How to Grow Tulips in Gravel

Growing tulips in gravel combines two different growing processes: hydroponics and bulb forcing. Hydroponics grows plants with no dirt, while bulb forcing grows flowers outside of the plant’s normal blooming season. Although forcing tulip bulbs in water involves gravel, the small rocks keep the tulip bulbs from sitting directly in water, supported and growing in an upright position.

Tulip bulbs
Refrigerator
Plastic bag
Bowl
Water
Gravel

Instructions

- 1
  Keep the tulip bulbs in the refrigerator for approximately 12 to 13 weeks. Bulbs need a constant cold temperature of 35 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit to bloom. Store the bulbs in a plastic bag with a few holes punched in it. This keeps the bag from holding in moisture and rotting the bulbs.
- 2
  Fill a sturdy bowl three-quarters full with gravel.
- 3
  Space the bulbs one-half to 1 inch apart on top of the gravel. Push the bulbs gently into the gravel until they stand upright on their own.
- 4
  Fill the bowl with water until it reaches the bulbs’ bottom. Do not submerge the bulbs, as this causes them to rot.
- 5
  Set the bowl in a cool dark area for four to eight weeks. A temperature of around 50 F is ideal. This allows the root system to grow and develop. Replenish the bowl with fresh water once a week.
- 6
  Move the bowl into a sunny area next to a window. Shoots from the bulbs should soon start appearing. Keep water in the bowl, as your tulips grow and bloom.

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