Subject: Re: hyacinth: what to do after bloom is gone?

From: [email-masked]
Date: 3 Mar 95 10:33:27 CST

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
(Fat Lenny) writes:

> how long should i keep a forced hyacinth in a water vase before i
put it in storage?

My gardening calendar from the Univ of MN says that forced hyacinths,
crocus, narcissus and (tulips?) will not do well as either re-forced
bulbs next year nor garden bulbs.  From what I've read here and other
places, the bulbs spend all their resources being forced and don't
have anything left for later.  There is not enough light in the winter
for them to both maintain their size/nutrients and bloom.

I guess that means that you just keep it until you are tired of
looking at it, then throw it away.  Personally, I'll probably be
soft-hearted and put mine in the garden anyway.

Signed,
  Still under the snow in MN (zone 4a).

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From: D Thomas <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 09:37:08 -0800

The locally wet winter mixed with soggy soil, warm air and slug damage is 
causing a lot of my plants to develop brown/grey bacterial infections and 
mold damage.  Is there a systemic/topical for this?  Since I can't dry 
out the garden, could I try feeding to bolster the plants?  Will pruning 
really save the rest of the plant? Currently affected are lavenders, 
ocotillo tips, and borage.

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From: [email-masked] (TIGIBSON)
Date: 3 Mar 1995 13:57:07 -0500

i've replanted tulips, daffodils, crocus and hyacinths after forcing. so
far all of them have come up and bloomed. i'm touching the wood on my desk
as i type, to make sure i didn't just jinx my bulbs this year!
tigibson

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From: [email-masked] (Janine Dahms Walker)
Date: 3 Mar 1995 22:56:32 GMT

> how long should i keep a forced hyacinth in a water vase before i

I have alot of space, and can't bear to throw them away.  So, I repot them
in dirt, and when the ground thaws, plant then outside with a good dose of
bonemeal.  Did this last year, and will see what happens after "the thaw" 
I can afford to wait 2-3 years for a bloom with our space.  Anxious for
spring in MN zone 3/4.
Janine Dahms Walker

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From: [email-masked] (Joann M. Hnat)
Date: 6 Mar 1995 08:11:18 -0500

TIGIBSON ([email-masked]) wrote:
: i've replanted tulips, daffodils, crocus and hyacinths after forcing. so
: far all of them have come up and bloomed. i'm touching the wood on my desk
: as i type, to make sure i didn't just jinx my bulbs this year!
: tigibson
__________________________________________________________________________

I have a question -- I've read that once you force a bulb to bloom 
indoors, it won't bloom indoors again, but if you plant it outside, it 
should bloom again.  The explanation I've read of this is that the indoor 
plant doesn't get enough sun to make enough food for the plant to bloom 
indoors the next year.

I don't understand this, though.  If I force a bulb, then allow the 
foliage to wither naturally before I discard it, I end up with a bulb 
ready to plant.  Why should it make a difference whether I plant it 
indoors or out?  It's the same bulb, and it already has whatever 
nutrients it's going to use for the next year's flowering, and it 
wouldn't be getting anything from the sun once the foliage withered and 
was discarded, anyway.

Any answers?

  .. Joann

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From: [email-masked] (TIGIBSON)
Date: 3 Mar 1995 13:57:07 -0500

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From: [email-masked] (Janine Dahms Walker)
Date: 3 Mar 1995 22:56:32 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Joann M. Hnat)
Date: 6 Mar 1995 08:11:18 -0500

Any answers?

  .. Joann

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 6 Mar 95 11:59:32 -0600

> plant doesn't get enough sun to make enough food for the plant to bloom 

Right.
> wouldn't be getting anything from the sun once the foliage withered and 

You end up with a bulb, yes, but the bulb hasn't the nutrients/energy
to allocate much to flower production.  And flowers are formed before
the bulb goes dormant.  Since even the sunniest window is darker than
outdoors, there isn't sufficient photosynthate to make big flowers.
Yes, you may get a smaller flower the next year.  This will further
exhaust the bulb if you grow it indoors again.   More likely, if you
grow it outdoors, it won't bloom the second year after forcing, but
put up a flower the next year-- usually of smaller size than the
flowers you got when you bought it for forcing.

If you feel morally obliged to save forced bulbs,sink them in the soil
as soon as possible.  That way your bulbs can be getting as much
sunlight as possible.  Don't wait until the foliage dies back.

Kay Klier   [email-masked] (where we're supposed to get 3-5" snow
today)