How to Grow Care Tips for Flowering Houseplant Bulbs

What can be better than having flowers blooming in your home in the middle of winter.

Hyacinth
Amaryllis
Papaerwhite

If you are buying new plant bulbs, they can be planted in any small, clean clay or plastic pot that has drip holes in the bottom. The soil does not dry out as quickly in plastic pots and they are much lighter to handle than clay pots. I like to make a soil mixture for my winter bulb plants using one part sand, two parts peat moss, and one part garden loam. You can fit 3 hyacinth bulbs, 15 crocus bulbs, 6 daffodil bulbs, or 6 tulip bulbs in a pot with a 6” diameter. Always buy large, good quality bulbs. Never select a flower bulb that is soft or has started to sprout. The quality of the bulb is extremely important because it contains the food needed for the flowering plant to eventually grow.

Place your newly planted bulbs in a bright, cool area (50°- 60°F ( 10°- 15.6°C), water well, and feed with an all purpose plant food at ½ the recommended strength. Once leaves and buds appear, move the containers of bulbs to a warmer, brighter location, 65°-75°F (18.3-23.9°C). Never put the bulbs in direct sun. Keep the soil damp but not soggy.

After the plant has finished flowering, plant the bulbs outside in your garden or store them in a cool place to be used again next year.