Monday, February 9, 2009

Stunted Hyacinth's or Bad Experiment ?


The forcing of bulbs is fast becoming a great disappointment
this Winter.
First the Paper Whites I forced, though beautiful, were tossed
out into the snow because no one in the house could tolerate their
awful smell and now the Hyacinth's that are trying to bloom
are coming up lacking.
Now this may be because of something I am not doing right
or have done very wrong in their growth.



I placed them on rocks as I did the Paper Whites to force their
growth. Though they are much slower to come to bloom, some
have bloomed, some are blooming and some yet are to bloom.
They have been all over the place as far as their timing in coming
to bloom.
But what has me puzzled is that they are blooming right from the
bulbs without stems growing. Since this is my first time attempting
this, is this the way they grow when forced or did I do something
wrong?
Should I have placed the Hyacinth bulbs into a potting mix
instead of placing them on rocks?

I would appreciate help from some of you knowing gardeners
what I did wrong before I try to attempt this experiment with
forcing
bulbs again.
Maybe I should just give up on the whole idea since I am not
getting
a good fragrance with them either.
Excuse me, but they have the
fragrance of funeral flowers
instead of the sweet smell they have when
blooming outdoors
in the Spring.

Does anyone know why the flower grown indoors just do not
smell
as good as they do when grown outdoors?



Although the bloom is pretty this is not what I expected at all
in the end product.




15 comments:

Anonymous said...

That bottom bloom is wonderful -- remember, there are no mistakes. ;-)
I do plant my bulbs in potting soil, but I know many others who do not. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable that I will be able to help. Keep trying -- they do smell heavenly!

Bren Haas said...

Your blog is breath taking! Thank you for sharing. Wishing you Warmth on this winter day in my garden.
http://momingarden.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Lona, I've never forced hyacinths, so I can't really help you out but the ones I have in a pot only smelled sweet and good for a day or two. Now they don't really smell very good. Hubby kept saying they were too strong and stinky, but I was in denial. Now I too admit that they stink! I'd better stick with amaryllis.

Susan Tomlinson said...

Wish I could help, Lona, but I'm afraid this is a subject about which I know nothing...

I think the flower is lovely anyway.

Anonymous said...

Hi. Thank you for the nice reply on my blog. Thankfully the rose was bareroot and pretty cheap so if I get sick of dealing with its negative aspects I can toss it without too much guilt.

On the bulbs: You said you placed them on rocks. Was there water too? Anytime I've forced bulbs I've made sure the bottom of the bulb,just above the root line is under water. The bulb on the right looks dry... Just my two cents.

Unknown said...

I have never forced hyacinths because i have strong sneezy reactions to them indoors.

But how wonderful to see there blooms. I think i will put some in the garden this fall.

Debbies Doodle said...

I think the picture turned out very pretty,
Deb

Justin and Anne said...

How interesting! I didn't even know you could force hyacinth blooms...the bottom photo is so pretty.

Lona said...

Nancy: I have come to the conclusion that they would have done better in some soil. I will have to try that next time to see.

Bren: Thank you so much for dropping by the blog. Come back again.

Robin: I am with you maybe I should go with an Amaryllis next time. I am going to take my camera also.They can always tell me not to use it.

Susan: the blooms are pretty, just blooming all at different times. Doesn't make for a good bouquet.

Grace: I did have water on the rocks for the bulbs. The one that looks dried up is just done blooming, while one is just starting to bloom and others have not even gotten a good start yet.Not very reliable this way.

Flowrgirl1: I believe my ones outdoors are much better and smell sweeter also. Maybe I should stick to putting them outdoors.Thanks for dropping by.

Debbie: Thanks for dropping by. Hope you got a thaw out your way.

A Girl & Her Garden: They can be forced but get instructions from someone who knows more about them that me :) Mine are a disaster.

Unknown said...

A few of my hyacinth outside are blooming in the shoot too!

Jan said...

Despite your frustration Lona, the blooms are still pretty in the photos. You've at least got a snapshot in time of their brief moments of glory;) BUT, it is a mystery about why they grew as they did...with hardly any foliage.

Thistledew Farm said...

My guess is the bulbs are either very young suckers from a larger plant and will be bigger next year or the bulbs are old and waning....

Cathy S. said...

Hello Lona,

To successfully force bulbs is to
place them in the refrigerator for
2 weeks before putting them in a
vase with rocks and water. The
deeper the vase the better the bloom and keeping them cold for 2 weeks
generates them for a vigor blooming
time. This is a Florist's trick!
(Growing Indoor Plants)

Lona said...

Cathy: Thank you so much! That is where I messed up, I did not put them in a cold (refrigerator) first. I appreciate the tip and will try it next time.

Anonymous said...

Hi Lona. I force hyacinths every winter and never have any problems. I usually buy bulbs in the fall and I always use the forcing glasses (bought at my local greenhouse ~ they're pretty inexpensive). Fill the glasses with water to the bottom of the bulb then put them in the refrigerator for 12 weeks. That's the length of time I've always been told ~ although I saw someone posted only two weeks?? I may experiment with that one next winter. During the time the bulbs are in refrigeration they grow masses of roots and by the time I pull them out, the bud is visible. They bloom and smell beautifully. I hope you try again. At least they flowered, right?? btw, I don't like the paperwhites either for the exact reason you mentioned. Hyacinths and amaryllis are my winter bulbs of choice!