Specially prepared hyacinth bulbs can be easily forced indoors. These bulbs, with their wonderful scent can fill your home with a bright pop of colour during the holiday season. Christmas flowering Hyacinths should never be purchased before September, as they need to undergo temperature and humidity treatment to allow the flower bud to advance to the levels needed. The process of forcing these bulbs, to guarantee Christmas flowering, is simple provided you follow the instructions below.

• The first job is to prepare your bowl or container by filling to the rim with a good quality bulb fibre. Make sure this is well watered, which will avoid the need to water before bringing indoors at the beginning of December. Hyacinths require a moist soil, as if they become too dry the flower spike will be stunted.
• Bulbs should be planted into the container so that the top quarter is visible above the soil line. Potting should not be too firm, otherwise there is a tendency for the bulbs to push themselves out of the compost as they form their roots.
• The bowls should then be moved into a cold frame or against a north facing sheltered wall and covered with soil. At this stage our only concern is to encourage good root growth which is necessary before any attempt at forcing is made. Alternatively, they can be placed in a dark place such as a cellar or a cupboard but make sure they do not dry out.
• On or around the first of December it is time to begin the slow forcing process. The container of hyacinths should be removed and placed in a dark room with a temperature of approximately 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The bulbs should be left like this until the flower is well out of the neck of bulb. This usually takes 1-2 days.
• The bulbs can then be moved to a sunny position and allowed to flower normally. During this time it is important to ensure that the bulbs receive plenty of moisture.