How To Grow Tulips In Water By Force?

Forcing tulips in water is a great way to have indoor tulip blooming even when they are out of season. To properly force tulips, first prepare the bulbs by tricking them into believing they have survived winter. Fill a vase with water until it comes just 1 inch (3 cm.) from the bottom of the bulb and move the bulb and vase to a cool dark location for 4 to 6 weeks. Change the water weekly and watch for signs of sprouting. In a couple of months, you can move the sprouted bulb out to a lit area and grow it on.

To properly force tulips, gather your materials, including tullip bulbs, a glass vase, glass jar, bulb vase or forcing vase, a forcing vase, hose or watering can, and the right varieties. Choose shorter-growing varieties such as Tulipa humilis (or the similar T. puchella) and “Apricot Beauty” as a taller variety that forces well.

The bulb must sit in the neck of the vase with just its roots touching the water, keeping the water level about 1″ below the base of the bulb. Keep in a cool dark place for 4 -6 weeks and when a shoot appears, move to a bright, warm spot where the tulip will bloom. You may also opt to purchase a forcing vase, which is curved to allow the bulb to sit just above the water with only the roots in the moisture.

Trick the bulbs using a cold environment to make them flower by taking them out, rinsing them under clean water, rubbing the bulb gently, patting the bulb dry with paper towel, and placing them back into the vase. Fill the vase with water until it comes just 1 inch from the bottom of the bulb and move the bulb and vase to a cool dark location for 4 to 6 weeks. Plant the tulip bulbs close together with the pointy side of the bulb facing up and cover with more soil until the tips are about an inch below the soil surface. Forcing bulbs indoors in water may be done by simply submerging the root zone or suspending the bulb above the water so only the roots remain.