Started with over 40 pots to force, mostly daffodils and tulips. I have a refrigerator in the basement dedicated to forcing; they wouldn't all fit in there. The overflow were placed in totes and stuck in a covered stairwell that connects basement to outside. Totes are then covered with rugs and blankets.
I've been utilizing both methods for years and encountered no problems, until this year. Got too compliant and lazy. When long spells of very cold, below 0 nights happen, I'd heretofore moved the totes inside basement door and recover (insulate against warmth) until temps not so arctic, usually a few days, then back to covered stairwell.
This year that's happened 3 times. The first time everything looked fine, lot of growth above and below. They were mainly covered in rugs. The 2nd time, when checked, to my horror many pot's soil was hard as a rock, like an ice rock, frozen. Plant top growth looked ok but I sustained some fear regarding their viability. I took those pots out of the cold totes and into the refrigerator figuring they'd thaw out gently.
Concurrently, the pots in refrig seemed to be shooting their stems up too quickly. To counter that, placement in a colder environment works. So I turned the temp in refrig down...I thought. Unwittingly, I turned the refrig off. The bulbs in there shot up shoots faster ad taller than the space allotted to them. If removed too soon from cold treatment, blooms are compromised.
Anyway, as noted above, I took quite a few of the too cold pots and placed them in refrig (after turning it back on) and put a bunch of the too warms from refrig into the totes.
A third too cold spell happened in late Jan., early Feb. Totes moved inside. Plants therein mostly looking ok. Moved back into stairwell. Quilts thrown over rugs for better insulation. A bunch of the pots in refrig were ready to be removed from cold treatment and were placed under fluorescents in cool basement (avg. temp 55 to 60°) to allow buds to mature and open; when that occurs they get moved upstairs for our viewing pleasure. When I checked the formerly frozen soil pots, to my amazement, most were in that same state. I had my wife adjust temp in refrig warmer (not trusting myself).
So that's how things have been so far.
First forcer, Cragford bloomed yesterday. Several tulip bulbs under the fluorescents have blooms about ready.




under fluorescents


totes in stairwell


refrig

Leen van der Mark and Jackpot - 2 Triumph tulips


Aafke - Single Early Tulip

(likely, heaved themselves out of alignment from one of the climactic traumas described above)

Close up of Jackpot - Triumph tulip



Tottori - Greigii tulip

More Triumph tulips

I can't even imagine the frustration but the blooms are beautiful

That is just so much. Are the bulbs all for your own enjoyment. Whatever the intention they must be such a great site to see. Don't we all have some mishap like this every once in a while. Maybe they will all have bigger blooms than ever, and you'll start a whole new process.

Pretty much.
If someone comes over I'll give them one, conversely, should we go somewhere, I''ll take em one.

You are just such a neat man. I would be making you and your wife dinner, right about now every year hoping for some spring lovelies. How many years have you been doing this now J?

Great thing to have in your life.

I am always interested in your progress in forcing Jack. It's an adventure to see what's pulled out of the fridge next.

Laurie I've been forcing bulbs for about 30 years. When we bought this place, with a basement and stairwell, the pace picked up. When we bought a new refrig 8 years ago, I inherited the old and then the forcing projects amped up accordingly.

and thanks, Kabby.

Paperwhites

Rest of Leen van der Mark

Iwona

Jack you make me anxious for spring

Jack, what kind of medium do you use for forcing? I have daffodil and narcissus bulbs from a winter order last year that i never got planted.

Regular old Miracle Grow.

Tote from stairwell brought into basement and set under lights. (6 pots)

Not for sure who this tulip is, tag missing; brought upstairs.

Yesterday
Another Greigii tulip


and, another tote from stairwell empty (none left there)


What's left in the cold:


Today
Kaydee

Thalia

Wow

Kaydee - looking fuller, better


Velthemia - not a forcer but a winter-blooming bulb -

technically, another winter blooming bulb, Hippeastrum -

Amaryillis from last year -

There's 2 or 3 more from last year starting to poke up.

Paperwhites, last of 4 groups -

View from on top of the blooming table.