How to Force Tulips, Daffodils, and Hyacinths Indoors

Pot hardy bulbs in fall, chill them 12 to 17 weeks at 35 to 48F, then bring them into a cool, bright room. They bloom 2 to 4 weeks later. Pot by mid Octob...

Published 2026-10-23 by ThriveThyme

forcing bulbs tulips daffodils hyacinths indoor bulbs

The Short Answer

Pot the bulbs now, keep them cold and dark at 35 to 48F for 12 to 17 weeks, then bring them into a cool, bright room. They bloom 2 to 4 weeks after they leave the cold. Count back 14 to 21 weeks from the day you want flowers.

Potted in late October, hyacinths bloom from about late January and tulips and daffodils from about late February. Iowa State Extension says to pot by mid October for Valentine's Day blooms. The Bulb Forcing Desk works out your dates.

Which Bulbs Are Easiest

Hyacinths and daffodils: easiest of the hardy bulbs, per MU Extension.
Tulips: a little harder. Pick short varieties sold for forcing.
Crocus and grape hyacinth: easy and small.
Short daffodils such as Tete-a-Tete stand up best indoors.

Buy large, firm bulbs as soon as they reach stores. Bargain and damaged bulbs bloom poorly.

Step 1: Pot Them

Use pots with drain holes, twice as deep as the bulbs, and a well-drained potting mix.
Set bulbs close together without touching. In a 6 inch pot, Iowa State fits 3 hyacinths, 3 to 5 daffodils, 5 to 7 tulips, or 10 to 12 crocus.
Face the flat side of each tulip bulb toward the pot wall. The first leaves then form a neat border around the edge.
Fill until just the tips show. Water well and label each pot with the bulb and the date.

Step 2: Chill Them

Bulb	Weeks of cold
Hyacinths	12 to 15
Daffodils	15 to 17
Tulips	15 to 17
Crocus	15 to 17
Grape hyacinth	15 to 17

Weeks are from Penn State Extension. See the full chill chart.

Keep pots at 35 to 48F, with 40F ideal. Good spots:

An unheated basement or cellar.
A garage or cold frame that stays above 20F. Cover the pots with straw or leaves.
A trench at least 1 foot deep dug in late October or November, with straw and a tarp on top.
A refrigerator with no fruit in it. Ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which ruins the flower bud.

In zone 8 and warmer, use the refrigerator. Keep the mix just moist and the pots dark the whole time.

Step 3: Bring Them In

Start checking at the low end of the chill weeks. Ready pots have roots out the drain hole and pale shoots an inch or two tall.
Move them to a 50 to 60F room in low light for 4 to 5 days, until the shoots turn green.
Then give them a bright 60 to 65F spot out of direct sun. Turn the pots regularly so stems grow straight.
Expect flowers in 2 to 4 weeks. For a run of bloom, bring out a few pots every 1 to 2 weeks.

Hyacinths in a Glass

Hyacinths also grow in an hourglass-shaped forcing glass. Use pre-chilled bulbs, or chill bulbs in a paper bag in the fridge for 12 to 15 weeks. Keep the water just below the base of the bulb so only the roots touch it, and change it once or twice a week. MU Extension keeps glasses in a cool, dark spot until the shoot is 3 to 4 inches long, then moves them to a bright window.

After Bloom

Iowa State says to compost forced tulips and hyacinths, since most do not bloom well again. Daffodils are the exception. Keep the leaves growing in a sunny window until they yellow, let the bulbs dry, store them cool and dry, and plant them outside in fall.

Tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are on the ASPCA list of plants toxic to dogs and cats. See pet-safe plants.

Sources

Next Steps

Get dates and calendar reminders on the Bulb Forcing Desk. Planting the rest outside? The Bulb Desk has outdoor dates by zone, and how to pre-chill tulip bulbs covers warm zones.