Growing Prepared Hyacinth Bulbs in Glass Bulbs Vases for Christmas Flowering
If you want to have Hyacinths flowering for Christmas you need to plan ahead. They need to be planted during September and different varieties will take different amounts of time from planting to flowering. Flowering time is usually between 11 and 13 weeks depending on the variety.
You can't use any old Hyacinth bulbs though, garden Hyacinths flower in March and April and you want your Hyacinths to flower in December. You need to purchase specially prepared Hyacinth bulbs. They are available in packs or can be purchased loose. Prepared Hyacinths have been through a sequence of cold treatments so they flower early. Prepared bulbs are more expensive than garden varieties as they have been through this special process. Always wear gloves when handling Hyacinth bulbs as they can be a skin irritant.
Step 1
Choose your Hyacinth bulbs. They should be small enough to fit inside the neck of your bulb vase. These are Woodstock, which will have a Maroon-Red flower.
Step 2
Two different glass bulb vases. The top half of the vase is for holding the bulb above the bottom water filled section. Bulb vases come in a variety of colours.
Step 3
Get hold of some charcoal. This can be added to the water in the vase to keep the water sweet and prevent the water from going off.
Step 4
Fill the vase with water and add the charcoal if you have some. The vase should be filled with water to the neck of the vase so that when you place the Hyacinth bulb into the top section the water level is just below the bottom of the bulb.
Step 5
They now need to be kept cool and placed in the dark to help the roots form (about 9-10 degrees is ideal). You can just cover the bulbs with a black sack and put them in the shed. Once the Hyacinths have produced roots and the shoots are about 5 cm tall (2 inches) they can be brought inside the house. Place the Hyacinths in a cool but bright spot. You will need to top up the water in the vase as it is used up. Do not place them near a heat source such as a radiator. Once brought inside the Hyacinths will take about 3 weeks to flower.
