By Debby Looney, gardening expert

It is apparently only a matter of 13 weeks until Christmas is upon us and forcing indoor bulbs requires precision timing!

One of my favourites are Amaryllis, properly known as Hippeastrum which are tall, striking, red or white Lily type flowers we all associate with Christmas. For many years I bought them as cut flowers but now prefer to grow the bulbs. They will be available from the end of October onwards as they must be planted between five and eight weeks before they are needed which is usually, but not necessarily, Christmas.

When you go to buy the bulbs, size is everything. Unfortunately the larger the bulb the higher the cost, but if you buy cheaper smaller bulbs the flowers will also be smaller and weaker. A decent sized bulb for an Amaryllis should be about 15cm in diameter. Place it in an adequately sized container – there should be about 5cm between the edge of the pot and the bulb. Fill the pot with multipurpose compost leaving the neck and shoulders of the bulb above the soil. Place in a bright spot, but away from heat and direct sunlight. Water moderately until growth starts and then start feeding with a liquid feed such as Baby Bio every second week. By Christmas it should be in full bloom. When the flower fades, stop feeding and give it less water until the foliage has turned yellow. Then stop watering altogether as it goes dormant. The bulb can remain in the same pot for about three years, at which point it should need a larger pot.

KICKSTART

Most bulbs need a period of cold weather, ie. winter, to kickstart them into growing. When forcing bulbs to flower ahead of time they need a period of artificial cold, such as a fridge, for a certain length of time which can vary from type to type. Therefore, always buy ‘prepared' bulbs as only these are suitable for growing indoors and have been treated to a cold spell. Hyacinths would be the most popular. I absolutely love the scent. I start planting them now, in two week intervals so that I have a continuous display for about six weeks. Gloves are recommended as hyacinth bulbs can cause skin irritation. Plant in free draining compost or preferably bulb fibre if you can get it. As with all bulbs used for indoor display, they can be planted close together but not touching each other or the sides of the pot. Ensure the top of the bulb is just visible. Keep hyacinth in a cool dark place such as a garage for about 10 weeks to allow root formation. At this point a shoot should also have grown. Place the pot in a bright spot indoors and about four weeks on they should be flowering. There are also special cases and pots available for hyacinths - I really advise having a look on the Internet and getting creative!

Other bulbs, such as grape hyacinths (muscari), dwarf daffodils, paperwhites, crocus and snowdrops can also be used for an indoor display. As with the hyacinths, these bulbs need 10 weeks of cold, dark conditions which mimics nature to trigger root growth and subsequent flowers. Using old teacups, teapots, soup bowls and even gravy boats can be an attractive way of displaying indoor or outdoor arrangements. Lining glass jars or vases with moss – the nice side facing out - before filling with compost is another way to create a cost effective yet pretty pot. Tie a festive ribbon around it and you have a lovely gift. Remember that press full of old mismatched and unwanted Christmas crockery? Well, plant them up – they will make great gifts too!