How to Force Tulip Bulbs in January

Purchase tulip bulbs as soon as they begin to arrive at your garden nursery. This will give you the best selection from which to choose. Select large, firm bulbs with no sign of blemishes.

Fill your pots about 3/4 of the way full with commercial potting soil. Keep the soil loose for the best results, according to the University of Minnesota Extension. Place the tulip bulbs onto the soil in the pots. Position the bulbs so the flat side is toward the pot's wall. You can make your own potting mix from 3 parts garden loam, 1 part sand and 2 parts peat moss, the extension states.

Pour more potting soil over the tulip bulbs until they are even or slightly above the rim of the pots, but the soil remains 1/2 to 1 inch below the rims. Do not completely cover the bulbs -- keep a small area at the top uncovered.

Water the bulbs thoroughly. Never allow the soil to become completely dry during cold storage.

Place the pots in a cool, totally dark area for 12 to 16 weeks where the temperature will remain approximately 40 to 45 degrees F. Acceptable areas: the refrigerator, an outdoor trench, a cold frame, an unheated attic or root cellar.

Water the bulbs on a regular basis to keep the soil evenly moist. Do not make the soil soggy.

Remove the pots from their dark location after yellow shoots sprout from the bulbs.

Place the pots in an area that receives low to medium light and maintains a temperature of about 50 to 60 degrees F, according to the Iowa State University Extension.

Wait four or five days for the shoots to turn green and move them to a brightly lit location that ranges in temperatures from 60 to 70 degrees F.

Rotate the pots regularly so the tulips will grow straight and upright. Continue to regularly water them.

Wait for the colorful blooms to appear, which will be from three to four weeks after they are removed from cold storage.