Early and Valentine's Day Forcing

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Calvin Mills
9 years ago
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1 Early and Valentine's Day Frcing Frcing bulbs fr January and February is becming increasingly ppular. It just requires planting bulbs earlier. Sme varieties are better than thers fr this early crp. Three easy steps t a Valentine's Day Sellut! Step 1: Pre-Planting Instructins - what t d when yur bulbs arrive and recmmended supplies fr ptting Step 2: Cler Instructins - specific instructins when using a cler. Outdr rting is nt recmmended fr this early crp, clers are required. Step 3: Greenhuse Prductin Instructins - specific instructins and s nce bulbs are taken ut f the cler r grund and brught int the greenhuse Step 4: Valentine's Day - Sellut! Step 1: Pre-Planting Instructins Getting ff t the right start is imprtant t a successful crp. Start ut with quality bulbs, new pts and gd sil. All three are necessary t prevent prblems dwn the line. Accurate climate cnditins frm start t finish are essential. When t Plant: Plant as sn as yu receive yur shipment. We have taken great care t pre-cl bulbs at 9 degrees Celsius(Fahrenheit?), it is imprtant that these bulbs maintain 9 degrees Celsius(Fahrenheit?) during ptting and watering befre ging int a 9 degree Celsius(Fahrenheit?) cler. Ptting Sil: Plant bulbs in well drained grwing mix. The grwing mix shuld be as fllws: ph level between Lw in sluble salts Shuld be mist at planting Leave enugh rm in the pt fr water ( leave an inch f rm frm the tp rim ) Grwing mix shuld cntain the fllwing: 20% clean tp sil r sand - this is very imprtant t avid btrytis 60% peat mss 20% Styrfam r vermiculite fr added drainage and t increase xygen in the pt fr increased air t yur tulip's rts. 1

Step 1: Pre-Planting Instructins - what t d when yur bulbs arrive and recmmended supplies fr ptting Step 2: Cler Instructins - specific instructins when using a cler.

2 D nt use perlite, this releases fluride and causes leaf damage n tulips The grwing mix can greatly influence the quality f yur tulip crp. A ph f versus will lessen the amunt f rts. Shuld yur ph be at the level f r clse t 7.0 bring it dwn t a less neutral level. The sand in yur mix will naturally fight ff bacteria and will increase the drainage xygen levels arund the tulip rts which is desirable. Use New Pts and Gd Ptting Sil t Prevent Grey Mld: What is grey mld? Grey mld r btrytis cinerea is a bacterial rt disease that will develp n tulip rts and attack the bulb itself. Grey mld will then attack the stem and plant during the greenhuse phase. Symptms: Grey mld can be seen in the cler during the winter mnths Grey puffy r fuzzy mld grwing n drainage hles Slimy glazy rts in the bttm f the pt Caused by: 1. Lng extended rting at 48 degrees causing excessive rt frmatin at the bttm f the pt. 2. Ethylene gas build-up. Make sure yur bulbs are stred in a well ventilated area r rm. Yur bulbs need t breath, therwise yur flwers may abrt r dry up when in the greenhuse phase. 3. T clean r sterile ptting mix. The grwing medium used by mst grwers is a straight artificial grwing mix. These steamed and sterilized grwing mixes are t clean. Tulips need a mix f sand and gd quality tp sil mix capable f fighting infectin. Take Steps t AVOID GREY MOLD BY: 1. Always use new pts 2. Use the prper grwing mix as described abve 3. Rt tulips until they just hit the bttm f the pt 4. Fllw temperature schedule as described belw. Step 2: Cler Instructins Cler r Cellar Prductin Specific Instructins: Make sure the humidity inside the cler is high (95%) 2

The sand in yur mix will naturally fight ff bacteria and will increase the drainage xygen levels arund the tulip rts which is desirable.

3 Yu can wet the flr with water If pts are drying ut n tp because f cndensing unit fans, give them water Check fr rts. If the rts grwing ut f the bttm f the pt, everything is rted. Maintain high humidity, this avids rts frm drying ut and therefre lessens the risk f frming Btrytis Cinerea (grey mld) Specific Cler Temperature Chart (degrees are in Fahrenheit) Variety Pt Misture Cntent Temperature frm September 1st thru Octber 25th Temperature frm Octber 26th thru Nvember 5th Temperature frm Nvember 6th t as lng as pssible Temperature when spruts develp t lng Tulips Mist-Wet Hyacinths* Mist-Wet Daffdils Mist-Wet Tete a Tete Mist-Dry Crcus Mist-Wet Iris Mist-Dry Prepared Hyacinths Mist-Wet Step 3: Greenhuse Prductin After Nvember 5th, pts are ready t be brught int the greenhuse as necessary t fulfill yur rders. Belw, find Greenhuse Prductin guidance fr Tulips, Hyacinths, Daffdils and Tete-a-Tete. Tulips Tulip frcing in the greenhuse depends n the temperature in the greenhuse. Sme varieties like Nic Vs and Palestrina take 6 weeks at 60 degrees t frce in the greenhuse. Therefre, take them ut first t be frced in the greenhuse. All ther varieties frce arund the same. If a variety cmes in t early, yu can always mve them t a cl area r back in the cler at degrees. Use the fllwing rule f thumb fr mst tulip varieties: If the average temperature is 60 degrees bth day and night tulips require 4 weeks f frcing If the average temperature is 50 degrees bth day and night tulips require 5 weeks f frcing If the average temperature is 40 degrees bth day and night tulips require 6 weeks f frcing Greenhuse Tips fr Tulips Tulips like t be acclimated t the daylight, s bring yur tulips in t the greenhuse at the end f the day, r n a cludy vercast day Water tulips right away, and make sure during the curse f frcing that when yu water, water thrughly 3

Cntent Temperature frm September 1st thru Octber 25th Temperature frm Octber 26th thru Nvember 5th Temperature frm Nvember 6th t as lng as pssible Temperature when spruts develp t lng Tulips Mist-Wet

4 Hyacinths Rts f the tulips are in the bttm f the pt, and that is where yu need the water. The rts shuld never be dry Once a tulip is tight and is shwing a little clr, yu can stp watering T avid btrytis, d nt water n cludy days Water n sunny days early in the mrning nly Maintain a well-ventilated greenhuse At an average temperature bth day and night f 50 t 60 degree, hyacinths require abut 10 t 14 days in the greenhuse, except varieties like Marcni, Amethyst and City f Harlem; they need an additinal 7 days. Avid a big temperature change in the beginning f the frcing perid. Otherwise yur hyacinths will split. T avid hyacinths splitting we suggest yu prceed as fllws: (especially n early Easters) Slwly bring yur cler temperature up t 40 degrees fr a week D nt water hyacinths fr the first 4-5 days in the greenhuse If need be, cver yur hyacinths with a cuple f sheets f newspaper, this will enable the hyacinth and the flwer inside t be drawn up In the beginning phase f frcing hyacinths; frce at lw temperatures in the greenhuse degrees When the hyacinths are in the greenhuse, water nrmally and frce just like the tulips; in a well-ventilated greenhuse Why d hyacinths split? Detachment f the flwer stem is caused by nt enugh cld weeks r vernalizatin, as well as, trying t frce them in a warm greenhuse with rts drinking applied water. What are enugh cld weeks? It is the number f weeks yur planted bulbs in pts are in the cler running between 36 and 48 degrees. Nte: The weeks that the ptted bulbs are belw 36 degrees is nt cnsidered t be part f a cld week. Hw d I knw if my hyacinths have enugh cld weeks? Knw plant date and cunt the number f weeks that the cler ran between degrees If yu are shrt n the number f weeks required than raise the temperature in the cler after yu have placed the tulips in the greenhuse 4

well-ventilated greenhuse At an average temperature bth day and night f 50 t 60 degree, hyacinths require abut 10 t 14 days in the greenhuse, except varieties like Marcni, Amethyst and City f Harlem;

5 Tulips When yu see that yur hyacinths are reacting t the increase f the temperature inside the cler by a lengthening sprut develpment, yu have reached full vernalizatin. Use the fllwing chart fr specific hyacinth varieties: Hyacinth Variety Required weeks between 36 and 48 degrees Blue Jacket 17 weeks Carnegie Pink Surprise 16 weeks Marcni 18 weeks Amethyst 18 weeks Pink Pearl Delft Blue We have a detailed spreadsheet utlining the number f cld weeks required fr each specific variety f tulip. Please lk n ur website fr this dcument. Daffdils and Tete-a-Tete: Like hyacinths, daffdils will frce quickly in abut a tw week perid. When grwing daffdils, keep them in the greenhuse and watered. Als, just like tulip and hyacinths, nce the flwer is starting t shw clr, d nt water as heavily because the rts f the plant will nly drink and absrb the water, therefre the stem will nly grw taller. String frced bulb crp in the cler: Be sure that the fliage is dry and the grwing medium is mist t wet A tight green plant versus an pen flwer plant in clr will stre lnger and better in the cler Run the cler at between 32 and 33 degrees 5

Pink Pearl Delft Blue We have a detailed spreadsheet utlining the number f cld weeks required fr each specific variety f tulip. Please lk n ur website fr this dcument.

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