early hyacinths

My hyacinths are up and some even have flowers getting ready to bloom. We still have very cold weather ahead .. what can I do to protect them from freezing and being ruined?

I sometimes cover mine with towels if they emerge too early and I want to protect them, especially at night. Generally if the temps are in the high 20's or above they'll be OK, and if the flowerbuds are still closed they'll tolerate even colder....but if the buds are open they be burnt during a hard freeze and there is really no way around it. Hopefully next year they'll come up at normal time! Good luck....

If you don't have too many and a freeze is on the way, you could cover them with a cloche or plastic shield of some kind--maybe a cut off gallon milk jug or some thingamajig from Home Depot? Ugly but effective.

Or pile up cut leaves or other mulch to try to save them.

Or cut them and bring them in and put in a glass to enjoy inside. Or dig them and plant in a clay pot for inside enjoyment.

I don't really know, but I have been thinking about this myself. My hyacinths look like they may be caught in a freeze, too, too.



This message was edited Jan 14, 2007 10:42 AM