Sad Hyacinth

Is this sad or what? Poor thing.
It's pretty sparse! Is this due to a need for fertilizer or water? Or, could it be because of the up and down, freezing-thawing, above and below normal temps over the last several weeks?
Deb

Mine always seem to look like that, I kind of like it better. More natural looking, but thats just me.

Steven

Steven: Oh yes! It's growing and blooming and smells lovely and that's good enough for me. That said, I am definitely curious as to the cause. Last year all the ones in this pot were very full and I hate to think I'm depriving my poor bulbs of something. :)
Deb

Don't they have fewer flowers if the temps don't get cold enough for them? I tried to grow them in MS and would have gorgeous blooms the 1st year after planting (out of the package) but when left in the ground they didn't do so well the next year. I think I was told that they have to have a long and cold sleep for them to have a lucious scape.

I found out that my hyacinths did great the first year, bloomed more sparsely the next year, and generally disappeared after that. I finally found out that I was WAY underefertilizing them. Now I fertilize them like bleek recommended here at DG for daffodils. Once when they first break ground, once after I cut back the dead blooms, and once in the fall. They do much much better now.

JustJen: Well we certainly had a mild winter, so that's one possibility for sure. We didn't get real cold winter temps til these were already up!
Woodspirit: Based on what you're saying, I have not fertilized enough either.

Could be a combination of the two maybe.

Thanks everybody. :)

Deb

Yes it could be either one, we sure don't get as much cold as we used to around here! Also, I never fertilize either, so I couldn't say.

Steven