Confused about Hyacinth bulbs.

Well I can't work this out, I want to grow some hyacinths indoors, but advice is confusing, if you plant them in compost apparently you mustn't give them too much water but you can also grow them hydroponically with their roots in water all the time!! so which is best??

 

I think "roots in the water" says it all.
In a pot, too much water might rot the bulb until it gets a good root system and some growth.
Just guessing.

 

Ah yes, I think this is definitely the answer, thank you.
Found this interesting bit of info which I have copied.

"Hyacinths often have large, dense flower spikes in their first year as they are subjected to various treatments in the nursery, but will produce fewer flowers per stem in their second year under normal growing conditions."

 

Val, guess you know you need to buy the so called "prepared bulbs" for early indoor flowering.

 

@pete No!!!!! I thought you could 'force' any bulbs by giving them the cold treatment.

 

How do you mean, do you intend putting them in the fridge?

 

This guy doesn't say anything about "prepared bulbs" !! No not in the fridge just in a cool dark place.

 

Just thinking about the usual, everyone wants them for christmas.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=102

1. To have hyacinths in flower for the Christmas period make sure you buy bulbs labelled 'prepared'.

 

@pete Now you know why I am confused!!! I'm gonna do it like the guy in the video, I've ordered them now from Anglia bulbs so the darned things are gonna be planted and put in the dark.

 

Yep, its got me confused also.

The bit about the frost damaging the bulbs is strange?

I always though they needed a cold spell, frost and all, if possible, to get good flowers without masses of leaves.

 

Can I hijack your thread? I bought a sort of hyacinth growing kit last winter (before I had a garden and before I started getting interested in it). I grew the hyacinths in a pot on my kitchen window. I'd like to have them come back this year so after they finished flowering last year, I let the leaves die off and the bulbs are now sitting, still in the compost, in my outhouse.

When should I bring them out/what should I do with them to prepare them to grow again?

Another reason I'm confused is that I'm sure these were flowering in winter/christmas time. Don't I need to wait til there's a bit of spring warmth and light for them to flower?

 

I bought both prepared and non prepared bulbs last year. They were both planted on the same day and left outside, the prepared ones put in the shed to be kept completely dark. Both were subjected to the same temperatures, although the shed marginally warmer.

Only that set sprouted and grew in time for Chrimbo. Not quite the same as your method of making it cold now, but thought I'd share the experience anyway.