Hyacinths in January
By Gladys Kuhn, Kanawha County Master Gardener, 1996
(Reprinted from the Fall/Winter 1996 Issue)
Each winter I experiment with one or two new planting methods that I never tried before. My last two winters’ project has been forcing bulbs.
For starters, I don’t care for the accepted term “forcing bulbs.” I garden to find peace and calm and beauty in a world that is too noisy and too busy. To me the basic concept involved in having spring bulbs flower in January and February is to offer the bulb what nature offers it to share its bloom. That takes the mystery out of forcing bulbs since we are duplicating what mother nature would provide outdoors.
My first winter bloom project was the paperwhite narcissus. These bulbs can be grown in water. A shallow pan two inches high by eight inches wide will hold half dozen large bulbs, a lovely size bouquet. Spread a thin layer of stones (well-rinsed marble chips purchased by the sack are economical and attractive) on the bottom of the pan about one-half inch deep. Place the bulbs pointed side up in the pan so that they do not touch each other, place more stones around each bulb to stabilize them and add enough water to cover only the base of the bulbs. Debra Schwarze, a horticulturist with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, says the bulbs need to be put in a cool, dark room for several weeks to promote root growth and then moved to a bright location. I like to put the bulbs in filtered light in our cool entry. That way I can watch them grow each day, as well as remember to water. Usually they bloom within three to four weeks of being planted. Since they grow tall and are top heavy with bloom, I use several strands of raffia tied around the stems to provide natural looking support.
Paperwhite narcissus, crocus and hyacinth bulbs can also be grown in water in special forcing glasses that have an hourglass shape. Add water to the bottom of the glass so that it comes just to the base of the bulb, and then place the bulb in the upper portion of the glass. Keep the vase cool (50 degrees) and dark until the roots have developed and the shoots begin to elongate. Then place the vase in a bright window and enjoy the bloom. My only caution here is to purchase your bulbs from open garden center displays. The “gift packs” I have received with the bulbs packed in a variety of material are much more vulnerable to fungal infections and once they are infected I have not been successful in treating a developing bulb.
Last winter I decided to be braver and grow hyacinth bulbs indoors. The flowers are so fragrant, exotic, bright and long lasting that I thought they would be wonderful to enjoy during January and February when the world is cold and white. Remember how last winter was particularly cold and white and long? The reward for planting the bulbs in the fall was phenomenal.
Select the best bulbs you can afford. A good size bulb pot is four to six inches deep, is wide enough to accommodate the number of bulbs you want to plant and has adequate drainage holes. Fill the container one-half to three-quarters full with well draining potting soil or soiless potting mix, set the bulbs on top of the mix and adjust the soil level under the bulbs until the tips are level with the top of the container. Then cover the bulbs with potting soil leaving the tips showing. Water thoroughly and label the pot with the bulb name and the date you planted them. Place the bulbs in cold dark storage to promote root growth. A temperature about 40-50 degrees is best. You can use a refrigerator, a cold frame, a one-foot deep outdoor trench covered with leaves, an unheated garage or a root cellar. We have an unheated storage space beneath our entry stairs and this works well for me. It takes hyacinths eleven to fourteen weeks to root, so you will need to check the containers for moisture and water when dry to the touch. When good root development is complete and you can see the roots coming through the drainage hole, move the container into sixty degree semidarkness for a few days and then into good light at room temperature. You will be enjoying your blooms in several weeks.
If you plant several containers of bulbs, you can remove them from cold storage at one to two week intervals and enjoy spring flowers for months on end. Sherry Rindels, horticulturist with Iowa State University, has developed a good list of bulbs that are excellent choices for forcing along with the length of cold treatment needed and weeks to bloom. This will help you plan your planting so you get new blooms when you most want them. What a January birthday gift.
I did my research on the Internet using the Lycos search engine (http://www.lycos.com) with the search command “forcing spring bulbs.”