When to plant hyacinths? A detailed guide to the best planting time
Hyacinth is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Hyacinthus of the family Hyacinthaceae. Its flowers come in a rich range of colors, including red, blue, white, yellow, purple and more. Propagation is mainly by bulb division. The growing medium should be a deep, fertile, well-drained sandy loam. Let's take a look together at hyacinth planting time, planting temperature and planting methods!
Hyacinth planting time
The timing is the same for water culture and soil culture: it is best done in September to October, and the plants will bloom the following April.
Hyacinth planting temperature
Hyacinth bulbs have a summer dormancy habit: they root in autumn and winter, sprout new shoots in early spring, bloom in March, and the plants wither in early June. They prefer a warm, humid winter and a cool, slightly dry summer, in a sunny or semi-shaded environment. They are heavy feeders and do best in fertile, well-drained sandy loam; avoid overly wet or heavy clay soil. During the growth of hyacinths, the roots grow best when the bulbs are at a low temperature of 2-6°C. The suitable temperature for bud break is 5-10°C, for leaf growth 5-12°C, and the period from bud appearance to flowering is most favorable at 15-18°C. The storage temperature for bulbs is 20-28°C, with 25°C being optimal and most ideal for flower bud differentiation. They can tolerate short periods of frost.
Hyacinth planting methods
Two types are sold on the flower market. One is available from September to October and consists of dry bulbs, like dry narcissus bulbs. The other has been cultivated and already has flower buds; when bought before the Spring Festival, this kind of hyacinth can be grown in water and placed on an indoor windowsill to enjoy the view and the fragrance. For cultivating dry bulbs, choose a spot with plenty of sunlight, high and dry ground, and good drainage, and apply plenty of base fertilizer (bean cake crumbs, fish bone meal or composted organic fertilizer). During the autumn and winter growing period, apply 1-2 additional feedings of fertilizer mainly containing phosphorus and potassium.
Hyacinth care methods
Normally keep the soil slightly moist; avoid overly wet soil or standing water. In this way, by March of the following year, the plants will generally bloom. Container growing is basically the same as growing in the ground: use loose soil, put 1-4 bulbs per pot, apply plenty of base fertilizer, and place outdoors in a sunny spot, with additional feeding during the growing period. In the Shanghai area, move them indoors to a sunny spot in November and keep the room temperature at 5-10°C; by around March they will also bloom and give off fragrance.
Treatment after flowering
After a hyacinth has finished flowering and the blooms fade, cut off the withered leaves and store the bulbs dry indoors in a ventilated place. In September, plant them again in the ground or in pots, applying base fertilizer and later additional feedings, to encourage the mother bulb to split and help the daughter bulbs grow larger. Only when they have grown to a certain size can they bloom again.