By Paulines
United Kingdom
All these answers refer to indoor Hyacynths. Mine have grown outdoor in pots and have been beautiful,what should I do with them once they are finished
- 31 Mar, 2012
Answers
The only difference betwixt the Hyacinths sold for indoor culture and outdoor ones is that they have been kept cold for a period of time to induce early flowering. The treatment for finished outdoor ones is exactly the same. Plant them out and give them a feed. They will slowly increase in the garden.
31 Mar, 2012
Snap!
31 Mar, 2012
I'm not sure that's entirely true though, Owdboggy - if I buy indoor culture hyacinths in the bulb state, I can't touch them, they burn my skin, bit like chili pepper does. The ones sold for planting outside do not, and I was told the indoor ones are treated with chemicals not present on the outdoor ones, so they put something on them to force early growth, or maybe for some other reason.
31 Mar, 2012
About the only thing which is used on forcing bulbs would be a fungicide. Unless it has changed over the last few years, the preparation for early flowering was purely chilling for a set period at a certain temperature. Somewhere I have the charts they use for all out of season forced bulb flowers, the temps they need and the length of time etc. There is no mention of any chemical treatment .
31 Mar, 2012
Well there's something on them - I notice there are now warnings on loose treated bulbs for indoor growth about not touching them with bare skin, well, when sold in garden centres, anyway.
31 Mar, 2012
Same here, Bamboo. I can't handle the forced ones without rubber gloves and being beside the crates of them in the GC makes the skin on my face prickle and itch. So there's definitely something on them, but I've no idea what it is.
31 Mar, 2012
Neither the forcing ones, nor the outdoor ones have any effect on me, but the warning is displayed on both kinds, not just the forcing ones. Could just be that the later planting ones are dug up later and the allergen has washed off them more?
31 Mar, 2012
I've no idea - been trying to find out what it might be they're covered in, but no luck so far. All I know is, the man at the nursery years ago told me the indoor ones were treated with something which was what had caused my hands and face to burn (rubbed my face before I realised), but that whatever it was wasn't used on outdoor ones.
31 Mar, 2012
I have to wear gloves with both ones as they make my skin itch. so do bluebells come to think of it.
31 Mar, 2012
Odd how different things affect different people. Now I cannot touch Comfrey and my wife has to pick Radishes wearing gloves as the leaves giver her a terrible rash,
Still, the advice for dealing with the Hyacinths remains the same for Paulines, whether we can touch the bulbs or not!
31 Mar, 2012
I'm confused - all what answers?
Anyway, what to do now - plant them outside somewhere, water them in and give them a feed. They'll flower in spring next year outside.
31 Mar, 2012