when the bulbs are ready to store & rest. I managed to get my stored amaryllis bulb to grow leaves Yay! but it did not flower. I love your website, for resources to learn about indoor bulb cultivation! We live at over 10,000 feet! I have a master organic vegetable gardening friend & we are quite good with those projects, takes many weeks of germination, transplanting, transplanting & many nights of covering once planted due to our very short "frost free" nights [can be as little as 25]. Thanks for your advice, Ms. Lee
You will start slowly backing off of the water until they bring themselves into dormancy. They can be forced into dormancy anytime after flowering, and the decrease of available water is usually what starts the process. Once the tops have dried up then you can begin the process of forcing dormancy.
This article will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/hyacinth/care-for-hyacinth-houseplants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/forced-bulbs-in-pots-yearly.htm
Every year I plant bulbs and every year squirrels dig them up and eat them or carry them away - except for the grape hyacinths! I would love to grow early daffodils and then tulips. If I plant the bulb, quite deep, in late spring/early summer instead of the autumn would this solve the problem? Thank you.
No, the bulbs would probably sprout early. Planting them in late fall prevents them from sprouting till the warmth of spring.
Here are a couple articles that may help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/squirrel-resistant-bulbs.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/protect-flower-bulbs.htm
The bulbs bloom in spring, but not in the summer. The leaves are very healthy.
They should, naturally, start to leaf out at the end of Summer or beginning of Autumn. They are cold weather flowers, and will usually go through a period of semi dormancy during the hotter months.
Here is an article that will give you more information on the plant and its care: