Dear Robyn,
Now that it is fall I will miss the colors
of my garden. Do you know of a way that I can force branches to bloom inside
in this cold weather or during the winter months?
Robyn's Answer: It is fun to force dormant branches to bud
and blossom in winter. To get the best results though you need to choose
the right branches, the right time and the right method.
In general, those shrubs and trees which bloom in early spring are
the easiest to bring to flower in the home. But this depends very much on
what stage they have reached in their winter rest.
There are three stages that plants go into a rest period, which
really consists of three separate periods: the pre-rest, mid-rest, and late-rest
periods. It is necessary to understand in which stage the individual plant
is before trying to bring it into flower.
The "pre-rest" period begins in early fall, before the leaves start
to drop. No branch can be stopped from taking this rest. But it is possible
to miss the next two stages by removing all leaves on the plant before they
fall by themselves. It is sometimes possible to force spring-flowering stems
into bloom as early as November or December using this method.
The "Mid - rest" period is another matter. It is not possible to
do anything about it, although it can be shortened by altering the plant's
surrounding temperature. By doing this, the buds will then enter the third
period or "Late rest".
"Late-rest" the third period, starts at different times for various
kinds of plants. Forsythias will enter the late-rest period before Christmas,
whereas beeches won't begin until April.
Here's what to do:
Branches can be treated in various ways to help them through their
rest periods. Treatment increases the likelihood that they will
bloom.
Cold is one of natures way of breaking inhibitors. It may often
take a definite number of days at a certain level of coldness to break down
some elements. This treatment can be carried out artificially by cutting
the branch from the bush and storing it in a cold place for about a month.
After that, it should bloom.
Warmth can have the same effect as cold treatment, and is usually
far easier. The branches are lowered into water of about 95*F and left there
for 10-15 hours. Following this, it should be easy to bring them into blossom
at normal room temperatures and humidity.
Some plants that are best for branch forcing: Forsythias, Birch,
Flowering Currant, Horse Chestnut. Flowering Cherries and other fruit trees
do exceptionally well when you give them the warm treatment in January and
they should bloom with no trouble in February/March.
About the Author: Robyn Wilkey is an interior landscape
consultant. She is a third generation horticulturist and now lives in Bowling
Green, Kentucky. Write her at
Swwgod@aol.com.
Books on Plants:
* The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins and Christopher O.
Bud.
To
order click here.
* The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden
Plants by Christopher Brickell, editor, Judith Zuk, editor.
To
order click here.
* The House Plant Expert: The World's Best-Selling Book on House
Plants by D. G. Hessayon.
To
order click here.
* The Flower Expert by D.G.
Hessayon.
To order click here. |
