Even at the tail end of winter you can have brilliant blooms, all over your house, for free. Here's how to force woody branches into flower - the easy way.
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Materials Needed
- Pruning shears
- Vase, toile bucket, galvanized bucket, floral wall pocket or any interesting, watertight container
- Sugar and bleach as a preservative, with tap water
- A tree...preferably a fruiting tree, a mimosa tree or forsythia type shrub
- Step stool to reach branches
The best time for forcing is when budding has started, but flowers and leaves are not yet open. Choose a tree with lots of branches and select a branch from a crowded area (you don't want your tree to look lopsided after you are done snipping). Do your lopping on branches at least as thick as your little finger.
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Mix one gallon of hot water with a tablespoon of sugar (any type) and a 1/4 teaspoon of non-scented bleach. Let cool and pour in your floral container. This mixture will help feed your branches and keep the water's fungus and bacteria counts down, long enough for you to completely enjoy your late winter/early spring burst of life and color.
Hammer or snip the end of your branches to help the plant's capilllary vessels drink lots of water. Trim branches to fit your container. Check how your arrangement will sit and which direction you find most pleasing to showcase. Don't place in direct sunlight or in chilly drafts. Direct sun will wilt your leaves and cook your buds, while drafts will just make your branches drop whatever they put forth.
Getting started with your own flowering trees
- For more information on trees and shrubs that flower, how to plant and care for them, etc, I recommend this book from Amazon: The Otho Guide to Flowering Trees and Shrubs
- You can also plant your own five-gallon trees and shrubs to get started with spring blooms for your yard, balcony or patio. I have selected the plum and peach trees below for prolific blooming potential:
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