Forcing is the horticultural practice of bringing a cultivated plant into active growth outside of its natural growing season.
This can be accomplished by cultural, physical, or chemical means, and is typically done to produce out-of-season flowers or fruit for display, consumption or sale.
[3] Pruning during the growing season is an effective way to force some plants, such as asparagus, which are grown for their new shoots.
[5] Historically, rotting manure was used to create hotbeds which would provide warmer temperatures, allowing some or all of a farmer or gardener's crop to ripen earlier than it would in the open air.
[7] The name "Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb" was granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Union in 2010.