overwintering pond hyacinths
by Joe Kennard
(Salt Lake City, Utah )
The comment was made that they need to be sprayed with a fungicide and a miteicide and put in a dark place to overwinter.
Is there anything to this and what sprays would one use to do this with ?
Doug says that he has never heard of putting this tender tropical to sleep in this way. Any time I've tried to slow down their growth - they've elongated and then simply died off.
The only way I know to overwinter them successfully is to keep them growing under lights.
I have read that they'll take occasional frosts outdoors (but clearly die when the temps hit 20F). And I have also read that they'll slow down and go "dormant" in colder temperatures but not freezing.
In some areas with a mild winter, the tops will die off - leaving the crown and roots alive. This might be what you're looking at. The roots tend to survive in the mud of river banks in this condition and revive again in the spring to produce new growth.
You might try removing the tops and leaving the crowns and roots damp in muddy soil. But drying them out isn't going to be high on my list of to-do's for winter survival.
I have never read about keeping them in the dark and letting them go dormant. If you find a resource for this - do let me know.
