How to Handle Hyacinths After They Bloom? A Full Guide to Care Methods

How to handle hyacinths after they bloom? After a hyacinth blooms, if the bulb is stored well, it can still bloom the following year, but the flowers will be smaller and the flower stalk will also shrink; this is mainly because the bulb has already begun to degenerate. Therefore, for hyacinth cultivation it is better to plant for one year and then buy new bulbs.

In regions where winters are relatively warm, hyacinths root in autumn, new shoots emerge in early spring, they bloom in March, the fruit ripens in late May, and in early June the aboveground parts wither and the plant enters dormancy. Flower bud differentiation takes place during the dormant period; the optimum temperature for differentiation is around 25°C, and the differentiation process takes about 1 month. After flower bud differentiation and before elongation growth, there must be a low-temperature stage of about two months, and the temperature must not exceed 13°C. The flower buds of commercial bulbs have already differentiated.

When selecting hyacinth bulbs, be sure to choose ones with bright skin color, a firm texture, and no disease spots or insect holes. Usually, the color of the outer skin can basically tell you what color flowers it will produce. For example, if the outer skin is purplish red, it will produce purplish red flowers; if it is white, it will produce white flowers. However, some varieties bred through hybridization have more complex colors, and sometimes they cannot be clearly distinguished, so it is best to ask the seller clearly before buying.

After buying hyacinth bulbs, soak them in carbendazim and let them dry. To help them break dormancy, first put them in the lowest compartment of the refrigerator for cold storage for about 1 month, so they can bloom smoothly later. But when taking them out of the refrigerator, it is best to move them to a cool place for seven or eight days before planting.