Another year, another thread to chronicle my current bulb forcing (and anyone else's) experience.
I had told myself I was going to cut back this year...I repeatedly and faithfully told any inquirer that the goal was to do less, at least I kept saying that till it became apparent I was not! I ended up with 22 pots in the basement dedicated refrigerator and 18 pots (in 3 totes) in the covered stairwell (to basement door from outside).
14 cultivars of tulips
22 cultivars of daffodils
plus a couple of Hippeastum, some paperwhites, and one Chionodoxa'

First forcers came out of cold period status 2-6. Hopefully some will bloom soon...
Meanwhile, some Amaryllis and Paperwhites

Lemon Star -

Lemon Star & Sweet Lillian
Sweet Lillian only has one scape because the other one broke off in the sack the bulb arrived in. I'd left it in there for later extraction to stagger blooms; to my surprise and dismay when I next looked I found it had commenced growth and broke off.
Lillian's single scape did well:
Sweet Lillian

Paperwhites Ziva
1st batch -

2nd batch (actually this single didn't take in the 1st batch) -


3rd batch (presently) -

The stairwell to the basement got a new cover in the fall -
from below Steel rather than wood.
view of from outside -



Totes used in stairwell - large one ->




I got a new radio thermometer to monitor temp from office. Got down to 32° under blankets on top of totes Nov 15th so rather than tempt fate, totes moved into basement, still blanketed, two days then returned to stairwell.

The great thing about using stairwell no watering is needed till pots moved out of cold period to under basement lights. Conversely, refrigerator pots watered about every 3-4 weeks.

Meanwhile, blooming in basement presently, a winter blooming bulb (not forced)
Velthemia
an epiphytic bromeliad, Queen's Tears - .

When cold period time served, here's where the pots are placed until bloom time.
1st ones placed here 2-6.
They're moved upstairs just prior to blooming.

why do u use glass balls ?

Glass marbles and ellipsoids used because: Allows easy root growth and able to track water level. Allowing some around bulbs holds them stable. Makes the container stand out, great visual impact. Easy to work with, clean and store.

jmorth said:Glass marbles and ellipsoids used because: Allows easy root growth and able to track water level. Allowing some around bulbs holds them stable. Makes the container stand out, great visual impact. Easy to work with, clean and store.

what about nutrients that are in the soil ? u use liquid fertilizer ?

Paperwhites are discarded after use, too tender for outside here.
I think most paperwhites are grown and exported from your 'neck of the woods'.

I do not grow plants that are gone after bloom, waste of money and resources
I only plants that can come back each year (by bulbs or seeds).

sangel said:

what about nutrients that are in the soil ? u use liquid fertilizer ?

No fertilizer used on/in any forcing pots of daffodils (including paperwhites) or tulips.

Still waiting, but did find a bulb outside blooming - Winter Aconite


and an Amaryllis from last year rebloom - Graffiti

Finally...a bloom downstairs -
Sugar Dipped
Classification:6 W-Y [ Cyclamineus ]

(Think they should should pose better later)
potted up 10-31-19 out of cold 2-6-20 bloom 2-25-20 weeks > 16.5

Sugar Dipped petals going from yellow to white -



Scarlet O'hara just opened

Fortune

This is one illustrious daffodil. Fortune was registered with the RHS in 1917; it's creator was W T Ware of England. Ware crossed a Div. 2 (large cupped) with a Div. 1 (Trumpet) to yield Fortune (classified as a large cupped, div. 2). By 1935 it won an Award of Merit, 2 forcing awards, two First Class Certificates (Best of Show), and a Preliminary Consideration. In 1947 another Award of Merit added. These are considered national and international awards of the highest order.
Fortune is fertile as a seed parent and as a pollen parent. Between 1924 and 2003 it was crossed 215 times (63 times as the former, 152 times the latter) in 5 different countries yielding 183 named and registered cultivars. And, it's still available through most bulb supply houses here and abroad. Quite impressive!

Pacific Rim

Another prestigious award winner, Pacific Rim was awarded the Pannill Award in 1994. This metal is given by the American Daffodil Society (ADS) for outstanding show quality daffodils. Pacific Coast was bred by America's greatest daffodil breeder, Grant E Mitsch and registered with RHS in 1994. Mitsch was from the west coast.(part of the Pacific Rim of volcanos surrounding the Pacific Ocean).

Ice Follies just starting to open

And yet another big time daffodil, Ice Follies winner of AGM as well as the American equivalent, the Wister Award, Rated 5 stars by Missouri Botanical Garden (Mobot). Opens yellow and white, turns all white. (I think these were among the 1st cultivars I ever forced way back when).

Sugar Dipped
<<enlarge to see flecks
This daffodil has some real 'presence'. Dutch bred anf grown it is a Div 6 daffodil with swept back wings of white behind a vivid yellow funnel shaped lengthy corona. Close examination of the cup's rim reveals sparkles of white here and there. Is that the sugar in Sugar Dipped?

Scarlet O'hara

A classic large cupped (Div 2) daffodil that that captures whatever stage she's on. Very yellow petals form the backdrop for an orange-scarlet trumpet style cup. Award of Merit in 1950 and Best of Show (FCC) in '53.Tall, vivid, and vigorous. Name probably from 'Gone With the Wind'.

Group photo

From bottom left Sugar Dipped up Scarlet O'Hara right Fortune white bottom right Ice Follies

Ice Follies



Fortune and Scarlet O'Hara

Yellow Sailboat

All yellow sport of Sailboat (all white) registered in 2017 by a Dutch breeder. Numerous blooms with yellow petals swept back like a sail in the wind. Sweetly scented Div. 7 Jonquill with narrow deep green foliage.
These daffodils do well in southern states. Sometimes known as Lemon Sailboat.

Here placed in a family portrait -


(lower just left of center)
Smallest bloom so far.

the "family portrait" is impressive.

Thanks.

Tulips about to start -
Calgary Flame

Refrig nearly cleaned out -


Waiting table pretty full -

Scarlet O'Hara, Fortune, and Ice Follies

(right, left, and center)

Tulips -
Calgary Flame


Marie Jo
a double

Daffodils -
Pacific Rim


Color Run


Yellow Sailboat and Sugar Dipped

Calgary Flame with Color Run


Color Run

Large cup, Div. 2 daffodil. Y-O (yellow petals-orange cup in ADS data base), Y-P (yellow petals-pink cup in Brent and Becky's description). I'd call it yellow petals, melon cup (although melon isn't an accepted descriptive term in the daffodil world).
Name probably based on observation that the opening colors get more intense with greater maturity.
It's an unregistered introduction from the Netherlands.

Cosmopolitan

Div. 7 Jonquilla daffodil. W-YYP. Several flowers per stem. Sweetly scented. Also a Dutch creation though registered.

Stint

Soft yellow, pendulous blooms. Division 5 (Triandrus) daffodil. Won AGM (Award of Garden Merit) in 2003.

Tulip tarda

Short yellow and white dwarf sized tulip.

Group

Marie Jo and Falmouth Bay -


Falmouth Bay - opened yesterday


Doll Baby opened today