Your Garden

Garden Matters With Ken Crowther – House Plants

 If you were given a present of Hyacinths in a bowl for indoors, keep in a cool, shady spot where the

temperature is about 10C (50F) and leave the container there. Once you can see the flower head peeping through move the bowl to its flowering position. For the longest flowering season this should be a bright, but not sunny spot, away from draughts, away from a radiator or heater, and fairly cool in the 15-21C (60-70F) range.

Don’t over water the compost or the bulbs will tend to rot. Wait until the surface of the bulb fibre dries out and then water carefully. Use tepid water rather than freezing cold straight from the tap and add some feed every couple of weeks. Once the flowers have faded, cut off the flower stalk and find a cool light spot indoors for the bulb to continue growing. Water and feed as required and you will be able to dry off the bulb for storage during the summer. Next autumn, plant the bulb outside in garden soil or patio tubs ready to bloom again the following spring.

Another great bulb to grow is Amaryllis as they have a spectacular stem topped with large trumpet flowers that last a long time if you keep it in fairly cool conditions. If your bulb has come in a box with pot and compost follow the instructions for planting. If the bulb is bought ‘loose’, plant it up in a 15cm (6 in) pot using multi-purpose compost. Set the bulb so that at least half of it is exposed above the level of the compost. Wet the compost and store in a warm place until growth starts. Make sure the surface of the compost dries out between watering.

The Amaryllis will bloom on the top of a stout flower stalk before the strap-like leaves have grown to any size. Keep the plant in a warm, well-lit place and continue to water. The bulb may well throw up another flower stem a few weeks after the original one.

I can’t finish without mentioning Poinsettias as many of you will have had one for Christmas. They still need watering and feeding every couple of weeks, with a good general purpose plant food such as Baby Bio.