Essential Tips for Growing and Caring for Hyacinths

Learn the secrets to preserving your hyacinth bulbs and ensuring your plant blooms beautifully again, with expert gardening tips.

How to Care for Hyacinths During Bloom

Place your hyacinth pot in a sunny spot once the flowers begin to open or are about to bloom. Early spring is ideal for south, southeast, or southwest-facing windows. Insufficient light can cause flower stems to bend and potentially break.

Protect your hyacinth from drafts and heat sources like radiators.

Water your plant with room-temperature water that has been left to stand for 1-2 days. Pour water into the saucer beneath the pot, avoiding watering directly on the bulb, leaves, or flowers. Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot. Spraying is unnecessary.

While the leaves remain green, feed your hyacinth every 10 days with a fertilizer formulated for flowering plants.

Post-Bloom Hyacinth Care

Once all flowers have faded, remove the flower stalk to prevent the plant from expending energy on seed production.

Keep the hyacinth in the same location and reduce watering to once every 7-8 days.

After 1.5 to 2 months, the leaves will yellow, signaling the plant's preparation for dormancy. Stop watering at this stage.

When the above-ground parts dry out completely, carefully remove the bulb from the pot.

Gently remove any loose roots and outer scales, and trim dried leaves close to the base.

Store the bulb in a small cardboard box for 2-3 months. Avoid plastic containers or bags, as they can cause the bulb to rot.

Keep the storage area at a temperature of 75-79 °F (24-26 °C), such as inside your home, ensuring the bulb is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Preparing Hyacinths for Winter Dormancy

After 3-4 months of dry storage, plant the bulb in a pot filled with universal potting soil. Add a 1-2 cm layer of expanded clay drainage at the bottom.

Choose a pot 1-2 cm larger in diameter than the bulb. If planting multiple bulbs together, ensure they do not touch each other.

Plant the bulb so that about one-third is buried in the soil, then water lightly.

For successful rooting, place the pot in a dark, cool area with temperatures between 45-48 °F (7-9 °C). If this is not possible, wrap the pot in a plastic bag and store it in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator.

Root development typically takes at least three months. During this time, regularly check the soil moisture to prevent it from drying out completely.

Waking Up Your Hyacinth

New green shoots will eventually emerge. When they reach 2-3 cm in height, move the plant to a cooler, low-light area where temperatures do not exceed 59 °F (15 °C).

Resume feeding the plant as before.

After 7-10 days, place the pot in a well-lit area. No special care is required during this phase other than watering every few days and continuing fertilization. Your hyacinth should bloom again in about a month.

Enjoy the spectacular blooms and the delightful fragrance of your well-cared-for hyacinth!

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