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Pink Pearl Hyacinth

mchuamchua Posts: 210
in Plants
So I just bought some hyacinth bulbs it’s an indoor one, but the instructions suggest outdoor planting?  I've looked online and YouTube and there are so many different methods 🤯

All the people on YouTube videos just put them on the surface but it says here I need to plant them 15cm deep. I don’t want to do the forcing method. I’m just a beginner! 😳
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Here you go @mchua

    https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/hyacinthus-orientalis-pink-pearl/

    Many of them can be both indoor and outdoor, but the method is different depending on which choice you make  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    This is a thread about a hyacinth @humourcabinnltZN6pJy.
    Not really the place to look for other plants . Plenty of good suppliers of those. 

    If you want weird stuff that doesn't exist, Amazon is the place. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    I’ve planted my hyacinths outdoors in a container in MPC only. The roots are shooting out the bottom.

    I water them when the soil is dry down to a couple of inches.

    But there was one point where I watered them, and then it rained heavily the day after and I wasn’t around to move them under shelter. So basically the compost got drenched two days in a row.

    They’re still outside but I’ve put them under a lean-to for now.

    Should I still water the bulbs throughout the winter?  The compost is still moist after a fortnight now. :((((
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They really won't need watering over winter @mchua.  They'll absorb enough moisture from the air, and they don't appreciate being in soggy soil long term. Just keep an eye on them.  :)
    If the roots are showing at the bottom, it's worth getting them into a deeper container, but make sure the compost is nice and free draining  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Oh really, so this is not good? I feel like I should’ve gone for the simpler option where you just pop the them on top slightly protruding.  :/. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The 'placing on top of compost' is for forcing indoors. For planting outside, they need to be planted around 2 to 3 times the depth of the bulb [as with most bulbs] so the pot needs to have enough depth to contain the roots as they grow.  :)
    Roots emerging from the bottom of the pot are at risk of sitting in wet conditions, which isn't great unless it's a plant which doesn't mind damp soil. Hyacinths won't like that. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Yes you’re right. I dug them out to a deeper pot. The roots were fragile and lost a few.  The compost was soaking, but I mixed it with some fresh drier MP. I’m not too hopeful now, silly me I do over think things. Apparently hyacinths are ideal for beginners because they’re easy!  :D:'(
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think the confusion arises because they can be grown in different ways @mchua, using the same bulbs.  :)
    Hopefully, they should be ok now. As long as they aren't sitting in soaking wet conditions long term, they should be fine. They prefer a drier medium. I have mine in raised beds which drain more easily, and if they're in pots, they're tucked in a corner against the house over winter to keep the worst of the wet weather off them.    :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Yes definitely! I find it interesting that the rule for wide spacing and depth straight into the ground is disregarded when planting in pots. 

    There must be a reason for that?  

    That’s why I tried it in that rectangle container above to try and stick to the rule, but apparently it’s not an issue as long as they don’t touch.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Leaving aside the forcing bulbs, which is totally different, the main reason you can cram bulbs into pots more closely than in a border, is because you aren't normally leaving them there long term.  :)
    In open ground, most bulbs will spread and naturalise, and also get much bigger, so they need space. Even then, if a clump of anything gets congested, it benefits them to be divided. 
    In pots, they'll still get bigger, and need splitting, but you wouldn't leave a load of bulbs in a pot without any attention year after year.  :)
    They should all be planted at the correct depth, regardless of whether it's in pots or in the ground to ensure good growth and flowering. Planting too shallow often prevents that happening with some bulbs.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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