posted
I have never had much luck with plants. When I was little, I saw baking soda and vinegar react, and wondered if pouring the mixture in my mother's planter would make a flower there expand, too. It didn't work.
While my logic skills and general chemical knowledge have improved drastically since then, I still have abysmal luck with plants.
I bought some potted tulips yesterday - they're close to blooming already! Yet I know there's still serious potential to kill them by accident. I know myself.
So... water them once a day? Leave near sunny window? What about the fact that my insulation sucks and it gets kind of cold near the window some days?
Please help me not kill my tulips. I like tulips. These are my springtime.
Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
I don't know tulips indoors. The bulbs like to be buried deeeeeep. I *have* seen someone growing tulip-like bulbs *partly* in water, and it worked. This is called "forcing" the bulb.
For plants in general, the big thing not to miss is: drainage. Submerging the roots *kills* most plants. But drying out also kills plants. The solution is a pot with drainage at the bottom, in a saucer. The saucer traps the water and the plant can draw it up as needed, until it dries out and you water it again.
posted
This is exciting. I am presenting the concept of behavior change stages using a "brown thumb learning to be a green thumb" story tomorrow.
According to my research, you are past the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages, and are now in the preparation stage.
Bravo!
Now just remember, there's also the active stage, the maintenance stage, and the relapse/recycle stage. And you can visit any or all of them at any one time. *big grin*
In short, if at first you don't succeed . . .
On a more practical note, I think even if your windows aren't well insulated, the fact that they are inside ought to remediate the coldness.
Will is correct -- they like to be buried deep. Especially when outside, because squirrels like to dig 'em up and eat 'em. Also, the deeper they are, the longer it takes for the ground to warm and for them to awaken and start sprouting up. Which is a good thing, in case of those unseasonable cold snaps.
Good luck! You'll do fine!
P.S. I love the science experiment idea . . . Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Yeah, the plant (if I recall correctly, a tulip) didn't much like my idea.
I've got a fairly big pot for them to be in. And a dish to catch the leaky water. They won't be transferred outside any time in the near future, if at all. I live in a tiny little apartment with no balcony at all, in the middle of a world of concrete. So I hope they survive as is.
posted
This is a sympathy post. We do not have any plants in our house. Plants kept indoors with me die.
We don't have any pets, but in the past I do very well with those, because pets are easier than plants.
A cat or dog lets you know when it's hungry or thirsty.
A dog lets you know when it has to go out and relieve itself.
My nose lets me know when the litter box needs to be changed.
Houseplants don't tell me anything - they just sit quietly, wilt and die. By the time I notice, the process is over and done.
Oddly enough, though, I did pretty well at doing outdoor vegetable gardens. Part of it was having a routine - and also the motivation of knowing I was going to be eating what I grew.
Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
The cold inside your house shouldn't hurt your tulips. They can survive a light frost outdoors (if I'm remembering correctly).
Yes, your bulbs have been "forced," which means they were induced to bloom in a pot indoors, which is not their preferred method. What they really want is a cold winter in the ground as bulbs, to come up naturally in the spring, and then stay there so that their foliage can (mumble mumble something about sunshine and chorophyll production--if you google it you'll get a better explanation).
In short, your tulips should put on a pretty show now, but then you might as well just toss them when they are finished blooming if you're not able to plant the bulbs outdoors. They are designed to bloom once and then spend the rest of the year in the ground getting ready for next spring's display!
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Next comes the forcing. If you bring your plants in from the cold a few at a time, you can stretch the flowering season over many weeks. Bring the pots into the house and put them in a 55 to 60 degrees F sunny area such as a windowsill or a table near a window where they will get at least eight hours of light but temperatures no higher than 60 degrees F. Nighttime temperatures should stay within a 5 to 10 degree F range of daytime temperatures. Make sure your plants get enough moisture.
Because each bulb has everything it needs to produce its flowers, you shouldn't need to fertilize. After a couple of days in the sun, the leaves will have greened up and will start to grow. In two to three weeks, depending on the cultivar, your plants will bloom. The cooler the spot where you keep the plants, the longer the flowers will last—if you keep them at 50 to 55 degrees F, some plants will keep their blooms for up to 10 days.
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That's good to know, Uprooted. My plan is to have a place of my own next year, so hopefully I can get myself some real flowers then. These I'll probably give to my mom - she has a tulip garden. That garden is what I grew up with as far back as I can remember, and it's why I really wanted tulips now. She'll be glad for the extra bulbs! I'd totally forgotten that I could do that. And then I won't be for-sure killing the plants!
Stephen... you have all my sympathy. I managed to kill an airplant once. All I had to do was spritz it with water every now and then. And I killed it.
Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
Stephen, I'm doing some research right now and it might be a little out of your purview, but do you mind if I email you?
Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote: Stephen, I'm doing some research right now and it might be a little out of your purview, but do you mind if I email you?
Don't mind at all. If I don't have any good info, I'll see if I have any ideas of who or where to point you to. Email is in my profile, but it is: sndrake at aol.com
Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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