You could plant them individually in soil and grow them on till the foliage dies back. For a tulip to bloom the bulb needs to be about four and a half inches in circumference. It take more than one growing season usually to attain that size, and most gardeners in warm climates like ours will just buy new bulbs. Al

Usually, tulips that have been forced, especially when forced on water, are discarded. The process takes a lot out of the bulb and it may take a long time to recover. Also, tulips do not bloom well (if at all) without a cold period, so in a warmer climate, it makes better sense to buy new bulbs each year.

The bulbs are suspended just above the water - if the bulbs sit in water for extended periods, they will rot. After the cold period, the pots are brought into light and warmer temperatures. Once they bloom, I extend the bloom period by placing the vases in a frost-free spot outdoor.

I have used the process for all sorts of bulbs, including hyacinths, crocus, and amaryllis (below is a photo of one of this year's), and I have found tulips to be the most fickle. If you want to force tulips, your best bet is one of the more foolproof varieties.
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And yes, that is one of those Costco tulip vases next to the amaryllis.

very pretty..I HAVE to try that!!

So here's a question for ya..
After my tulips (the ones which are in pots) are done blooming outside, can I chill them in the fridge for a few months..how many? Can I try to get them to re-bloom this way so I can have them bloom inside over the summer? Or do they need a year's rest like they would in the ground?

Thanks,
Daniella

I have never tried anything like that, but really, what would be the harm in trying? I assume tulips need a rest and your plan would not work, but loads of assumptions are proven wrong on a regular basis. If you do try it, I would go with a plain, consistent bloomer.

Thanks for the input! I'm gonna try it, I'll let ya know what happens.

Have you ever tried it with other bulbs like cannas, or lilies or anything? I am going to try it with some cannas as well and see what happens.

Daniella

In order to rebloom the tulips, you first need to make sure they get as much growing time out of the existing foliage as they can get. That means giving them light and fertilizer until the leaves die back. Then, you need to store the bulbs at room temperatures for at least 2-3 months before chilling them. Tulip bulbs are never truly dormant. There are changes going on inside the bulb even when they seem to be dry and sitting on the shelf in the stores in the fall.

A tulip bulb will not rebloom until it has matured to the "G" stage (there are a bunch of growth stages the bulb goes through after the foliage dies back). This is the stage where the embryonic bud has completely formed within the bulb (if you cut open a bulb in the fall, you'll see a small, 2mm high bud with all the parts of a full flower -- petals, stamen, pistil, etc.).

Pat

O Pat, thank you! I am writing this down and am going to use your advice. So maybe in the fall I will have blooming tulips? Thank you very much!
Daniella

Every year, I force a number of bulbs and bulb-like plants - lilies-of-the-valley, irises (bulbs and rhizomes), hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, Pleiones, Crocus, etc. I would think most are suitable for trying on water as long as the bulb/rhizome does not sit in the water. I have never tried forcing Cannas or lilies in any way.

Pat makes a good point: after bloom, the bulbs need to regenerate for the next cycle. For that reason, I think I would try new bulbs for out-of-season forcing. You should be able to hold back growth for some time in cold after you purchase bulbs in autumn.

I just discard the tulips (both water forced and soil in pots forced) since it is not worth it to me to try to save them outside or plant again. Seems like they are cheap enough to just discard and start over with fresh bulbs. The way I look at it gardening should be fun and not all tedious work. Plus consider the cost of a cut flower arrangement from a florist and we don't try to preserve the flowers or dry them after receiving such an arrangement, would we? We just accept that we enjoy the flowers and then discard them when they brown up. So this is the way I think of it. I've even done this with rare tulips from Old House Gardens.

Do the Costco tulips have any fertilizer in the water?

My husband got me a set of what you guys are calling 'forced' tulips for valentines day. I have never seen anything like it and was amazed at the fact they had grown in this cold weather let alone in water. When he brought them home I was kind of sceptical to if they would really bloom, we'll they have and they are beautiful pink tulips, so now my question is what do I do now? It has been about 2 weeks and they are at full bloom but the leaves are starting to turn colors. I am new to the whole gardening thing and especially new to this forcing thing....I've never seen it before. I really want them to last, is there anyway to keep them alive longer or any tips on how to care for them? The only instructions were filtered sunlight and keep them evenly watered. Do I put them outside or keep them in? I live in Harford co. Maryland so it's not too cold here but our weather is going up and down, yesterday was 62 degrees and today was only 47. Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you and I hope everyone has a great day.

Amber, I have something similar and I regret to say those bulbs are not meant to be kept. They are kind of a living cut flower. You could try putting them in a bright window after blooming with a low dose of orchid fertilizer in hopes they can store up enough for next year. Possibly plant out in the garden when the daffodils are out and see what happens next Spring. You have nothing to loose, but might find yourself starting at just foliage.

My advice would be to discard the bulbs and keep the vase as the momento. Tulips are pretty cheap and I am considering reusing the vase to force my own chilled bulbs next year.

Thank you, unfortunately that's what I've been hearing from alot of people. I am going to dry out the flowers and put them in my scrapbook and try to plant the bulbs just to see....like you said I have nothing to loose. 50-50 chance right!!! LoL. They were still a beautiful surprise from my hubby and I have a beautiful vase to keep for the flowers from my gerden this year. Everyone have a great night and thank you for your response.

Not even 50:50 I'm afraid. But by all means give it a go. As you say there's nothing to lose.

hello I'm a total novice (read: black thumb alert). I got one of these Costco numbers and want to know how to care for it. How deep the water (below the plastic ring? above? ) and do I need to add nutrients (packets that comes with other cut flowers?). We live in northern California with ~65-70 daytime highs. Thanks a bunch (oh the pun!) Look forward to your helpful tips :)

Plus another question: do I change the water daily just like with other fresh cut flowers in a vase?

No need to change the water. Only the roots should be in water. It should not touch the base of the bulbs. All the nutrients for the flowers come from those stored in the bulb last year.

I received this and I need to know what to do with it now?they were tulips

I have actually had really good luck planting the forced bloomed tulips you can purchase potted.

I"ve had good luck planting forced tulips as well. I figure there is no harm in trying. I'm looking forward to planting a couple groupings of tulips that I bought before Easter.

I also bought the Costco tulips in glass forcing vases (2 yellow and 1 pink)*. After the leaves went brown, I thought I would just toss them, as there was mold on the bulbs. But I decided to see if I could save them. First I took off the roots on all the bulbs by just rubbing my thumb over them, they came right off. Then I peeled off the moldy "skins," along with any flower stems, saving any of the babies that were attached. I had a damp cloth to wipe my fingers to keep them clean, as the mold sticks to your fingers. The bulbs under the moldy skins looked very healthy, ie firm to the touch and shiny. I then put them in a open shallow shoebox on a paper towel leaving space between each one. When they are dry, I plan to put them in paper bags in a dark place and store until about November. Since I live in a warm climate, I will then put the paper bags in the garage fridge for a few weeks. I will plant them in pots in February in new rich well draining soil, so they can be replenished. *Side note: It was cheaper for me to buy the tulips in the glass vase at Costco than to buy separately a bag of tulips at Home Depot or Lowe's and a glass forcing vase. Next year, I can use those vases again to force bulbs...will buy the bulbs in different colors at HD or L or my local nursery.

I, too, have one of those forcing vases from Costco. I'd like to buy a bag of tulip bulbs in the fall and try to force. How is this done? Do I set the bulbs in the vase in a little water and chill? In fridge or outdoors? For how long?

Chill first then place in glass vase. Tulip bulbs need a chill period of around 13 weeks and you can safely store in the frig as long as there is no fruit present. Many fruits will emit ethylene gas which will abort flowering of the bulbs.

Once they have been properly chilled and placed in the vase (be sure to add glass marbles or pea gravel to keep the bulbs elevated off the bottom), add water to just below the level of the bulb and store in a cool dark place for 4-6 weeks. Change the water weekly and check for any shoots. Once you see some healthy looking foliage developing, you can bring them out into bright light and wait for them to bloom :-)

btw, bulbs forced in water will seldom, ever rebloom. They are just unable to access any nutrients and photosynthesis alone is not enough to recharge the bulb for the following year. And most hybrid tulips are very reluctant reboomers anyway. Best to toss and start fresh.