Hyacinths make a colorful decoration on your Christmas table or in any room you will use for the holidays. You can get them as cut flowers from your florists at the time; or you can grow them as plants from their bulbs with just a little bit of planning and preparation. Here is how you do it.
If you want to have blooming hyacinths on your Christmas table, you better get going right now. The bulbs you need should be moved from your dry storage to the fridge now. The bulbs need to be in the cold for six weeks to simulate winter conditions. After that, the bulbs are removed from the fridge. Ideally, you have special glasses to force the hyacinths on; otherwise, any kind of glass will do that is narrow enough not to let the bulb fall into the glass.
Fill the glass with water to the point where it will almost but not quite touch the bulb you place on the glass rim. You must make sure that the bulb is not in water, otherwise the bulb will rot. To state the obvious, a rotted bulb will not grow anymore. Place the glasses with the bulbs in a cool and dark place so they can take root.
They should remain in that place for four weeks. Check them from time to time to make sure that there is enough water in the glasses. After that, you can move them to a light and warm place to make them grow and start blooming. If you like, you can embellish the glasses you're using with Christmas themed paper to hide the roots and maybe the bulbs of the hyacinths.
Our modern hybrid hyacinths have the tendency to overdo things terribly. The blooms tend to be too big and plentiful for the stems. The weight bends the stem over and you might end up with a row of bowing courtiers instead of a line of colorful soldiers. To keep them upright, you push a stick through the bulb into the glass and bind the stem to it. It will keep the bloom upright and out of bowl and plates.
I'm afraid, you can try to plant your bulbs in your garden afterwards but they won't amount to much more than mulch.
Further reading
If you want to have blooming hyacinths on your Christmas table, you better get going right now. The bulbs you need should be moved from your dry storage to the fridge now. The bulbs need to be in the cold for six weeks to simulate winter conditions. After that, the bulbs are removed from the fridge. Ideally, you have special glasses to force the hyacinths on; otherwise, any kind of glass will do that is narrow enough not to let the bulb fall into the glass.
Fill the glass with water to the point where it will almost but not quite touch the bulb you place on the glass rim. You must make sure that the bulb is not in water, otherwise the bulb will rot. To state the obvious, a rotted bulb will not grow anymore. Place the glasses with the bulbs in a cool and dark place so they can take root.
They should remain in that place for four weeks. Check them from time to time to make sure that there is enough water in the glasses. After that, you can move them to a light and warm place to make them grow and start blooming. If you like, you can embellish the glasses you're using with Christmas themed paper to hide the roots and maybe the bulbs of the hyacinths.
Our modern hybrid hyacinths have the tendency to overdo things terribly. The blooms tend to be too big and plentiful for the stems. The weight bends the stem over and you might end up with a row of bowing courtiers instead of a line of colorful soldiers. To keep them upright, you push a stick through the bulb into the glass and bind the stem to it. It will keep the bloom upright and out of bowl and plates.
I'm afraid, you can try to plant your bulbs in your garden afterwards but they won't amount to much more than mulch.
Further reading
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