Growing hyacinths indoors in water - Thrive (2024)

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Growing hyacinths indoors in water - Thrive? ›

A row of hyacinths in vases

Hyacinths, for instance, can be grown in a glass vase, kept indoors to flower into their fragrant beauty. The hyacinths are grown in a special glass jar, shaped like an hourglass with the bottom half filled water and the bulb placed in the top half. Water should never touch the bottom of the bulb, just about 5mm below.

To thrive indoors, water hyacinth needs lots of light and warm water.

Hyacinths reach toward sunlight, so turn your vase daily to prevent the plant from leaning in one direction. After 2 weeks or so, your hyacinths will be fully fragrant and bloomed, and should last for another 2 weeks before they begin to wilt.

Submerging your flower stems in water immediately after cutting the stems will help prevent this. Insert a pin into the stem just below the bloom if your flower is still drooping. The sticky substance inside of a hyacinth can prevent water uptake.

Turn the glass a bit every day. If it stays in the same position, the plant may stretch towards the light and end up toppling over. Keep the water level topped up. To keep your hyacinth flowering for longer, we recommend placing your jar on a cool windowsill instead of the middle of a hot room.

You can also grow hyacinth bulbs in glass jars or vases, without any compost. Use only heat-treated bulbs for this. Simply fill each vessel with water to just below where the bulb's base will sit, then put the bulb in place.

How To Grow Hyacinth In Water: Starting Growth. Take a clear or colored glass bulb vase and set the hyacinth bulb in the neck so that just the roots are touching the water. The most important thing about how to plant hyacinth bulbs in water is to then place the vase in a cool, dark spot such as a shed or garage.

Water hyacinth is an obligate aquatic plant. It forms dense free-floating mats, although it will root in sediment if stranded. It derives all of its nutrients from the water.

Another option is to force hyacinths on water.

Place the rooting side down just above the water, keeping the base of the bulb dry. Only a few millimeters away, the water and moisture below the bulb is enough to get the roots to grow down into the water in the vase.

What is the lifespan of a water hyacinth? ›

Because they can grow and divide asexually, they have an infinite lifespan, genetically. Individual divisions of each plant can die but the time of death depends on their growing conditions.

Paperwhites set lush roots in water and bloom beautifully without chilling. Most other bulbs are generally not as fine with sitting in an inch of water. Fortunately, you can buy forcing jars made just to address this challenge.

"The bulbs should be just covered by the top layer of soil, then water it slightly to moisten the soil," Gaumond explains. Next, you'll cover the potted hyacinths with a black refuse sack to protect it from any light and move the pots to a dark, cool location (Gaumond recommends a cellar or shed).

After the flowers have wilted, allow the foliage to turn yellow and wither. Let the foliage dry completely while maintaining water level. The leaves will continue to gather sunlight and store energy for next year's blooms. When you take out the bulbs from the vase, leave the roots, they will dry off on their own.

Water hyacinths need full sun and hot summer temperatures. Introduce them to the garden by scattering bunches of plants over the surface of the water. They quickly take hold and begin to grow. Thin the plants when they cover more than 60 percent of the water surface.

Place the vase in a spot that gets bright, indirect light and out of reach of pets (hyacinths are toxic to cats and dogs). Periodically change out the water and keep the level at the base of the bulb. Give the vase a quarter turn every day to keep the plant growing straight up.