Forcing Spring
Earlier this week I cut a few forsythia branches and brought them in. I put them in an old canning jar filled with water and put them on the old dresser that serves as a sideboard in my dining room.
Forcing forsythia is actually quite easy. You need to wait till Feb so that they’ve fulfilled their chill time. Cut branches less than 3 feet long on a day that is above freezing. Place them in warm water and put them in a bright warm place. If they get sun they’ll open quicker than if they don’t. Change water occasionally to keep it fresh.
Next time I got to my mom’s I’m planning on cutting some pussy willows to force as well, and I’ll probably cut a few more forsythia for other places around the house. I can’t wait for the yellow sprays to brighten my dining room.
Do you ever force blooms or bulbs?
Filed under Miscellaneus | Comments (19)
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This is sooo great! I’m doing it today!
to Mija's comment
Yup. Soon as we get a day above freezing, I’ll be cutting some forsythia. It might be awhile though . . .
kristin @ going country´s last blog ..Car Dancing
to kristin @ going country's comment
We used to force pussy willows all the time. They are not common in our current homestead area so have not done that in a long time. Both Forsythia and pussy willows just shout “spring time!”.
to kitsapFG's comment
love to force forsythia. I will probably cut some this weekend.
Rachel´s last blog ..SBKA or summit county beekeepers association
to Rachel's comment
What a neat idea! There’s so many amazing things you can do with plants.
Sara´s last blog ..BBA Bread #23: Pane Siciliano
to Sara's comment
I’m inspired! Yet another hint that spring might finally come. My Michigan forecast calls for 36 degrees over the weekend, so I’ll be digging out my pruners!
Janine at Rustic Kitchen´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday – brunch at Mary’s
to Janine at Rustic Kitchen's comment
PS, can you do this with azaleas/rhododendrons? I’m not sure of all the landscape plants we have (we’ve moved in a year and a half ago and I’m only just learning) but we have a lot of those.
Sara´s last blog ..BBA Bread #23: Pane Siciliano
to Sara's comment
Not sure if you can force azaleas, perhaps you can try. I’m sure if you search around on-line you should find. I think most people do forsythia & pussy willow because they’re so easy.
to Susy's comment
I haven’t forced many bulbs, had a crappy time with paperwhites, but I’ve always wanted to go forsythia.
to misti's comment
Yes! We always have an Amaryllis for Valentine’s Day (red, pink or striped). We start it before Christmas and we usually have lovely blooms in February. We bring forsythia in to grace our tables for St. Patrick’s Day every year and sometimes grow little pots of clover to leave around for the leprechauns. And we used to grow pots of grass for Easter…until the cats discovered how very tasty they are!
to Marie's comment
We moved to southern California years ago and I miss forsythia and pussy willows and other Spring flowers.
Jenny
to Jennifer Krieger's comment
There’s a red flowered bush around here whose name escapes me. I’d force that if I could find any. . . a little unauthorized pruning, perhaps.
stefaneener´s last blog ..About the Eggs
to stefaneener's comment
We don’t have any forsythia around here, unfortunately. I used to force narcissus bulbs sometimes, but I’ve heard they are bad for cats, and my cat is a plant eater.
Allie´s last blog ..Things that make me happy
to Allie's comment
What a great idea! Yeah, almost every winter I force a few amaryllis bulbs – they’re colorful and they grow like wildflower, blooming in about 4-6 weeks.
Joe´s last blog ..Bishop’s from Cerro San Luis
to Joe's comment
I love forcing spring. We have a beautiful forsythia in our backyard. Will be cutting some just as soon as it warms up a little. It’s been cold here in Ontario.
Debbie´s last blog ..One small Change – February
to Debbie's comment
I love to force bulbs and flowers (and I have a collection of blue canning jars I often use too), but this year El Nino is doing it for us here in the Northwest. My plum tree is blooming almost a month early, and I actually have a few forsythia blossoms open already in the yard.
to Amy WK's comment
I don’t usually force blooms because I don’t want to take them away from outside where they will bloom but I have been tempted!
I have a question for you. I was on Blotanical looking to see if anyone lived near Canton, I just found out today that my sister-in-law and her husband are about to move there. I was curious about the area and I saw on the map at Blotanical that you are very close. If you wouldn’t mind sometime sending me an email so I could ask a couple questions I would appreciate it! (thehomegarden [at] gmail.com)
Dave´s last blog ..2010 Seed Selections
to Dave's comment
A great idea, I’ll have to go and cut some branches!
Andres Stell´s last blog ..Lemon Blueberry Skillet Cake
to Andres Stell's comment
[...] those forsythia branches I brought inside last week to force? They’re blooming and bringing a little bit of sunshine into my dining room. I thought I’d [...]
to Forcing Forsythia | Chiot’s Run's comment