How to Plant Hyacinth Seeds? A Detailed Guide to the Planting Method

Hyacinth, also known as Dutch hyacinth, Western hyacinth, five-color hyacinth, and "shiyangjin," is an ornamental flower that can be propagated by dividing bulbs or by sowing seeds. So how do you plant hyacinth seeds? How do you care for them?

1. How to plant hyacinth seeds?

In late May, after the fruit ripens, collect the fertilized seeds. After disinfecting and soaking the seeds, wipe them with absorbent paper towel and place them in a cool, ventilated spot to dry. Then sow the treated seeds in the prepared potting soil, covering with about 1 cm of soil.

2. How to care for hyacinths?

1. Soil

Choose a well-drained, not-too-dry sandy loam, ideally fertile soil with high organic matter content, good granular structure, and neutral to slightly alkaline, at a pH of 6-7; you can prepare a growing mix in the ratio of 5 parts leaf mold : 3 parts garden soil : 1.5 parts coarse sand : 0.5 part bone meal.

2. Light

After planting the hyacinth, place it in a sunny spot and let it receive 1 to 2 hours of indirect light each day so that its leaves and flower stalks grow strong and sturdy, and rotate it to a different direction every day so it does not lean to one side from growing toward the light. If there is insufficient light, or if it stays dry for a long time in winter, flowering will be poor; if you see that the emerging flower stem is too short to extend, you can place the potted plant in a dark spot for several days to encourage the stem and leaves to grow leggy, and once the flower stem has extended, return it to normal care.

3. Temperature

When growing hyacinths, maintain different temperatures at different stages. Specifically, 2-6°C is best when the bulb is growing roots, 5-10°C is best during the sprouting stage, 10-12°C is best during the leaf-growing stage, 15-18°C is best during the bud-setting and flowering stage, and 25°C is ideal during flower bud differentiation. During its growing period, the temperature is best kept at around 15-23°C. When the temperature rises above 32°C, it is best to move it to a cooler, sunny spot; if that is truly not possible, you can frequently spray water on the leaves to increase air humidity and lower the surrounding temperature. In winter, it is best to place it indoors.

4. Watering

Keep the soil moist at ordinary times. During the growing and flowering periods its water demand is relatively high, so water once every 3-5 days, and water thoroughly. During this period, make sure there is plenty of direct light, and do not let the soil become waterlogged.

5. Fertilizing

Half a month after sprouting, apply a small amount of a complete-element compound fertilizer once, at a rate of 5 grams. After buds appear and before flowering, you can apply a foliar top dressing, increasing the amount to 15 grams, spraying the leaves with an 800-fold water solution of monopotassium phosphate. In addition, hyacinths need a large amount of nutrients during the flowering period, so apply light fertilizer frequently, applying a complete-element compound fertilizer once every 3-5 days, 10 grams each time.

6. Pest and disease prevention

Common hyacinth diseases include sprout rot, soft rot, sclerotinia disease, and viral disease. It is best to disinfect before planting; during normal care, pay attention to ventilation, avoid waterlogging, and ensure sufficient nutrition to strengthen disease resistance.

Generally, growing from seed is mostly used for breeding new hyacinth varieties; for ordinary cultivation, it is recommended to propagate by dividing bulbs, as the survival rate will be much higher.