How to Plant, Grow and Care for Hyacinth Flowers (2024)

FAQs

Do hyacinths come back every year? ›

Hyacinths bloom just once per year (in the spring), but they will happily bloom again in subsequent years if provided with the proper care. They are a perennial plant. Bulbs are prone to gray mold and bulb rot when kept too wet.

When to Plant: Hyacinth bulbs should be planted in mid to late fall, any time after the first frost and before the ground freezes. Depth and Spacing: Plant hyacinth bulbs 4 to 6” deep and 5 to 6” apart on center. You may plant the bulbs individually or dig out a larger area and plant 5 or more bulbs at the same time.

Modern hyacinths are some of the easiest-to-grow perennial spring bulbs. Hyacinths will come back every year, though their flowers will diminish in vigor after a few seasons. They are best planted in the fall and have a moderate growth rate.

Care for Hyacinths Outdoors

Water after installation if no precipitation is expected. Feed bulbs every spring with bulb food. Scratch it into the soil around the bulbs and water in. Once flowers are finished blooming, cut off the flower stalk but leave the foliage.

Propagation: Hyacinth bulbs will spread and multiply if left in the ground to return the next year; however, they will generally only last 3 or 4 years.

Hyacinths perform best in moderately fertile soil. They enjoy good drainage, and a full to part-sun location. To enjoy their brilliant colors and fragrance, hyacinths need to be planted in the fall.

In late September or early October, fill half of a well-draining pot with soil and place the hyacinth bulbs on top, with their pointy ends up. Then add more soil till only the tops of the bulbs are sticking out. Plant as many bulbs in the pot as you want, as long as they don't touch the side or each other.

Their showy spikes of blooms in shades of blue, purple, white, pink, apricot and red pop up at the end of winter when you're really excited to see flowers. Best of all, hyacinth blooms last for two weeks or more, longer than other spring bulbs.

Be careful not to break or bend the leaves, as this can prevent the plant from storing up much needed energy for its next blooming cycle. Feed your plant with a good indoor plant fertilizer to build up even more of this energy. Don't overwater, though. Hyacinth bulbs are prone to bulb rot if watered too vigorously.

In many cases, hyacinths will come back and bloom again when foliage has been left to die back and yellow naturally (just like daffodils).

Do hyacinths need a lot of water? ›

Your hyacinths may need water once a week or every few days, depending on where you live. Hyacinths don't need daily water unless temperatures are very hot. Water hyacinths when soil is dry to a depth of 3 inches (7.5 cm). Water hyacinths until the soil is wet to a depth of 1 inch (2.5 cm).

Hyacinths Only Bloom Once Per Year

Now that you have read all about the hyacinth life cycle, it should be easier to tell that hyacinth plants only bloom once per year. You're going to be able to enjoy that glorious blooming cycle that lasts between eight and twelve weeks to the fullest.

Soil type: Hyacinths are generally tolerant of most soil types but do prefer well-drained soil. Aspect & position: Outdoors, plant your hyacinths in full sun or part shade in the border, under trees or in pots outside. Hyacinths can also be forced for winter flowering in pots indoors.

Hyacinths make wonderful indoor plants in the dark days of winter or at the beginning of spring, and can be planted outside once finished flowering.

You can expect the bloom to shrivel and die, at which point you'll want to remove the dead flower stalk at the base of the bulb. Cut back only the dying flower stem but leave the healthy foliage. The leaves provide photosynthesis--turning sunlight into food and energy for the bulb.

Will prepared hyacinths flower the next year if I keep them? Yes, but only if you look after them. The common belief is that preparation treatment weakens the bulb, but there is no reason why they should not grow normally the following year.

Prepare the soil.

Hyacinths prefer loamy, well-draining soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Hyacinths like fertile soil, so if you have low-nutrient soil then you'll need to amend it with a few inches of mature compost. Before planting, loosen the first 12 inches of soil to make room for the bulbs.

When to plant hyacinths. Plant bulbs outdoors in borders and containers in early autumn for flowering in March and April. Prepared bulbs should be planted in September if you want blooms for Christmas flowering, as they require 10-12 weeks for good root and shoot development.

After your hyacinths have bloomed, remove the faded flower spikes and allow the foliage to die back. Dig up the bulbs, discard any damaged or diseased ones, and then dry them and store in paper sacks before replanting in the fall.

Follow the rule of thumb when planting bulbs and give the bulbs at least 2 times their height of soil above them. Dig a 6-8 inch deep hole, drop the bulb into it and cover with soil. Regarding the spacing between bulbs, if planting in beds, leave approx 3 inches between each cluster of bulb.

How often should you water potted hyacinths? ›

"Check back every two to three weeks to provide a little extra water if the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch," he suggests. At this point, you'll finally start to see shoots sprouting from the soil—meaning you can bring your blooms indoors.

Although these plants are intended for growing indoors, they will grow perfectly well outside, flowering in March and early April and cheerfully reappearing year after year.

Enjoy Glorious Color and Fragrance In The Winter By Growing Hyacinths Indoors. hyacinths: plant them in pots to brighten your home through the dark winter days. Hyacinths are one of the most popular spring flower bulbs for growing indoors.

Hyacinth prefers to be lifted and replanted each year. After the leaves have died off, carefully lift the bulbs from the soil or take them out of the pot, clean them up and allow them to dry out of the sun for a few days.

To prevent hyacinths from flopping, push a thin bamboo stake into the soil right next to the flowering stem. Insert it only a few inches so that you don't pierce the bulb. Tie the stake to the stem just below the flower.

We recommend using a slow-release fertilizer formulated especially for bulbs, such as a granular Daffodil fertilizer. It's an easy matter to apply the fertilizer to the surface of the soil above the bulbs after planting and then every fall thereafter. We do not recommend using bone meal.

Should you soak spring bulbs before planting? There's no need to soak them before planting. However, if you are late getting them into the ground, then soaking them for 12-24 hours can speed up the rooting process.

Grow hyacinths in moist but well-drained soil in full sun between September and November. Plant hyacinth bulbs 10cm deep and 8cm apart. Water when the soil is dry. Plant hyacinth bulbs for pot displays more shallowly and closer together, as long as they're not touching.

Best Companion Plants

Lofty daffodils and tulips are good planting companions. Most hyacinths bloom in early spring. For a hyacinth bloom show that coincides with daffodils and tulips, be sure to select tulip and daffodils varieties that also bloom early in the spring season.

Purple Hyacinth meaning: Sorrow, I am sorry. Please forgive me. Red Hyacinth meaning: Play. White Hyacinth meaning: I'll pray for you. Loveliness.

What do hyacinth flowers symbolize? ›

Give hyacinths as a welcome gift, to symbolize a fresh start, or to offer well wishes and hope for good things to come!

After your hyacinths have bloomed, remove the faded flower spikes and allow the foliage to die back. Dig up the bulbs, discard any damaged or diseased ones, and then dry them and store in paper sacks before replanting in the fall.

After Your Hyacinth is Done Blooming

While you should have kept their leaves intact as long as possible, it's now safe to trim them back to just the bulb and roots. Cut back dead foliage to the base of the bulb and store the whole pot in a cool, dry, and dark space for some beauty sleep. Do not water or feed the plant.

They are fully hardy in the ground, but can be frost tender in containers in cold gardens and sever winters.

Place the hyacinth pots in a refrigerator or unheated porch where they will be undisturbed for a minimum of 10 weeks. The temperature around the hyacinths should remain at a constant 40 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit through the chilling period.

Hyacinths require a certain period of cold before they will send up new leaves and flowers. So after the leaves die, trim them back to the top of the bulb. Although you can transplant the hyacinths right after the last frost date in spring, the bulbs will perform better when replanted in fall.

Plant as many bulbs in the pot as you want, as long as they don't touch the side or each other. Water the bulbs to settle the soil, then bring the pots to a cool, dark place where it won't get warmer than 45F, like a shed or an unheated basem*nt or garage.

But like all bulb plants, hyacinths have an awkward post-bloom period, and then they fade away. You can get the bulbs to bloom again the following spring, though, if you treat them right.

Enjoy Glorious Color and Fragrance In The Winter By Growing Hyacinths Indoors. hyacinths: plant them in pots to brighten your home through the dark winter days. Hyacinths are one of the most popular spring flower bulbs for growing indoors.

Be careful not to break or bend the leaves, as this can prevent the plant from storing up much needed energy for its next blooming cycle. Feed your plant with a good indoor plant fertilizer to build up even more of this energy. Don't overwater, though. Hyacinth bulbs are prone to bulb rot if watered too vigorously.

What temperature kills hyacinth? ›

Water hyacinths can tolerate environmental temperatures from 12°C (54°F) to 35°C (95°F), but both frost and water temperatures over 34°C (93°F) will kill the plant.

Like tulips and daffodils, hyacinths are an iconic spring flower. Their showy spikes of blooms in shades of blue, purple, white, pink, apricot and red pop up at the end of winter when you're really excited to see flowers. Best of all, hyacinth blooms last for two weeks or more, longer than other spring bulbs.

The hyacinth blooms will last 1-2 weeks depending on the weather. Unseasonably warm temperatures above 65 degrees often cause the blooms to fade quicker. However, with average to cool spring temperatures, the blooms should last at least one week.

Growing outdoor hyacinths:

Plant the bulbs in autumn, ideally in a sunny spot in moist but well-drained soil. Prepare the soil by removing weeds and dig to reduce compaction if necessary, then add organic matter such as well-rotted animal manure or compost. Plant the bulbs at a depth of around 10cm, and 8cm apart.