Subject: Hyacinth from Seed?
From: "John McGaw"
Date: 5/11/2004 8:27 PM Central Daylight Time
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"Cereus-validus" wrote in message
...
That's not the reason why growing bulbs from seed is a bad idea.

The primary reason is that many of the popular bulb cultivars are sterile
hybrids and do not produce seeds.

If they are fertile and produce seeds, hybrids typically do not breed true
and the offspring usually do not look like the parent and may be inferior.

Growing species bulbs is the best way to propagate them because many do
not
multiply quickly from natural division of the bulbs.

The problem is that seeds of many bulbous plants are not commercially
available anyway.

Do you know of a source for Hyacinth seeds?


As I said in my original post, I've got expensive hyacinths that bloomed
most spectacularly this spring and many of them set seed and now have large
seedpods developed. My assumption is that when they fully develop (and dry?)
there will be seeds in them. My problem is that after that I don't have a
clue as to what to do with them. Plant them now? Store in refrigerator and
plant in the spring? There are an almost infinite number of permutations of
handling and conditions that might be necessary and I was just hoping that
someone might provide some guidance to get me started in the right
direction.

You could do either. Cold stratification may be required for germination, and
certainly can't hurt the seeds. If you can get them to grow this year, and
squeeze out a years growth, you'll be a year closer to flowering them.
Otherwise, it'll be easier to plant in spring while it's still cold next year.

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theoneflasehaddock