of Canada.http://www.huntingtonsociety.ca/amaryllis-campaign/
• Potting Shed Creations http://www.pottingshedcreations.com/ carries Paperwhites gift kits in the fall/winter that come in a beautiful bamboo box that becomes the planter and can then be reused again afterward.
Daffodil
Amarylis
Grape Hyacinth
Paperwhites
SOURCES
Ph
oto
: Elin
a M
ann
inen
/ s
hu
tter
sto
ck.c
om
Ph
oto
: mo
mo
_lei
f /
shu
tter
sto
ck.c
om
