dont know which H you are thinking about.. but its a bulb thing.. you dig up momma.. and harvest the tiny babes.. and grow them on for many years until they are blooming size.. presuming the larger flowered ones.. as compared to the grape type ... which make babe bulbs like rabbits.. by the bazillion ...

ken

Or you could Google 'basal plate propagation' - but it will still take a while to get flowering size bulbs. Seed is interesting to try but you are not guaranteed a flower like the parent.

Sorry for not replying sooner. I've been up to my eyeballs with everything the world could possibly throw at me.

Here is a picture of one of my hyacinth bulbs. (I'm not sure what the appropriate term is, but you will know what I mean) if I MANAGE to remove the shoot growing off the bottom side, it will grow into a full-sized hyacinth? I'm afraid to try this. I am a newbie gardener, & my thumb is not exactly green.

Yes, that's what Ken was describing, "harvest the tiny babes." Fascinating pic! Is that an aquarium?

Are you anxious to separate the baby from the mama? If it clearly has its' own root system, that should be fine but looks a little small to separate yet in terms of being as big as it can be as soon as possible. It should snap loose if you bend it away from the mama.

Purpleinopp

No, it's not an aquarium. Though that does sound like an idea! I bought these bulbs shortly before my hubby decided to pile a bunch of scrap wood & other junk (we're in the process of builing a wrap around porch) on top of the intended place for the hyacinths. It's taken awhile for me to get everything moved. Some of the scraps I am using to build little garden boxes. The rest is being thrown in the dumpsters, & I can only throw away as much as the dumpster will allow (where we live we do not have trash pick up). During the process of me clearing out my spot, the bulbs began sprouting & rooting, so I stuck them in a glass baking dish, haha.

I have 12 bulbs, & about a quater of them have these babies growing. One of them even has two. They are very small at this time. Though they do have a couple of roots dangling off. Yes, I am nervous about separating them, even when it does come time for it to be a safe removal!

Oh, that sounds like quite the project! Hope you get to the more fun parts soon.

As the baby bulb gets bigger, you'll see how it will be easy to snap them apart, like garlic cloves. Good luck!

no dont!!!!

plant it.. and harvest that babe in fall ... when it will naturally fall off..

do NOT slice into the bulb.. for fear of contamination .. and rot ... it can be done.. but at your experience level.. but for shear luck.. i wouldnt risk it ...

you are creating water roots there.. it MIGHT be tricky to convert them to soil roots..

that said.. you could probably.. with the right nutrition.. force them right there.. if you could figure out how to secure them.. so they dont tip over ...

ken

I might not be understanding this question properly but can I ask why the hyacinths are not planted? (I get the problem with the junk pile but they need to be in something.)

Unless you get them into either the soil outside or potting medium indoors immediately they will starve to death. At the moment they are using up their stored energy and are unable to replace it. They are about to flower and need planting asap. You can remove the offshoot bulblets later in the year when the leaves have died down and they are dormant.

Ken - regarding 'water roots' on hyacinths. I grow hyacinths in water every year and then plant out in the garden while still green as soon as the flower is finished. I couldn't see any water in the OP's container. Is there water in there? If so the bulbs will be transplantable later. These will go into the garden after flowering.

Yes, there is water. Just hard to tell in the picture.

Phew - then it's not so urgent to get them in the ground. But you might want to add pebbles or something or they will fall over when they flower.

Those I have plenty of :) I'm almost through with the junk pile. However, if it rains tomorrow as they are calling for, theeeeeen that's another hinderance. Seems like so many of those here lately for me :/

the problem is her tray ..

your vases hold the plant upright.. as the flower extends..

if she could rig something to hold the plants up ... then you show exactly what i was talking about..

but flora.. is yours PLAIN WATER? .. or diluted with fert.. i dont know if the bulb will have enough stored energy with just plain water to put up that spectacular flower ... unless the leaves will provide enough thru photosynthesis ...

ken

Yes, Ken - it is plain water. It is common practice to grow forced bulbs in water. The flower is already in the bulb and has ample nutrition stored in there. All it needs is water. Only if you want it to flower again next year does it need further food. After the flower fades I plant them straight out into the garden - which is not frozen here - and they come up year after year, although the bloom is not as large as the first year.

The hyacinths in the photo all originated as indoor bulbs forced in water.

Oh wow, love everything - the flowers, the wall, the path, that incredibly cool tree gnarling over the wall. Flora, awesome!!

LOVING those trees. The twisting, the swirling, almost like vines. I can only imagine what they look like bloomed out. I'm wanting a stone walkway, but as of right now, I have no place to have one. I have cleared away the vast majority of the junk pile. Still have some to go. I'm waiting on our weather to pass. It cleared long enough yesterday for me to plant half of my hyacinths. On the other side of the driveway I have pink tulips planted in the shape of a heart. I decided to plant the hyacinths in the center to fill out the heart (I purchased the hyacinths, thinking it was going to be mixed colors, but they are all a light pink). The rest of the bulbs I'll plant in the intended spot under the scrap pile. Just thinking of what pattern to plant those in.

hey flora.. i never thought about it.. after bloom last year.. its greenery stored all its energy for spring thru bloom.. so all it needs is water.. BRILLIANT ...

i often wondered [well not that often] why some things can be forced indoors in the dead of winter ... like spring bulbs ... makes sense to me ... now ... lol.. the only question is if i will remember it all ... lol ...

but if they want the bulbs to be 'saved' .. they have to get in the ground.. in summer.. to 'store the energy' for next year .. they need the nutrients of the soil.. plus the photosynthesis to pack in the energy ....

ken

Hi Flora,

I have some hyacinths in a pot that are currently blooming. They are in soil. I would like to transplant them to my garden once they are done. What would the "best practice be?" How long should I wait after they are done blooming? Do I remove any of the leaves or flowers?

Also another random question. Are there any bulbs that I can plant right now that will bloom during the summer?

Thanks,
Katie

Hi katie_summer - I don't know about 'best practice', I just know what I do. I am a very lazy gardener (I prefer to call it efficient;-)) So as soon as the flowers fade, but while the leaves are still green, I just plant them straight into the garden. If the flower looks as if it is setting pods (rare if they are grown indoors) I will cut off the flower, but usually I don't. I certainly can't be bothered to dry them and store them.

Regarding summer flowering bulbs, in my region I could plant Dahlias, Gladioli, Tigridia, etc but I don't since they are not winter hardy and I am not prepared to spend the time to lift them in the Autumn. But I don't live in your area so I can't really advise. You could try asking on the Bulb Forum for suggestions. But you'll need to say where you are gardening.