FORCING FLOWERING BRANCHES INDOORS
Spring is most definitely on the way, but we're still a few weeks away from any blooming flowers or bursting leaves. If you find yourself craving those gorgeous first flowers of spring, there's a pretty easy way to get your fill of those blooms a few weeks early, in the comfort of your home!
Forcing plants is the process of bringing a plant out of dormancy when desired and giving it the things it needs to start growing and blooming again; warmth, water, and light. Forcing flowering tree or shrub branches indoors is pretty simple! Here's how to do it.
HOW TO CHOOSE BRANCHES TO FORCE
All you need to force branches to bloom are clean, sharp pruners, and a reasonably warm day. If possible, do it on a day above freezing so the branches don't have such an extreme temperature transition from outdoor temperatures to indoor temperatures.
Pick a few branches that are about half an inch in diameter and have lots of buds. Prune off sections that are about 1-2' long. You don't want to go much longer, so your branches don't cause your vase to topple over. Make sure to prune off pieces that won't negatively affect your tree or shrub's overall shape and look once it leafs out. If you take branches from a crowded area of the shrub, you'll help it stay strong and healthy.
Make a steep angled cut, and crush the cut end a bit with a hammer or the handle of the pruners; this will help it absorb water better.
WHAT YOUR BRANCHES NEED TO BLOOM
Take your tree or shrub branches indoors and set them in a vase of room temperature water overnight. The next day, give them a fresh angled cut at the bottom, and you can also make a couple of narrow slits, or scores in the bark, a couple of inches long from the bottom of the branch, to help it absorb water better.
Set your branches in a very bright room, but not in direct sunlight. If possible, keep them away from heating vents. Change the water every 2-3 days to prevent bacteria and rot.
Here is a list of various trees and shrubs you can force to bloom indoors. Forsythia has vibrant yellow flowers, Flowering Almonds are a gorgeous pink, and there are so many other pretty options.
Cherry
Crabapple
Deutzia
Flowering Almond
Flowering Dogwood
Flowering Quince
Forsythia
Honeysuckle
Horse Chestnut
Lilac
Magnolia
Pussy Willow
Redbud
Red Twig Dogwood
Spicebush
Wisteria
In theory, it would look nice to have a few different branches in bloom all at the same time. Unfortunately, many of these shrubs take very different amounts of time to bloom, so they may not produce indoor blooms at the same time.
There's plenty of spring pruning to do this time of year, so why not get a double bonus for your work, and bring a few of your pruned branches inside and see if you can get them to bloom. If you need pruners or inspiration for arranging your shrub branches, stop by Dammanns Garden Co.