In article , Nospam@invalid
says...

On Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:22:43 -0000, Roger Tonkin
wrote:

We have some lovely large scented hyacinths, but the will not stay
upright in the bowl. Apart from constructing a frame to support them,
does anyone have any tips on keeping them upright as they grow?

There are three main possibilities - you need to deal with whichever
one(s) apply

1) You've watered too much (especially if there are no drainage holes
in the bowl). Let the compost dry out and water only when you can
stick a finger in to the second joint without feeling any damp. If in
bulb fibre feel for damp at the first finger joint.
2)They're the wrong depth or too close together. There should be about
an inch between the bulbs and at least 2 inches below them to allow
for root growth. A common mistake is to bury the bulbs too deeply -
they should only be buried to about half way.
3) They're too warm. If they're on a window sill above a radiator you
need to move them somewhere cooler. Too much warmth is the usual cause
of premature droop.

Of course, the other possibility is that you're feeding them too much
Penderyn - they only need a drop or two every few months. Anything
more is bound to induce droop of the brewers' variety :-)

HTH

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay where
the four seasons are salt,pepper,mustard and vinegar.

Thanks Jake,

Some interesting points to consider.

I must say that I would never feed Penderyn to anyone or anything except
ME!

Certainly, planting may have been a problem, I've always planted with
just the tip of the bulb showing above the fibre, as my mother taught
me. This year the roots do seem to have surfaced round the edge of the
bowl, which I've never had before, even though I've used the same bowl.

In one single bulb pot, the flower is still small and growing, but
horizontally!

I don't think over warmth is a problem, they live in the garage
(integral to the house and frost free) in the dark until flower head is
visible, then they green up in the garage window before moving to an
unheated bedroom window. Eventually when the flower colour shows and is
getting large, they move to the lounge, where they reside on a shelf
(actually a fireplace - but no fire!) Heating is off peak electric
storeage rads, so temperature is fairly constant.

Will try harder next year!

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales