Forcing Hyacinth Bulbs Indoors
One doesn't have to wait until spring to enjoy the beauty of springtime blooms - just force some bulbs indoors.
Forcing is the process of speeding up a bulb’s development by simulating the conditions of winter and spring - it's a way of fooling Mother Nature and tricking the bulb to bloom before its time. Hyacinths are excellent for this technique as their flowers are both attractive and fragrant. The bulbs can be forced in either water or soil - we are using both methods here at my Bedford, New York farm. Over the weekend, I started forcing some in water right in my kitchen. Yesterday, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted bulbs in three separate containers filled with soil and sand. The hyacinth bulbs are from Colorblends Flowerbulbs - a third generation wholesale flower merchant in nearby Bridgeport, Connecticut. I can’t wait to see these beautiful flowers open.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I am forcing a collection of bulbs in my Winter House. These are on my porch where it is cool – no soil needed. Each bulb is placed into a glass set just above lightly touching the water.
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- These bulbs are in my kitchen. Look closely at these special forcing vases. They have a wide base to contain the water and roots and a narrow neck to hold the bulb so it doesn’t sit in the water. They will need to root for eight to 13-weeks in indirect light.
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- Hyacinthus is a small genus of bulbous, spring-blooming perennials. They are fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae and are commonly called hyacinths. These bulbs are ‘Yellowstone’ hyacinths.
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- When in bloom, ‘Yellowstone’ shows off a butter yellow color that fades to shades of cream as the flowers age. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
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- We also have this variety – Hyacinth ‘Etouffee’. When looking for bulbs to force, be sure they are dense and heavy and free from mold, mildew, discoloration, or a peeling outer shell. The larger the flower bulb is, the bigger the bloom will be. These are all in excellent condition.
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- ‘Etouffee’ produces a mélange of hyacinth pastel shades of pink and blue with a sweet scent. Aside from hyacinths, other bulbs to force indoors include daffodils, tulips, crocus, scilla, dwarf irises, amaryllis, and anemones. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
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- When forcing bulbs in soil, first be sure any drainage holes at the bottom of the pot are closed. We save all the shards of broken clay pots for this purpose. Hyacinths look best in shallow containers about four to six inches deep.
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- Ryan uses a professional medium-weight, medium-coarse textured growing medium that includes a combination of coarse textured, processed southern pine bark, sphagnum peat moss and vermiculite.
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- Ryan fills the container half way up with soil and then adds sand. Sand adds air space to a potting mix for more drainage. Because it is heavier than other ingredients, sand is a good choice for top-heavy plants that might tip over.
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- Ryan mixes the soil and sand together and makes sure the container is filled almost to the rim.
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- Look who is watching from the window. The peafowl love coming up to the greenhouse – they are very curious and very observant birds. And don’t worry, they don’t bother Blackie, our greenhouse kitty, one bit.
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- And then one by one, Ryan places the bulbs on top of the soil, point up, next to one another. The necks of the bulbs should be level with the rim of the pot.
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- Here is a closer look at the bulb – it is clear which end should be faced up. Each hyacinth bulb generally produces one flower stalk that stands eight to 10-inches tall.
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- Sometimes the bulb will multiply. These bulbils or bulb offsets likely won’t flower, but they will create leaves.
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- Ryan gently pushes each bulb down into the sandy soil mix. These bulbs will help hold one another upright and provide maximum bloom.
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- Next, Ryan weighs down the bulbs with a layer of pebbles or small stones, leaving the tips and necks of the bulbs exposed.
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- For the ‘Etouffee’ bulbs, Ryan chooses a long, shallow faux bois planter and tests how many will fit inside. Hyacinths look best when the bulbs are positioned about one to two inches apart.
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- Ryan places some bigger river stones at the bottom to help with soil drainage.
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- Then he fills the rest of the container with the sandy soil mix.
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- And once again, Ryan positions each bulb closely to the next, filling the container.
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- And then he adds the same gravel around the bulbs. I like to use natural pebbles, such as pea stone or gravel from the driveway. Just be sure it is well-cleaned before placing in the container.
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- Here is another faux boix container potted up with another six ‘Etouffee’ bulbs. This pot is also shallow – about six inches deep. Once planted, Ryan also gives each pot a good drink.
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- The bulbs will stay in a dimly lit part of a greenhouse until they begin to grow. Then they’ll be moved to a sunnier location until they begin to open. And forcing needs patience – it can take as long as 13 weeks for the bulbs to come into flower. I’ll be sure to share photos.
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- And here are our peacocks and peahens resting on the ledge outside the head house. Peafowl are quite loyal and tend to stay where they are well-fed and well-protected. These birds will be guided back down to their coop as night falls.
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