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Bulb Planting Instructions
Instructions for Growing Narcissus 1. Do not allow students to handle your narcissus bulb, and handle only minimally yourself. Bulb can irritate skin. To see and touch what’s inside a bulb, try our Sprout and Dissect Onions. 2. Put about an inch of gravel in the bottom of your plastic pot. Set narcissus bulb on gravel near the side of the pot. Finish filling pot with gravel to about 3/4 of bulb height. 3. Add water but do not immerse your bulb; water should just touch bulb bottom. Check daily and add water as necessary. 4. Place potted bulb in a dark cupboard, closet or drawer for two or three weeks, until roots and shoots are well established. Then move to a well-lighted place away from direct sunlight. Shoots should grow quickly; flowers should appear within two or three weeks. If plant becomes leggy, stake with a stick or a plastic ruler. Instructions for Growing Crocus Indoors 1. Plant bulbs immediately upon arrival. Fill two or three small pots with a shallow layer of sterile gravel or small stones. Add sterile potting soil to within an inch and a half of the top. Place corms (stem bases) on soil pointed end up, an inch apart, then cover with soil. 2. Water thoroughly and allow pots to drain for several hours. Place pots on saucers or in small plastic bags (leave tops open to allow plenty of air circulation). 3. Place in refrigerator or other cold, dark place for about six weeks (ideal temperature is 45°F to 48°F). KEEP POTS AWAY FROM RIPENING FRUIT, which can cause corms to fail. Check weekly for roots, which should appear through drain holes. 4. When roots are established, place pots in a sunny location at room temperature. Blooms should appear in about three weeks. Instruction for Growing Crocus Outdoors (in cool or cold climates) Find a sunny, protected bed—away from squirrels, rabbits and mice, if possible —where corms will be undisturbed throughout the winter. Plant in shallow holes (about an inch and a quarter deep). Corms should be under half an inch of soil. Mulch with leaves, straw or grass cuttings. Water from time to time until first snowfall or, in snowless areas, throughout winter. Look for shoots in early spring or when snow cover melts. |
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