Are you keeping them cold and dark at the moment? If so they only need to have slightly damp medium. Once they are up and you take them into the nursing home they will need more water to maintain the same level of moisture as those places tend to be very warm. And hopefully the pot has a drainage hole? But be aware they will not last long in bloom under those conditions. Even outside the flowers only last a few days. When my parents were bed bound I needed to take new flowering bubs in nearly every week.

I just planted them yesterday. I did water them as I used bone meal to add to the soil. The planter does have a drainage hole. Currently they are outside.

They need to be kept cold and dark, not outside in the light. I don't quite follow why bone meal means they need to be watered. They need watering anyway and the bone meal would serve no purpose for forced bulbs since they are using the reserves in their corms, not from the planting medium. Once they've been forced they can be be planted out in the garden or thrown out.

I set my refrigerator to low enough to freeze them solid for at least two months. In your kitchen refrigerator, put them into the freezer. Then set the temperature to about 40 degrees. In a few weeks they will sprout leaves. Place them in warm sunlight and they will perform nicely. Water on rare occasions even after the bloom is spent.

To use your kitchen refrigerator: After they are well drained, put them into plastic bags and freeze them for two months.

Then place them in the back of the refrigerator to thaw and sprout in about two - three weeks. If you see mold then take them out and let the surface
dry off and back into the refrigerator.

Yes, you can place as many into a container as you want because they will perform only once this first time. Place them in the garden after the greens die back.

The pictures are from last year 2/13/15.

Thank you so much. This information is exactly what I need!

I'm sorry but I have to question the recommendation to freeze the bulbs. They do need a chill period of at least 13 weeks but virtually every resource you can find on forcing bulbs will clearly mention not to allow the bulbs to freeze. Even after potting, one is cautioned to avoid exposing the pot to below freezing temps. A frozen bulb will generally turn to mush and not grow or produce flowers.

As Floral stated, all they need is cool - 35-45F (2-4C) - and dark. Here is an excellent link on forcing bulbs.

Well, what can I say? Drench, drain, freeze 2 months, thaw 4 weeks then they have 2" sprouts. Place them on a warm window sill (hot hot) or on the kitchen table.

I am using a 1940 Philco refrigerator, you know, the one with the tilt-out potato bin at the bottom. It moved here when my parents got married built their own house in the 50s. Water that drips out when I first place them in will freeze and remain frozen for the duration. In a week or so the soil is frozen solid with frost on top.

I set the dial to maximum cold (9) and two months later to 4 or so to let them thaw and sprout.

It may well be that they do not need to freeze but it works for me. After all, here in zone 5, the ground freezes to 6" or more and they survive out there.

I would like to hear from anyone that let them freeze and had them die. Are there different bulbs for the warmer zones?