I wrote about buying bulbs a few weeks ago and mentioned ‘forcing’ them.  The word forcing is rather strong because what we are really doing is encouraging the bulbs to bloom sooner than they would if planted outside. It is not too late to prepare some glorious bowls of spring for February and March. The reason I bring this up again is because today(Nov. 8^th)  I was in Canadian Tire and all their bulbs were half price. What an opportunity!

I hate wastage and I wondered what will happen to these bulbs if they are not rescued.  I purchased a bag of 12 Hyacinth Bulbs, brought them home and popped them in the fridge. In order to bloom the bulbs need to be tricked into thinking they have gone through winter so the process of putting them in a dark cool place is required. This is called stratification. Some seeds require the same process. I should add it is best not to put the bulbs in a fridge containing fruit as the ethylene gas produced by fruit will stunt the growth of the flower bud.

All bulbs except Paper Whites require this process but for Hyacinths it is no more difficult than popping them in the fridge. The beauty of Hyacinths is that after 12 weeks in a cool dark place you can just place them over water to begin the growth process.  It is possible to buy bulbs which have already been stratified but they usually come as a package with a small jar to put them in. It is not necessary to use a special vase but it is necessary to keep the bottom of the bulb out of water otherwise they will rot. There are several ways to get your hyacinths to bloom providing they have been stratified.

1. Plant the bulb with the growing tip one third out of potting mix in a clay or similar pot when you purchase them.  The bulb should not get too wet so water gently until moist and place the pot in a cold dark place, an unheated garage works well. Check that they do not dry out completely and look at the bottom of the pot at about 10 weeks to see if the roots are showing. Once roots are visible at the hole in the bottom of the clay pot the bulbs can come out and be placed in a sunny window. Clay pots work well in this system of planting as the pot can breath and is not likely to become water logged. If it did the bulbs would rot. The bulb and roots need oxygen.

• Leave the bulbs in the fridge for 10 – 12 weeks and then one by one or in groups place them in special hourglass hyacinth glasses made for this purpose. The glass holds the bulb above the water. The hyacinth will sense the water, send down its roots and will bloom in 3 to 4 weeks. The bulb must not touch the water or it will rot.

• Take any waterproof glass, pot or jar and fill one third with pebbles, aquarium glass, large glass beads or other small rock. Add water to just beneath the top level of the rocks. Then nestle the hyacinth bulb on top of the rocks making sure the bulb is not resting in water. The same process will occur as the hyacinth glass. The roots sense the water and descend. Leaf growth will begin soon after, followed by a magical scented hyacinth bloom. I like to surround the bulb with some moss for a more interesting look.

Other bulbs are best brought to bloom by planting in a potting mix but when bulbs are half price it is a wonderful opportunity to experiment. ‘Forced’ bulbs are not able to build up the nutrients they require to fatten up for the following year so although they may be planted in the garden, they may not bloom for a year or two. Commercially many spent bulbs are just thrown into a compost. However with some fertilizer and a well – drained loam soil, you have nothing to lose by planting them outside. In the time between blooming and being able to get on our frozen gardens I just allow them to dry out again before planting. Some may not make it but at least they have had their day in the sun. Of course if your ground is still not frozen bulbs can still be planted in the garden albeit a chilly job as some gardens still have remnants of the last snowfall.