Winter grown Tulips
Maybe I am crazy! I have always wanted to have something fresh to brighten our days in the depths of winter. About a year and a half ago my head was swirling with putting up a small greenhouse for winter forcing of tulips. I knew that whatever I grew I only wanted to heat minimally due to environmental and economic reasons.
Our greenhouse is up and running. After looking at many options we finally decided on a plant that is attached to our existing outbuilding. This plan in the long run should come in handy as it’s close to the cooler and design area. This space is extremely functional but not glamourous. We are slowly learning the ins and out’s of our new grow space.
The first few blooms of tulips started January 21, 2022. The process of forcing tulips started in October. The first step is planting, cooling, and rooting before they even enter the greenhouse. I had hoped to have more early tulips but like many products was shorted over 1/2 of my pre chilled tulips. This was not just a shipping issue as many of the tulip fields in the Netherlands were underwater for a time this summer.
I am looking forward to expanding our tulip offerings in coming years. Amazingly I have already started tulip ordering lists for next years blooms. We are super excited to see the varieties and colors pop over the next few months.