Monday, November 4, 2013

Storing and Forcing Bulbs


             Now there is no work in the garden, I decided to put the gladioli bulbs in storage until spring. I have a bit of gladioli, and I grow them in containers and large pots. Before digging I cut their roots and foliage with a secateurs, shaken the soil, gently teared off the old bulb, trying not to damage the new one and rinsed them under running water from mud.
Then I laid them out in boxes and dried them in the room at +25 ... 30 C for about 1 month, then peeled and assorted gladioli. Usually I fully clean bulb to determine healthy or sick it is. 




  



Gladioli can be stored, placing them in boxes or pouches in the lower box of refrigerator, near a balcony door, on a window sill. I wrapped bulbs in newspaper and store in a box, in a cool place where the temperature is about +10 C. 

 
During the winter, I regularly look at them and throw away the diseased ones. The bulbs that I treated with 'Viridis nitentis', I keep separately from the healthy ones.

Often in spring, I see the sprouts appeared well before planting time. Then I lay out gladioli in a bright place and subsequently plant them out in small pots. So I have an early seedling of gladioli, and plant them in June already with large leaves.

In September I also set aside a few tulip bulbs for wintery forcing in water. I chose a variety of 'Red Georgette', these multifloral tulips have 3 flower stalks from one bulb. Now, these bulbs are wrapped in paper and lie in the vegetable box in my refrigerator until the end of December at temperature of + 9 C. Recently I looked at them, they were a little wet and I changed the paper. 

 
How will bulb forcing go? I promise to tell and show you.
And will you do forcing bulbs? What kind of bulbs are they?

photo from internet

That's all for now, have a nice week!

50 comments:

  1. When I lived in the north, we stored our gladioli bulbs like you do. Here we can leave them in the ground in the winter. Your tulips will look beautiful in the winter. I haven't forced bulbs for years because so many stores have them that I just admire them in the shops and know that spring is near. Happy new week Nadezda!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, Peter, many stores and I think I will buy daffodils in the shop in spring. But I would like to try forcing ..Thank you!

      Delete
  2. I saw someone else post about bulb forcing this morning. I hadn't heard of it before. I learn so much from your blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very good post about storing your gladioli. I store them too and keep them year after year, but I am afraid not so nicely as you do. I let them dry with mud, don't clean them at all, afterwards they go into boxes to the basement where it is about 10 degr.C. In spring I sort them out before planting them directly in the garden in March or April. Nice how you store them beautifully wrapped in paper in a box.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Janneke, you have a basement, so you store them this way. I clean and dry and wrap them because storing in a house.Thank you!

      Delete
  4. We used to grow gladioli but haven't for a while now. We don't really force any bulbs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's easier to buy bulb forcing in a shop then storing much time, you're right. But I'd like to try! Thank you, Sue!

      Delete
  5. I am doing the same thing with dahlia tubers that I dug up for winter storage. I clean them and dry them just as you describe here for your gladioli. Then I store them in a cool place in newspaper. You are taking such good care of your gladioli -- they look like expensive Christmas tree ornaments all wrapped so well in paper : ) It will be worth it next year when they are replanted!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I see, Laurrie, you're already thinking about Christmas! My wrapped gladioli are my summer garden decoration. Thank you!

      Delete
  6. You are very organised. I have never tried forcing bulbs, I should!

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is very interesting. I wonder if I should be doing this with daffodil bulbs after they have flowered. . There are reasonable sized bulbs sometimes after the leaves have died down, but they often don't flower well.

    I don't have much success in growing gladioli,I think the bed they go in, is too dry and hot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Daffodils are forced the same way, Jenny! I'd try them as well but had no large bulbs this autumn. Thank you!

      Delete
  8. I love gladioli, have tried to growing them here but the bulbs didn’t flower much the second year when left in the ground, I don’t think they got enough sun in my garden. I don’t have anywhere to store plants or bulbs over winter, with no green house or shed or even a basement it is either indoors in a warm house or outside in the cold and wet so everything I have need to survive the winter outside!

    I have forced hyacinths in the past, but it is a lot of work and these days you can buy them ready forced so no point in doing it yourself anymore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Helene, you have a forcing experiment, I'm sure your hyacinths have bloomed wonderful. The storing temperature for gladioli is 10...15C in my corridor. Sometimes when there is warm in a corridor gladioli start sprouting and I need to plant then for seedlings. Thank you!

      Delete
  9. I really like both gladioli and dahlias ....... but have no bulbs in the garden. Wish you a good Tuesday :) Hugs Hanne Bente ♥

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear Nadezda,what an interesting post!!!
    You are very organised with the bulbs!!!
    I never tried forcing bulbs!!!Maybe i do!!
    Have a nice week!!!
    Dimi..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've tried hyacinths forcing as well, Dimi. And hope at the good result now. Thank you!

      Delete
  11. I love Gladioli but never grow them. I'd love to have a go. Your blog is a mine of information Nadezda.
    Patricia x

    ReplyDelete
  12. You did good work with your bulbs. I just threw mine into a paper bag and they're in the garage now... Happy week, Nadezda!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know , Satu, you have bulbs as well and store them as I do. Thank you!

      Delete
  13. You are a true gardener, Nadezda.
    I only keep dahlia roots over winter and geraniums plants. I cut the green back half and either wrap them in newspaper or plant them in small pots and put them on a cool window sill. I leave tulips in the ground and hope for the best. I don’t grow gladioli.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're lucky, Friko, having cool window sill! I always have no success storing dahlias tubers.Thank you!

      Delete
  14. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge Nadezda. I will try the tulip bulb forcing as well. Always so exciting to try something new and as I just LOVE tulips, I can't have them in the house soon enough. Hope it'll work. Did you already try it before or is this also the first time?
    I meant to take the Dahliabulbs out of the soil to store over winter(something I did try before but never was successful) but with the storm everything was smashed to the ground and with all the rain, our garden is flooded, impossible to work in, so I'm afraid the Dahlia bulbs will rotten in the soil. I had bought some tulip bulbs I still had to plant but now I won't, they surely wouldn't be able to cope with this overdosis of water. It is very early in the season to have the garden all flooded already, wonder what it'll do to the plants in it..... But, once again, thanks for the tip to force tulipbulbs ;)
    Marian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've tried hyacinths forcing, and I liked the result. I don't plant any bulbs or flowers in watery soil, it's better to store potted tulips or wrapped in paper in garage. My garden seems floating as well after days of rain. Hope rain stop soon. Thank you, Marian!

      Delete
  15. You are never bored when you have a garden, always little jobs to do:) Have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Buen sistema para luego replantar:)) Aquí ya se acabó el huerto hasta el año que viene, hay noches que ya hiela :((
    Siempre hay trabajo con las plantas y que agradecido es, el resultado es precioso:))
    Me gusta muchu la foto de la cabecera del blog!!
    Buen miércoles amiga. Un beso.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Estoy contenta que te gusto mi cabecera nueva, la hizo de las fotos que tome en el bosque cercano. Se que tienes buena cosecha de tomates, que vas a hacer con ellos? Gracias, Laura!

      Delete
  17. Hello Nadezda! What an interesting post. I think you are very organised.
    Greetings, Ela

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've never tried forcing bulbs, but I think it would be wonderful to have something blooming in the house when it was cold outside. Perhaps one day I'll give it a try! Thanks for the information!

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a gorgeous display you will have next year! I haven't had a lot of luck forcing bulbs, other than paperwhites and hyacinths. I must confess I tend to forget about them as winter goes on. Last year I stored some elephant ears in the garage and they got too warm before I remembered them; I'm still mad at myself for that one. Your organization in preparing all these glads for the winter is impressive!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love paperwhites as well and grow them indoors. I have to try forcing them too! Poor your elephant ears:((
      Thank you, Rose!

      Delete
  20. Your work today will bring a glorious Spring, my friend. I look forward to seeing your blooms!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do hope to see blooms too, Carolyn! Thank you.

      Delete
  21. You are an enterprising soul, Nadezda! I certainly do not have the patience to store the Gladiolas the way you do. But if you can keep them healthy that way from year to year, you save money and get the same colours back. Let us know how the storage goes.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Nadezda, I admire you. You are very systematic and exact.
    You have everything organized and put together ..
    I know now that your plants grow like and wonderful.
    I wish you a nicer Sunday.
    I send greetings.
    Lucia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is very simple work, Lucia. I do it every autumn. Nothing complicated!
      Thank you!

      Delete
  23. Very nice to see such good care of your bulbs Nadezda.
    I have tried forcing hyacinths by putting them, one to a pot, into the ground, buried up to about 3 cm from the top of the pot. When they have grown to about 8cm I bring them inside and placed them on a window ledge to force them to bloom early.
    Thank you for sharing these great ideas.
    Betty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have great experience forcing hyacinths, Betty! I'll try tulips forcing in water, will see the result, thank you!

      Delete
  24. I forced hyacinth bulbs for the first time last winter and it was a wonderful way to add some color to dreary winter days. I threw them away when they were done blooming and will try different ones this year. I need to learn to save them the way you do. You will have so many flowers to look forward to. :o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure the bright hyacinths bring spring in cool wintry day, Tammy! Hope I will have many blooms in spring. Thank you!

      Delete
  25. Miraculous blog site!! I would surely bookmark this site and every day I’ll get more and more latest information. Delaney

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by Nadezda's Northern Garden blog!
I'm glad to read your friendly comments very much.
Feel free to comment on the posts or photos
I warmly welcome the new followers on my blog.