hyacinths for Christmas

Anyone bringing on hyacinths (or anything else) for Christmas and if so, do you succeed in getting them to flower on time?

I've tried once or twice but they've always seemd to miss the mark!

 

having done this commerciallly . we used to put the bulbs in boxes and put outside, covered with peat or some such, i think this is better than under the stairs in a house
once growth is established is the time to expose to warmth and daylight

 

I gave my dad some hyacinths last year they were almost flowering when I gave him them.They went on to produce beautifull scented flowers,he put them away when they had finished and couldn't remember where he had put them, he found them last week potted them up and they have grown and flowered all in the space of a week but they are only about an inch in height.(sorry I dragged that out a bit)

 

They need a period of really cold temperature to grow and flower properly (as well as the commercial treatment pre-sales). Under the stairs in most houses is far too warm. Ours go into the shade greenhouse, which is open to the weather and are then brought in when the flower spikes show colour.

 

once these treated hyacinths have flowerd you mite as well throw them away, they wont do well in future years

 

We have always planted these bulbs out in the garden after flowering and now have a really good display of hyacinths in Spring. Many of them have clumped up nicely.

 

I too plant them out in the garden when flowering is finished, and they do well.

I have tried to get snowdrops into flower for xmas for my mother. Put them in the fridge for a month. I gave them to her two weeks ago, and there were roots coming from the base of the pot and first sign of them breaing through the compost, so fingers crossed.

 

Got to admit, I buy a few bulbs already showing flower buds, I've got some now just starting to flower, which I bought about tree weeks ago, separately grown in 3.5in pots.
It saves a lot of trouble :rolleyes:
I also plant them in the garden when the flowers have finished.

 

Thanks for the tip - I'll try again next year.