"Forcing" bulbs is the process where WE decide when we want the blooms to appear, as opposed to when mother nature would let them appear. If you live in the deep south, you know that amaryllis bulbs are hardy here and when planted in the ground, will bloom naturally in early summer. Yet, they are commonly given as gifts and brought into bloom in December. The process that makes them bloom in December is called "forcing". Now, as hopflower said, lots of bulbs NEED a long period of chilltime during winter in order to bloom in the spring (or anytime else, for that matter). That is why they are chilled. Tulips and hyacinths simply won't bloom for us here in the deep south without 2 to 3 months of chill time in the fridge before they are planted. (Because our winters are not cold enough or long enough to do it naturally.) You are right. You can order bulbs pre-chilled. However, you will pay extra for this service, and if the catalog doesn't specifically say "pre-chilled", you can assume they are not. So... what does all this mean for you? If you want daffodils, do a little research and find out which ones will blooms well for you in your area without needing to be dug up and chilled every year: there are many. The Southern Living Garden Book has a good list in it, and there are others floating around, as hopflower said. If you want tulips or hyacinths, buy them now. Put them in the lower part of your refrigerator, but not in the fruit drawer, for 8 to 10 weeks. Then plant them in the ground. It's okay that that is after Christmas. They will then come up and bloom for you when mother nature tells them to. Once bloom is done, pull the tulips up and throw them away. You'll never get them to bloom again, although the leaves might return each year for years. Let the hyacinth leaves turn yellow, cut them off, dig up the bulbs and keep them until next year, when you put them back in the frige and start the whole process over again. General tips: Let all bulb foliage turn yellow and begin to die before cutting it off or you'll kill the blooms for next year. Many times daffodils will have a big bulb and then smaller bulbs attached to it at the bottom (sometimes called "noses"). You can break them off and plant them separately. They may or may not bloom the first year, but will come up, make foliage, gain size, and bloom in subsequent years. Or, you can leave them attached, and you may have more than one bloom stalk come out of that same spot in the ground the first year. If you are planting in clay, loosen the soil with manure, compost, etc. to improve drainage or your bulbs will rot. If you plant crocus, you need to know that they are a favored food for squirrels who will dig them up and eat them forthwith! (If gardening was easy everyone would do it. :) Enjoy! Learn! Try new stuff! Look forward to spring!

Plant it out if there is no frost or freeze outside anymore and definitely bring it in when temperature drops below 40. It should bloom again if it can gather enough energy to form another scape inside... Water flowering usually drains the bulb, so if it does not bloom for you this year, don't be angry with the bulb...

LizaLily, This came in my email box today, from Donna in the Garden, writing The Garden Dirt. "If you're buying tulips, daffodils or hyacinths for outdoor planting, buy extra for indoor forcing. Besides the bulbs, you'll need: potting soil (lighter mixes are preferable); plastic, terra cotta or ceramic pots (at least twice as deep as the bulbs) with drainage holes; a dark, cool location. Step by step: always start with clean pots; fill the pots with an inch or two of potting soil; place the bulbs on the soil and backfill around the bulbs. Water thoroughly. Place the pots in a cool location - ideally in a refrigerator where the temperatures are between 38 to 48 degrees F. Remember you are trying to simulate the same conditions they would experience if grown in the garden during the winter months; they need the constant cold and darkness for 10 to 12 weeks. After the requisite 'chill', introduce the potted bulbs to warmer temperatures (60 degrees F and gradual light. After 4 to 5 days; place the pots in brighter light and slightly warmer temperatures. The leaves and flower buds will continue to expand; you'll be enjoying colorful blooms in 3-4 weeks (give or take). The flowers of forced bulbs will last longer if kept on the 'cool' side - 65 to 70 degrees F. Excessive heat will reduce the longevity of the blooms significantly." Does this help any more? The URL will take you to the blog, where you can subscribe if you like. I receive a daily entry 5 or 6 times a week. Here is a link that might be useful: Daily Dirt

Barb This is very helpful but it has some erroneous information which is a big surprise since it is North Haven. One thing is the length of chill time for tulips. I've always heard a minimun of 30 days, never 45. I have gotten some on clearance at Thanksgiving, chilled them until mid Jan. and had many of them bloom, but the success rate was way lower than those I chilled for 80-90 days. Our problem isn't the overall temperature, the the swings in temperature from cold to warm. Some winters it stays cool enough beneath the ground, but most it doesn't. So the longer chill equals more success. They recommend planting anemones in Jan. What they don't mention is it takes 4 months for anemones to bloom. The flowers don't like the heat, but are happy in cold. Their suggestion as anemones blooming in May with only a month before the heat kills 'em dead. Instead, plant in October, the bloom in Feb and last through May. Ranunculus don't like heat either. I haven't read the rest carefully.