| Just when winter
begins to seem like a permanent condition, you have a chance
to bring a preview of spring indoors, to foster some budding
tree or shrub branches on their way to flowering.
Bring in a few cuttings every
week or so to have a steady succession of indoor blossoms
until the spring gardening season begins. In late winter or
early spring, as the natural blooming season grows closer, you’ll
find branches take less time to bloom indoors than they did in
February. Follow these tips for greatest success:
- Cut branches when
temperatures are relatively moderate—not
bitterly cold. Look for branches with abundant flower
buds. (Leaf buds are slimmer, more pointed; flower
buds are rounder, fatter.)
- Keep in mind the
stems you cut will affect the plant’s growth
habit. Select branches accordingly, following good
pruning practices. (Note: do not cut more branches
than you wish to force, since this will reduce the
number of blooms you have on your shrub this
spring. Annual pruning of spring-flowering shrubs
should be done within a couple of weeks after
bloom.)
- Use sharp, clean
tools to cut the branches.
- Crush the cut ends
of the branches to expose more plant tissue so
water can be absorbed more readily. Plunge the
branches into a bucket of lukewarm water.
- The next day, put
the branches in fresh, cool water.
- Keep branches in a
cool place away from light until ready for
flowering. Mist the buds daily.
- When buds begin to
swell, move the branches from their storage bucket
into an attractive container, and give them more
light. Keep away from heat as much as possible, as
cooler temperatures extend the bloom-time of the
branches.
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Best Shrubs for Forcing
- Spirea ×
vanhoutei
(Van Houtte Spirea)
- Prunus spp.
(Flowering Almond, Flowering Cherry, Plum)
- Forsythia spp.
(Forsythia)
- Syringa spp.
(Lilac)
- Salix discolor
(Pussy Willow)
- Malus spp.
(Apples, Crab Apples)
- Aesculus
hippocastanum
(Common Horse Chestnut)
- Amelanchier spp.(Serviceberry)
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