In late winter, after months without garden flowers, we are eager to see flowers in our homes. However, there is a wonderful feeling we get when we force branches of early spring-blooming trees and shrubs.
Forsythia is by far the best-known plant for forcing. One only has to harvest the budding branches and put them into a bucket of deep clean water. You can cover the tops of the branches with a clear plastic bag and put the bucket into a well-lit area away from direct sun. In a couple of weeks, the buds will swell and soon the blooms will open. The closer it is to the plant's natural bloom time, of course, the sooner the flowers will appear.
Other early spring flowering plants that can be easily forced are cherry, apple, peach, pear, quince, lilac, and saucer magnolia.
Late spring and summer flowering trees and shrubs such as mock orange and hydrangea will not oblige.
To speed up flowers so that they will be forced to bloom for a special event, soak the entire branches in a bath of warm water or mist them well with lots of warm water. Do not use too much heat or the buds will blast.
To slow down flowering before a special event, move the branches to a cooler location with temperatures just above freezing (between 34F and 40F), or put the stems in ice water.
This is Moya Andrews, and today we focused on forcing.
