Hyacinths ohhhhh ahhhh aren't they pretty my dear (Bulbs)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Bulbs
Date:	10/09/02 (137 review reads)
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Advantages: pretty, please granny

Disadvantages: none

Bulbs, Hyacinths ohhhhh ahhhhh aren?t they pretty my dear.



I was making presents for Christmas for my mum and auntie this weekend.
I shall be doing the same with the children at work this next week. Bulbs in pots brighten your room in the deep dark winter.

Hyacinths are maybe the most popular bulbs to grow in a pot for the house, to give to granny for Christmas. Our family?s grannies have always received at least one. I expect it will be my turn soon.

Hyacinths come in blue, red, pink, yellow (lemon) and white. They grow to about 8 inches high are fragrant the blue smelling the strongest. The flower spike grows in the centre of a rosette of long waxy leaves.



First find a pot, this year I bought some pretty blue ceramic pots but any flowerpot will do. I like the terracotta pots but plastic ones will be fine. Costing as little as 40p for a 4 inch pot. The pots I bought are 8 inch ones I think, they cost about £1.50. The pots should have drainage holes. I put 3 bulbs close together in it. One bulb will fit in a 4inch pot. The bulbs cost about £3.50-£5 for 3

Your skin may be allergic to Hyacinth bulbs so wear gloves when touching the bulbs be careful particularly if planting with children their hands are more delicate


Then put bulb/potting compost into the pot to a depth where you can place the bulb so that the tip of the bulb nearly reaches the top of the pot.
Then place the bulb in the pot and fill in with compost to just 1cm before the rim so when you water it the water doesn?t just run off.
Water the bulbs well and keep in a cool dark place for 10-12 weeks (a garage or outside shed is ideal) keep them watered do not let them freeze this is the rooting time. Bring them into the warmth where they will flower in about 3-4 weeks if they look as if they will flower too soon put them in a cooler place they can be speeded up by placing in a sunny window. Keep them watered do
not let them get too dr
y.

To make them look a little more attractive you could put gravel on the bare compost around the bulbs
Then give them to granny she will say ooooooh aahhhhhhhhhhh aren?t they beautiful dear.


Another way you can grow bulbs indoor and is excellent for children is to get a bulb vase a glass see through vase with a place to rest the bulb at the top of the vase fill the vase with water and watch the roots grow helps children learn about living things how bulbs grow that they need water to live they will see the vase needs topping up with water as the bulbs ?drink the water and grow ? you could always do 2 bulbs one you put in the vase with water another in a vase no water the one with water will grow and bloom the other will not.

When they finish flowering cut of the flower spike and you can plant the bulbs outside to bloom in the garden next year.

You do not need to stick with hyacinth bulbs crocuses- daffodils ? snowdrops all work well in a similar method you can plant these other bulbs just below the soil surface

Happy planting---------------Mary

SleepyDormouse this does not mean I want or expect any this year a 6 week old baby is not expected to do this for me I expect I will have done some for myself anyway...M

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