In the dreary, cold winter, colorful flowers are longed for. But it's still a while away before the first spring bloomers sprout their flower buds. In order to shorten the course of nature a little, flower bulbs can be grown in pots. These specimens bloom indoors or early in the garden.
How do you grow flower bulbs in a pot?
To grow flower bulbs in pots, plant pots or planting bowls with a mixture of potting soil (€10.00 at Amazon) and sand (2:1). Plant plump bulbs twice their length without touching them. Store the pots in a cool, dark place for 3 months before bringing them into the light to encourage sprouting.
The right time to start
There is no one ideal time for growing in a pot. It depends on when you want the bulb to bloom. If the flowers are to appear around Christmas, the bulbs must be grown early in October.
If the flower bulbs come into the garden at the time of flowering, it is enough to start growing them in November. Exotic bulbous plants that bloom in summer, such as begonias, are preferred from February onwards because they can only be planted after the Ice Saints in May.
Planting pots
Choose lots of small pots or a few large planting bowls, whichever you prefer. However, they must have drainage holes. As a substrate you need a mixture of potting soil (€10.00 on Amazon) and sand in a ratio of 2:1. Use coarse gravel to create a water-permeable drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.
The onions should be plump, undamaged and without any traces of mold. Take twice the bulb length as the planting depth. Individual flower bulbs can be placed close together, but should not touch each other.
Tip
Advanced
Flower bulbs in a glass are a particularly beautiful decoration for living rooms and also make a nice present.
Necessary cold period
Without a cold stimulus, spring bloomers will not bloom. That's why you have to trick the flower bulbs planted in the pot.
- water well first
- store in a cool, dark cellar
- frost-free, but below 9 degrees Celsius
- alternatively outside in the shade
- cover outside with brushwood
The flower bulbs are exposed to the cold period outside or in the cellar for about three months. Then it continues warmly.
Cause to drive out
The pots are brought into the light, with the temperature only being increased gradually. At the beginning it can only be 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. Two weeks later, after the first shoots, it can get a little warmer.
The warmer the pot is, the more often you have to water the flower bulbs. However, you don't need to fertilize yet.
