Specialty Gardening: Yup, stick it in a bucket and force it to bloom, 1 by BLOSSOMBUDDY

BLOSSOMBUDDY wrote:
Hi Terri!

Well, I have done it several different ways , both in the dark and out.

While I have not kept any records on this, it does seem that if you keep them in the dark, they bloom a tad faster, but not by much. They want to reach for the light! Just like potatoes growing in the pantry!! LOL!

The forced blooms need the light to get their richer natural color, but it just seems that in the dark they pop better. The dark trics them into thinking its time to grow...I generally move them out on or around the 10th day, depending on how fast they start. Every season is different. Deepends on how early spring is coming on too. This year our spring should be here (hoping) by March.. other years its a month or two later.

If you crush the ends, they bloom a tad faster too, but if you do not crush the ends, they still bloom and some will take root especially the willow species - pussy willows, the aussies, all willows and sometimes the forsythias will root, but I have not had great luck with those.

I have had a huge request for willows this year so I will be doing them literally by the barrel outside and in day light as time goes on to the season. Might even fill the horsetrough to get quanities... The ice storm we had this winter has pushed us to where we have to do some serious pruning on the willows and well, no sense wasting good cuttings on the clean up! But those, I am forcing for trees as I have a request for a long fencerow.

You need to watch your supply of water if any have rooted because the water will drop below the root line on the cuttings and you want to keep them going with ample fluid!

Now mind you, when the twiglets are forced, you are not going to get the wonderous ample foliage as when they bloom on the vine so to speak and the blossums will often be some what miniatured!
But lovely all the same and some do force better than others!

We used to do the forcings for garden club for the early season flower show arrangements, especially the forsythia and lilacs, the forsythia get a fair size, but the lilacs come small.

Enjoy experimenting! Some do get messy losing bud sheaths when they start popping so you may want to spread paper under the buckets or prepare to pull the vac out!

Here in this pic of my aussies...you can see by the pale color of these new leaves they are already suffering for light.. so it is time to get them out of the closet to get them to color up!

Now later when I go to plant these new trees to be, they will suffer die back on the blooms and leaves.. not to worry mate, there....these trees once planted will re-grow new growth and grow the wood at an amazing high speed. This has to be one of the most amazing trees I know. (Mind you too, these are similiar to the patented AUSTRAILLIAN WILLOWS, but mine are not trademarked and they bloom, the other patented one does not bloom flowers. Mine is a hybrid of that specie though, but not sure how related!