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Proctor's Garden: Pot bulbs now for spring patio display

You can pot bulbs of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in gallon pots. Fill the pots half way with potting soil. Plant five or six bulbs in each. Cover the bulbs with soil.

A beautiful spring patio display starts now.

You can pot bulbs of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in gallon pots. Fill the pots half way with potting soil. Plant five or six bulbs in each. Cover the bulbs with soil.

The tricky part is finding a place for them in winter. It gets too cold to simply leave them outside; they're far more vulnerable in pots than in the ground. There are several options: a crawlspace, unheated garage, window well, root cellar, refrigerator or a trench dug in the garden. Use your ingenuity.

They need the cold of winter in a dark place in order to bloom in spring but it can't be too arctic. An ideal temperature would hover slightly above freezing, although it can drop below. Sub-zero temperatures will kill most bulbs.

After you've moved the potted bulbs to their winter headquarters, water them thoroughly. Check them every few weeks. They should remain slightly damp but not soggy.

Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths need between 14 to 16 weeks of winter chill. They'll signal when they're ready to grow by sending up new shoots. At that point, bring them outside. Watch for any late arctic blasts. They'll need protection.

If all go well, the bulbs will begin to bloom in a few weeks up to a month. If you planted them in black plastic nursery pots, sink those pots in more decorative containers. You can enhance the display with frost-hardy plants such as pansies, pinks and ornamental kale.

After they bloom, transplant the bulbs to the garden where they'll continue to put on spring shows in succeeding years.

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