Even in the depths of winter, one can still enjoy the beauty of springtime blooms - just force bulbs indoors.
Forcing is an old gardening technique that speeds up a bulb’s development by simulating the conditions of winter and spring - it's a way of fooling Mother Nature and tricking the bulb to bloom before its time. Last month, I forced a collection of hyacinths, which are blooming in my home right now. My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, just planted amaryllis bulbs in soil, which will erupt with magnificent trumpet-shaped blooms later this season and last for several weeks.
Here are some photos, enjoy. Maybe this post will inspire you to grow some too.
Some of you may remember the large, gorgeous trumpet amaryllis blooms we forced last year. Of all flowering bulbs, amaryllis are the easiest to bring to bloom. This flower originated in South Africa and comes in many beautiful varieties.
The genus Amaryllis comes from the Greek word amarysso, which means “to sparkle.” Amaryllis flowers range from four to 10 inches in size and can be either single or double in form.
While the most popular colors are red and white, flowers may also be pink, salmon, apricot, rose or deep burgundy, and some unique striped varieties.
Amaryllis bulbs are hardy and can be saved from year to year if planted in soil.
While dormant, the bulbs can be stored in a cool, dry, dark space – these bulbs are in good condition. Ryan timed it, so these bloom after all the colorful and fragrant hyacinths that are in my Winter House now are done.
First, Ryan inspects each bulb. It should be dry and clean without any blemishes or mold.
Then he cleans each bulb, removing any dried papery skins.
Ryan uses a potting mix that includes perlite and vermiculite for good drainage.
We also add some Scott’s Osmocote fertilizer – small, round coated prills filled with nutrients. You can find Osmocote on Martha.com.
Here, Ryan mixes it right into the soil – they are the yellow prills. These prills coat a core of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The resin-coating is made from linseed oil and as the plant’s root system takes-up nutrition from the soil, it also takes up the needed nutrients from the Osmocote.
Ryan chooses a selection of terracotta pots for all the amaryllis. One amaryllis bulb per six to seven inch pot will work nicely. Be sure there is at least an inch between the bulb sides and the rim of the vessel. Groups of three bulbs together can also be planted in a 10- to 12-inch container.
Each pot has a drainage hole at the bottom. This is critical, so adequate air is available for the roots.
As with all our pots, the drainage holes are covered with shards on the inside to help drainage and to keep the soil from leaking out. We save all the shards from broken clay pots for this purpose.
Ryan fills the pot with potting mix – this mix is very light and easy to scoop in a production line process.
Next, Ryan makes a hole deep enough for the plump bulb.
And positions the bulb neck deep, keeping the top one-third of the bulb sticking up above soil level. He is also very careful not to crush any of the roots as the bulb is planted.
Here is a closer look at the large bulb in the pot. A little more soil mix can be added if needed. Once positioned properly, Ryan gently packs the potting mix down to anchor the bulb.
The key to amaryllis forcing indoors is the temperature. The best, most rapid growth will occur if the container is in a room that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
All the potted amaryllis bulbs are placed in a corner of the greenhouse that gets bright, indirect light. When forcing, be sure to keep the soil moist but not wet. Water only when the top inch or two of the potting mix is dry to the touch. Overwatering at the beginning of the growth cycle will cause the bulb to rot.
Ryan has a few more to pot up, but in six to eight weeks, we should have beautiful large colorful blooms atop 12- to 24-inch straight stems. I can’t wait.
I have some new feathered friends here at my Bedford, New York farm.
I’ve been raising chickens for many years. Not only do I love keeping them for their fresh, delicious eggs, but I also enjoy learning about the different breeds and varieties. As part of good animal husbandry practices, and in order to maintain strong egg laying production, it’s very important to regenerate the chicken population from time to time. Not long ago, I attended the 2022 Northeastern Poultry Congress, a large poultry show held every year in Springfield, Massachusetts. While there, I purchased 18 chickens including Golden Speckled Hamburgs, Old English Game hens, Blue Laced Wyandottes, a Buff Cochin, and four Buff Silkie Bantam chicks. I also brought home 46 Silkie eggs, which will soon hatch right here at the farm. All these birds will be great additions to my flock.
Enjoy these photos.
Hard to resist any chick, but the Silkie Bantam is among the most popular. Can you make out my four Silkie chicks? Silkies are loved for their hair-like plumage and incredibly sweet temperaments. I have them in my antique bird cage located in my stable feed room, where it is warm and safe.
Silkies were originally bred in China. Underneath all that feathering, they have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot.
Silkies are naturally more calm than most other breeds, and tend to be very friendly without any special effort to be tamed.
Silkies also have bright turquoise earlobes – another unique characteristic of the breed. Their beak is short, quite broad at the base, and is gray or blue in color. And, although it is hard to see, the Silkie’s eyes are also black.
Starter feed is a protein dense variety of chicken feed designed to meet a chick’s dietary requirements. Chicks remain on starter feed for the first six weeks and then progress to grower feed.
There is always plenty of food and lots of fresh water for these youngsters – everything is replenished or changed whenever needed.
They also get fresh leafy greens straight from my indoor greenhouse.
I wonder what their conversations are like. In general, chickens are quite vocal. They make around 30 different calls to communicate with each other, expressing everything from “I am hungry” to “there’s a predator nearby.”
On the other side of the stable feed room is my incubator from GQF Manufacturing, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia – a company that specializes in game bird and poultry supplies. Here, I have 46 Silkie eggs.
Chicken eggs take 21-days. While the eggs incubate, they are automatically turned once a day, 45-degrees each way, back and forth during this period.
Once the chickens are old enough, they are moved down to the first coop in the chicken yard to join the others.
The youngest chickens stay together in one section until all are acclimated.
Female chickens are called pullets for their first year, or until they begin to lay eggs. For most breeds, chickens generally start laying eggs around four or five months of age.
Dawa checks every nesting box daily for eggs. They are brought up every afternoon – beautiful fresh, organic, and delicious eggs.
And look at this giant hen – I love its golden buff color.
And look above – these chickens love to roost in the rafters of their enclosure.
All my chickens have clear eyes, shiny feathers, and are always very alert – signs of good health in the coop. This Silver-Laced Wyandotte hen on the left arrived here last October as a day-old chick. It’s grown so beautifully.
Food is also provided in the coops. The hanging feeders are filled with organic layer feed. It provides the hens with protein, which helps them lay strong and healthy eggs. These feeders are positioned at just the right height for easy, comfortable access.
The water is replenished several times a day. In the reflection, one can see the protective fencing above. It covers the entire chicken yard to protect my flock from flying predators such as hawks and falcons.
I’ve raised many different chicken breeds and varieties over the years – they are all so beautiful to observe. I am fascinated by their many colors and feather patterns. A bar in front of the nesting boxes serves as a nice perch. When laying, hens appreciate privacy – my coops are open all day, so the hens could go inside to their nesting boxes to lay their eggs.
My chickens have access to the yards via a ramp on the side of the coop as well as sliding doors on both ends, but they prefer to go up and down their custom made ramps.
By sunset, all the chickens are in their designated coops. I have a total of four. They stay safe inside until they are all let out again at 6am the next morning.
If you're interested in raising chickens or just love learning about all the breeds, find a poultry show near you!
Earlier this month, I attended the 2022 Northeastern Poultry Congress in Springfield, Massachusetts - a poultry show held every year at the Eastern States Exposition Center. The event features more than 2500 birds, including large fowl, waterfowl, turkeys, pigeons, Guineas, and of course, a variety of wonderful breed chickens. Various breeds of poultry are exhibited and judged for ribbons and prizes. There are also informative seminars offered on different topics, and an area for vendors of good, nutritious feed and other supplies. It’s a great way to see some of these fascinating birds and to build relationships with knowledgeable, passionate breeders.
Enjoy these photos.
The Northeastern Poultry Congress holds its annual poultry show every January. I have been making the trip to this show for several years – it is a very popular and well-attended event.
All the show birds are exhibited and judged in the Mallory Complex of the Expo Center. Visitors are able to see the various breeds up close in their crates. Each cage is tagged with the bird’s breed, color or variety, and gender.
Prior to poultry shows, these birds are bathed and groomed – every feather is in place.
There were more than a thousand chicken breeds – some with gorgeous markings and feathers. This is a Silkie – a breed of chicken named for its fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like a combination of silk and satin.
This is a Speckled Sussex hen. The Speckled Sussex was developed in Sussex County, England more than 100 years ago. It is of medium size, in the heavy breed class and has rich mahogany feathers as its base color with white tips.
This is a Frizzle. Their feathers are curly and windswept which gives them their frizzled appearance.
As part of this winter show, The Congress also offered a Funky Chicken Class. A Funky Chicken is a mixed breed bird – some are very interesting. This is a large fowl Funky rooster – his markings are very handsome. Cross breeds can have wonderful plumage colors, fantastic new egg colors, and friendly personalities.
This Champion Funky Chicken is named Ziggy. She is a pullet, or a young hen less than one year old.
The Black Breasted Red Cubalaya is a rare breed most notable for the pea comb and low carried tail. This variety also features gorgeous shades of black and red feathers.
The Silver Laced Wyandotte is the original variety of Wyandotte chicken. It has silver-white plumage sharply marked with lustrous greenish black edging. The Wyandotte is an American breed of chicken developed in the 1870s. It was named for the indigenous Wyandot people of North America. The Wyandotte is a dual-purpose breed. It is a popular show bird and has many color variants.
The Sebright is a British breed of Bantam chicken. It is a true Bantam – a miniature bird with no corresponding large version. Look at its markings. It’s named after Sir John Saunders Sebright, who created it as an ornamental breed in the early 19th century. The Silver Sebright rooster is also hen-feathered, meaning it has rounded feathers rather than the pointed feathers typical of males.
The Golden Sebrights, such as this hen, have stunning golden bay feathers laced in black.
Poultry shows are family-friendly and allow visitors to see both traditional and new breeds. The first poultry show in the United States was in 1854, before there were even standards of showing.
Some birds are quite small and fit in the palms of one’s hands.
While others are noticeably large.
This is a large fowl salmon Faverolle cockerel. Faverolles are good-sized chickens with beards, muffs, feathered legs, and feet, and fifth toes. Males are straw-colored with reddish brown and black markings.
The Silver Spangled Hamburg has lustrous, greenish black spangles on silvery white plumage giving them an interesting polk-a-dot appearance. They also have rose combs, white ear lobes, and leaden blue shanks and toes.
The birds are judged against others of the same color, sex and age. They are also judged based on variety and breed. In the end, chickens compete against large fowl and water fowl.
The birds are ranked in each of their classes and then compete for super champion. Here is a large fowl being shown for judging.
The Northeastern Poultry Congress is always very informative and very interesting. I always learn something new when I attend. And, I did bring a few birds home with me too — I will share more of those photos in a future blog, stay tuned.
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