Show #28/5302. Keukenhof

Keep Hyacinths Standing Straight

Eric has one final question before we leave. Why is it that all the HYACINTHS here at Keukenhof stand up straight. In his garden they always tend to flop especially when they're fully in bloom? At home the hyacinths are too great, too large. When they grow up they're going to be heavy. But Hans has a trick. He takes an iron pin but you could also take an old bicycle wheel and break the spokes out and have the same pin. They keep them straight up by stuffing the pin in the top of the plant at the flower, then run it down through the stem. It will then stand straight up. When you don't do that they will fall over, then it typically rots in two days. Of course the customer is disappointed. But they keep them straight and by doing that you keep them one week or ten days longer and looking fresh. And that's the trick that they use at Keukenhof. They do it to almost all the hyacinths and that is why you see they are straight. That's an outstanding tip.