Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocus....question

I am completely changing one of our garden beds. After the crocus, hyacinths (fullsize and small grape variety), tulips and daffs were finished and dry, I dug them up. The hyacinth (large) had been in that bed for at least 4 years, and they each multiplied by a few bulbs, the crocus and grape hyacinth multiplied heavily. The tulips and daffs multiplied by a few. Rather than putting them in another bed, I decided to store them until October when I will have more time to decide where to put them. Here is my question, will the smaller offsets of each bulb produce a flower next spring? Or will they need a few years to reach a certain size before blooming? Not sure what to keep and what to toss?

*sigh* I just responded to this, but my internet connection crashed, and I lost my comment... so here is me, trying again. :)

Most, if not all of the bulbs will produce flowers. If you have any that are soft, black-ish, or have any hint of mold, toss them now, before they ruin all of your bulbs. Tulips may or may not re-bloom, it depends on the age of the bulb, and if you feed them or not.

I would suggest that you hang onto the lot, and if you have any left-overs after you replant your flower bed, offer them up for trade on one of the forums here. There is always someone willing to trade, or pay postage for flowers of any type.

Good luck with your garden!

Lori

Thanks for taking the time to post again Lori. I did that once, a real long reply and then I lost it. I didn't have the strength to post again. So I understand, thanks! :)

Yes, there were some softies in the bunch and I threw them away immediately. Good to know I should re-plant the smallish ones.

Sue your foliage had already browned on your bulb plants? Some of mine are still in bloom and those that aren't are all still too green to cut back.

Yep! The early tulips were ready. They finished drying for a week in the garage. The stems just came right off. The large hyacinth are still drying with the leaves though. They were not 'quite' ready but I was anxious to get the bed going.

I still have some late blooming Tulips in the garden too.

Time to get outside, forecast says rain at 1:00 today.........

You dug these up with green leaves and are drying the in the garage? Or did the brown while in the ground? (ooh poetic)

LOL very poetic! The tulips dried in ground, finished in garage. The Hyacinth were 'semi' dry and are still damp so they are still drying (leaves and all) in the garage. Not sure how those will fare though.

Hey do you want some caladiums? I have 10 from the Co-op that I didn't order. 5 Arno Nehrling & 5 White Queen. I can't use them - but you are welcome to them! They are not hardy and can't take anything below 65 degrees I believe. No trade necessary, e-mail me your addy and I'll send them off to you if you are interested.

Oh I'd love them.....I just started a tropical bed this year and they would fit in just fine.
I'll send the addy out in a minute or three :-)
Please make sure you include yours also so I can recoop you for postage.

Sue the caladiums arrived today...WOW girl your fast! :-)
Thank you so much for those and for the bonus crocus bulbs.
I was just this spring thinking I needed a few more, as some of mine seem to have become squirrel food.
Thank you so very much for your generousity.
I owe ya one!

Marc

THAT was fast. Wow. Go usps! Enjoy!

My hyacinths don't fully bloom. They have a well formed flower at the top of the stem, but below that they just look like they are budding. They have never fully opened. What's wrong? Is there anything I can do to help them fully bloom? Open to suggestions

Hi deofecat, I sure wish I had an answer to that one for you. Hopefully someone else will pop along and have one for you.

Defoecat, some of mine do that too.....I have always just assumed it was some damage to the emerging bloom spike that caused it (darn slugs!)....but I could be wrong. maybe someone will venture by and know for sure.

Oh and Sue, the crocus you sent me last year I just noticed are up and blooming beautifully.....I had actaully forgotten all about them. :-)

Marc

P.S. You going the Green Elephant GW swap?

Folks, do you suppose that the lack of full blooms on my hyacinths could be because they need fertilizer? Do you fertilize, and if so when? Thanks, defoecat

Could be I suppose.......
I only use compost and compost tea, and occassionally alfalfa tea on my beds. Everything seems to just thrive.

defoecat - I also only use compost and tea. I moved my Hyacinth this year from another bed. I have been growing these bulbs for about 5 years! They have just bloomed. Kind of 'stumpy' is how I would describe them. Meaning, the flowers are not fully formed. I should try to post a pic tomorrow to show. Maybe it was the move or immature bulb offsets..........I dunno.

Marc! How nice, I'm glad those crocus did well for you! I divided those bulbs and planted them in several places last fall. All are just now blooming for me. Pesky squirrels found many of them though. :( boo.................

Green Elephant swap? Hmmmmmmm, I know nothing but am very interested. Must pop over to GW to see what's up!

The best fertilizer for bulbs is bone meal, although I tend to mix in some blood meal as well. I'm told that alfalfa isn't actually a fertilizer, but acts as a hormone to allow plants to absorb more nutrients from soil and food.

One of the downsides to the bone meal is that animals can be attracted to it, but they shouldn't try eating the daffs or the hyacinths. If you're planting, just dig some into the soil beneath the bulbs. That should keep the critters away from it.

My hyacinths came up a little odd this year as well. It could be because they're re-blooming. The flowers don't bloom as full as they did first year, but keep getting a little looser. Odd, but I keep them as long as they bloom.

Lori

Sue/defoe,

Most bulb offsets will not produce a flower the following year, especially if they're small. They can take two to five years of growth to flower again, depending on bulb type. Most hyacinths do decline somewhat in size and fullness as the years go by, but they should still flower. I have had hyacinths where the bulb sent up two stalks, both somewhat small, as the bulb began to divide. I would leave the offsets in the ground and see what happens. I do know that hyacinths prefer to be kept in soil that remains pretty dry, especially during the summer when they're dormant. Also, defoe, are you planting them deep enough? Hyacinths need some cold, but don't need the protracted period of cold that tulips do to bloom and return well, so they shouldn't be a problem in terms of temperature requirements. Here are some of mine planted about 7-8" deep in a raised bed, in their 3rd year.

I put this Woodstock hyacinth bulb in the ground next to a rosebush on a slope near the side of the house at least three falls ago and neglected it, as you can see. Hardly flowered at all last year, and just did OK the first year. It actually came back kind of well formed this year, if not somewhat loose and with a couple of small stalks next to it, as if dividing. I rarely water in this area, and obviously don't plant anything here or pay much attention to it, but the flower caught my eye when I went around to the side of the house. Just took this picture two or three days ago.

Hyacinths will never look as full as the first year they flower. They can have for years to come about half of the florests and look more like Scilla Campanulata or Hyacinthus multiflorus.

Ah, Steve and Bleek - this will explain this photo then! These were replanted last fall. They were in their original spot for about 5 years. After dividing, I got a lot more stalks with blooms, but at 3/4 the size. Maybe almost 1/2 the size!

I do like the way they looked clumped together. They were all separate before.

ladyrowan:

Can I just mix the bone meal and blood meal, and sort of rake it in around the emerging foliage? Or do I need to dig these bulbs this fall, and then when replanted incorporate this mixture into the soil?

Sue,

I agree...they look kind of "wildflowery" in subsequent years, and though not as full, they're no less pretty. Yours look quite normal for having been around for five years - I would not worry.