If you just go ahead and start them now - don't wait to see sprouts, just pot them up - they'll be open for Christmas. They'll send down a few roots and then start growing. Or do you need to hold them for later?

katie

I usually buy a few around now, so that something is growing in January.

This is my second year for forcing. Last years results were poor. I cooled the hyacinths before potting them . They sprouted then I moved them to a window. I must have let them dry out because the blossoms withered. This year I potted 5 pots of paperwhites and have them on the stairs to my unheated attic near where the Amarylis are resting in the dark. I never get blossoms from them either. Should I mention the Christmas Cactus looking behemoth that just grows on and on without a bud for 10 years. The sweet old lady who gave it to me said it will blossom. HELP!!!

Nancy
Aren't you supposed to put xmas/easter cactus in the dark for awhile? Or something like that?
Try a search & I know you will find some experts on the subject.
10 years & no blooms? That is such a shame.
Good luck

Yes, put the Christmas Cactus in a darker area around mid September. An unused bedroom, with the curtains/blinds drawn, or a dark area in a room on the north side of your house, is what I do. Don't water much. When you see the little flower buds forming, bring the cactus back out to your brighter area and water it.

Hi Nancy,
Do you put the cactus outside for the summer? Usually the natural shortening of days and cooler temperatures of fall trigger the bud formation.

I have no forcing bulbs this winter but I do have one amaryllis that I have high hopes for. It's one of three $1 clearance bulbs I "saved" last year.... the other two look a little weak still. Maybe next winter they'll do something.

I'm definitely not a fan of the paperwhite scent. I didn't know there were scentless ones, I might have to rethink the paperwhite ban!

Christmas cactus doesn't need the full time darkeness just the natural shorter days will do it. What triggers the bloom is the cool nights as the night time temperatures start to dip into the mid 50s and days get shorter. but a note of caution ... if the night and day routine is interupted the newly formed buds will often wither and fall off rather than continue to develop. so do not place the plants in a room where lights get turned on and off at night as it doesn't take much to cause bud loss. I like to use a closed cabinet in the basement with a light controlled by a timer. That way it is still cool and light is on during daytime so I can check the progress anytime during the day since it is under light then anyway.

I didn't plant any paperwhites this year. hoping for a few days without rain that have temps above freezing so I can get the rest of my daff bulbs in the ground. Would have gotten it all done last week but lost my furnace so instead of decorating and finishing the daffodills its been installing new furnace.

I'VE BEEN SO BUSY I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK TO SEE ALL OF YOUR GREAT REPLIES!! Thanks everyone. My Amarylis are still in the attic but the Narcissus are doing great. The so-called x-mas cactus is not that at all. Over Christmas I had the Garden Club for a gathering. A member who also has a commercial greenhouse looked at it and said it was not the above, but how to ID it is the next step. If I could upload as all f you do I could put it to the group to help. I'm working on it.