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How best to save hyacinth bulbs after flowering

(44 Posts)
Grammaretto Sun 10-Feb-19 11:10:59

This is a question. I was asked and said remove them from their pot, let them dry out and leave them in a dry shed until the autumn when you can plant them again.
Was this the wrong answer?

M0nica Sun 10-Feb-19 11:55:54

After indoor pot grown hyacinths are over, I just plant them in the garden.

Grammaretto Sun 10-Feb-19 11:57:51

So you don't need to dry them out?

BBbevan Sun 10-Feb-19 12:40:01

I do the same as MOnica , then they come up year after year

tanith Sun 10-Feb-19 12:49:11

Same here just plant them in the garden.

BlueBelle Sun 10-Feb-19 13:34:46

I put mine in the garden too

Jalima1108 Sun 10-Feb-19 13:39:28

Mine are outside on the wall still in the pot, dried out then got wet again ….
I must plant them in the garden - they were lovely, each bulb had multiple flower stalks.

Jalima1108 Sun 10-Feb-19 13:40:17

I think you can dry them out and replant them in a pot for indoors later in the year, but it's easier to plant them outside if you have a garden.

Ngaio1 Sun 10-Feb-19 13:47:22

Apologies - slightly off course here! I have a double flowering Amaryllis in bloom at the minute and would love to save it for next year. Any tips, please?

Elegran Sun 10-Feb-19 14:16:07

Amaryllis - After it finishes flowering, allow the leaves to die down (tie them in a loose know if they flop about) reducing the watering. When the leaves are dead, remove them and put the pot away somewhere cool but frost-proof until you want it to flower again. Then bring it into light and warmth, and start watering again.

M0nica Sun 10-Feb-19 14:16:16

I was listening to someone asking that question on a gardening program (Gardeners Questiontime, R4, Sunday, 2.00pm, Friday 3.00pm) last week.

The answer, sadly, was a that doing that was a non-starter. Amaryllis are one season only plants.

Elegran Sun 10-Feb-19 14:17:14

knot, not know.

Elegran Sun 10-Feb-19 14:19:36

Then Gardeners Question Time don't know nuthin. I have has amaryllis flowering three or four times or more, sometimes more often than once a year. They get weary after a while, but I am sure that you could get them to go on longer with careful feeding etc.

Elegran Sun 10-Feb-19 14:21:21

Amaryllis have a bulb. The purpose of that is to store nutrients over the dormant period to use when they re-awaken.

Grammaretto Sun 10-Feb-19 14:42:33

I would agree about amaryllis . They seem to go on forever and flower again the next year.
For some reason I thought that bulbs, like dahlia tubors, should be dried and stored if you want them to flower again.

Elegran Sun 10-Feb-19 14:48:18

I have done them both ways, dried and stored, or kept in the pot. Not much difference in the result. Bulbs planted in the garden grow perfectly well the next year without being lifted.

grannyticktock Sun 10-Feb-19 16:42:03

I knew an old lady who had grown a whole load of red amaryllis for her daughter's wedding about 20 years ago. She kept them all alive all those years, and after she died, they happened to be in flower and were used to decorate the village hall where they had her memorial service.

This would be a better story if I could tell you how she looked after them, but I'm afraid I don't know. She was a keen gardener and knew a lot about plants.

BlueBelle Sun 10-Feb-19 18:41:11

My 2 amerylis did nothing the second year no movement at all I was a bit disappointed

Grammaretto Sun 10-Feb-19 19:02:39

BlueBelle maybe you gave it too much TLC. I think I ignored mine just occasionally giving it a splash of water. It is no longer with us so I can't claim major success.
I wonder what your friend's secret was grannyticktock.
I am in awe of people who grow and arrange the flowers for their DC weddings.

BlueBelle Sun 10-Feb-19 19:19:22

No ignored it completely Gram didn’t water after leaves dropped Just wasn’t lucky

BBbevan Mon 11-Feb-19 03:49:53

My MiL's dog ate their Amaryllis but it grew again the next year .

Grammaretto Mon 11-Feb-19 08:15:31

BBbevan the dog or the amaryllis?
grin
I planted an entire bed of bulbs which were all eaten by mice or squirrels. I think I was left with one narcissi and an iris. No crocuses or scilla survived.

BBbevan Mon 11-Feb-19 10:08:24

The amaryllis , silly ?

4allweknow Mon 11-Feb-19 11:12:26

Plant in the garden after flowering. Suppose you could keep them in the shed until spring then plant out.

David1968 Mon 11-Feb-19 11:22:12

Over the years I have done both ways. Have planted hyacinths directly into the garden bed, as soon as the flowers are over and the leaves are drooping, and I've also left them to dry out (in the shed) then planted them later. Both ways have worked. I think that a lot depends on the weather, soil, locations, quality of bulbs etc, as well as the pesky squirrels. I've also had Amaryllis come up year after year, by letting them dry out in the pot (again, in the shed.)