Where Is the Origin of Hyacinths? A Detailed Explanation of Their Cultivation and Growing History
The Origin and Cultivation History of Hyacinths
The origin of hyacinths is in the northeastern Mediterranean, and they have a long cultivation history dating back to the 15th century. For more than 300 years, hyacinths have been a favorite flower breeding subject for European horticultural plant breeders, with breeding goals being novel flower colors, double flowers, and large, beautiful blooms. The number of cultivated hyacinth varieties reached its peak at the end of the 19th century, and over the following 100 years, as many cultivated varieties were lost, hyacinth varieties declined somewhat. The remaining hyacinth resources were preserved thanks to the efforts of hyacinth enthusiasts such as Alan Shipp, who established a hyacinth germplasm collection center in Lithuania.
Hyacinths were first grown in gardens as a plant from Turkey. In 1453, after the Turkish Islamic ruler Mehmed II conquered Istanbul, he took a liking to growing hyacinths. From 1520-1566, the rulers of the Ottoman Empire also liked growing hyacinths, tulips, and many other bulb flowers. Due to the influence of emperors and nobles who loved growing them, hyacinths quickly spread from Turkey to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, France, and other European countries. In 1613, a book published in Germany, "Hortus Eystettensis," featured a picture of a double-flowered hyacinth for the first time. In 1622, a book published in Paris, France, "Theatrum Florae," included pictures of blue single-flowered, white single-flowered, and double-flowered hyacinths. In 1629, a book published in England, "Paradisus Terrestris," included pictures of 6 different hyacinths, two of which were double-flowered varieties. Later, yellow-flowered hyacinth varieties were introduced to England from Russia.
By the end of the 17th century, after tulip cultivation in the Netherlands began to decline, Dutch breeders began to shift their breeding attention to other flowers. The surrounding area centered on Haarlem in the Netherlands became an important region for hyacinth cultivation and new variety selection. The local sandy loam is rich in organic matter, and the groundwater level is only 0.6-1 m below the surface, which is very suitable for hyacinth growth. Hyacinth variety improvement made great progress in the Netherlands. Picture materials from the early 18th century show that each stem of a hyacinth inflorescence had at most only 10-15 flowers, but by the end of the 18th century the number of flowers per stem had risen to as many as 60. Although the trade volume of hyacinths never exceeded that of tulips, every new flower-color hyacinth variety produced by artificial selection could fetch a very high price when brought to market. For example, the double-flowered variety 'King of Great Britian' discovered by Peter Voerhelm in the 18th century was a very profitable variety, with each bulb selling for 100 pounds.
In the 18th century, in a Dutch plantation, a red-flowered hyacinth produced a light blue-flowered variety through bud mutation, which was very precious and rare at the time. It is said that the discoverer, afraid of losing this variety, once hung it from the ceiling in a birdcage for storage, and only took it out to plant when the planting season came. This mutant was preserved and named 'La Unique', and it became the parent of many later light blue-flowered hyacinth varieties. Hyacinths produced flowers of many different colors through mutation, and the ever-increasing cultivated varieties also promoted the development of the hyacinth industry in the 19th century.
In 1838, Charles M Intosh, in his book "Flower Garden," wrote that Dutch flower growers cultivated as many as more than 2,000 hyacinth cultivars. The book listed more than 200 varieties, with very rich flower colors including yellow, purple, as well as white, red, and blue, among which some double-flowered cultivars had dark centers, but today's commercially cultivated hyacinths only have single-flowered varieties with
dark centers.
During this period, it was popular to grow hyacinths in specially made glass containers filled with water, and the glass containers used for growing hyacinths in the Victorian era have now become collectibles for antique collectors. To this day, people still use glass bottles to grow hyacinths to show children the process of rooting and sprouting.
In the 20th century, after the peak period of hyacinths passed, hyacinth planting area dropped sharply. World War I had a serious impact on the world horticultural flower industry and also led to the loss of many hyacinth cultivars. The following World War II caused the floriculture industry to continue declining. By the 1970s, the worldwide planting and production area of hyacinths had fallen to its lowest point. At that time, flower suppliers could use only just over 50 hyacinth cultivars for cultivation and production, most of which were better varieties bred in the 17th century. From the 1950s to the 1970s, only about 10 new hyacinth cultivars were bred worldwide.
For decades, people seemed to have lost interest in breeding new hyacinth varieties or recovering lost old varieties. Fortunately, a farmer named Alan Shipp is working hard to change the situation. He is collecting and propagating all hyacinth cultivars, studying unnamed varieties, and striving to expand the range of hyacinth uses. He is currently the only flower supplier who can supply a wide variety of Victorian-era hyacinth cultivars. Alan's work has received enthusiastic help from many hyacinth enthusiasts, greatly increasing the scope of his hyacinth variety collection.
In March 1997, an unexpected letter brought Alan some fairly important information. The letter came from Miss Rita Riziulyte, head of the Vilnius flower research station in Lithuania, who informed Alan that their research station had collected and preserved about 60 hyacinth cultivars. Alan later learned that 38 of them were varieties he had not collected, and some had even disappeared from Western Europe for more than 50 years. Among these 60 varieties, some were recorded by the international hyacinth variety registration authority, and other unregistered varieties could also be found in variety catalog documents from the 18th-19th centuries. What shocked Alan most was a variety called 'Sunflower' (note: a variety from before 1897) and a mysterious yellow double-flowered variety; in addition, there were 19 named but unrecorded varieties. People are working hard to find their original records from Western documentary materials, and after field trial planting, their variety characteristics will ultimately be evaluated.
Hyacinths are very easy to grow and only need sufficient light when planted. In a spring garden, the decorative effect produced by the flower colors and fragrance of hyacinths is unmatched by many flowers. The exciting new hyacinth varieties from Lithuania will foretell an increase in people's interest in hyacinths and inspire people to pursue this treasure of the horticultural flower world.
How Do You Plant Hyacinth Bulbs? An Introduction to the Planting Methods for Hyacinth Bulbs
Hyacinth, also called "foreign narcissus" [Hyacinthus orientalis], is a perennial herbaceous flower. It has many varieties, commonly red, yellow, blue, purple, white, and so on. Its place of origin is the Netherlands, and it is now cultivated in various parts of China. Its flowers are bright and its fragrance is rich, making it an excellent flower variety for arranging flower beds, lawn edges, courtyards, and more. Anyone who has grown hyacinths knows that hyacinths are cultivated from bulbs, generally planted in late autumn and early winter, in either soil culture or water culture. Below, the editor will introduce how to plant hyacinth bulbs.
Soil Culture Method
1. Bulb Treatment
Before planting, the bulbs must be disinfected, otherwise they will become moldy and rot, especially in soil culture.
Buy a fungicide and dilute it into a 1:1000 solution (it does not have to be exactly precise).
During disinfection, first peel off the brown outer skin of the bulb, and wash away the mold spots and mold patches on the surface. If there is a larger area, peel off another layer of skin.
Remove the side daughter bulbs growing beside the bulb; leaving them will consume the nutrients of the flowering bulb.
Wash clean, soak the bulb in the disinfectant solution for about half an hour, then take it out and let it dry. After disinfection, prepare for planting. Soaking in water will promote rooting.
2. Pot Selection
Soil-culture pot planting. Generally, use an 8-10 cm diameter pot for one hyacinth bulb, and a 20 cm diameter pot for 3-4 bulbs.
3. Planting Depth
For soil culture, bury the bulb so that the tip is just exposed above the soil surface, 1-2 mm.
4. Fertilizer
Hyacinth bulb plants like soil rich in phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, so before planting, if you have refined bone meal for bud formation, flower and fruit promotion, or similar products, put some in the bottom of the pot, and they will grow very well.
5. Rooting and Sprouting
For hyacinths and other bulb plants, rooting requires a relatively low temperature, generally around 10 degrees, and rooting takes about 14 days. After planting, just place them directly on an open balcony. So after planting, if you find there is still no movement, actually do not worry, because by then the roots have already grown very long. During the rooting period, it is best to cover them with cardboard or a paper tube, so that the newly emerging young shoots do not see light, which can prevent "neck-shrinking disease." Neck-shrinking disease means the hyacinth flower stem cannot grow out or grow tall, and blooms while stuck in the middle. After two weeks it can be removed.
6. Watering
Before sprouting, do not water unless dry. There are no fixed rules for watering plants. Hyacinths relatively need more water, especially during vegetative growth and flowering. During this period, on the premise of ensuring sufficient direct light and that the soil does not accumulate water, the soil can be kept moist, that is, water thoroughly after the soil surface dries.
If direct light is poor, the watering interval can be appropriately extended. When watering, be careful not to pour into the leaf center.
7. Care and Flowering
After low temperature promotes root growth, then slightly higher temperature promotes leaf growth, and finally higher temperature and sufficient sunlight allow full stems and leaves and abundant flowers. Hyacinths are relatively cold-tolerant. During the day there must be sufficient direct light, otherwise the plants will become leggy, and in severe cases they will not bloom.
During the flowering period, place them in a bright spot for 4 hours a day. At other times they can be placed indoors for viewing. Generally, from planting to flowering takes about 50-60 days.
8. Flower Treatment
For soil-grown hyacinths, if nutrition keeps up, they can continue to bloom the next year. After flowering, when they are about to fade, cut off from half the height of the flower stem to prevent cutting too low and causing downward rot. Continue fertilizing, keep the green leaves growing, and accumulate nutrients. When watering, be careful not to pour onto the bulb. Near June, gradually reduce the amount of watering. After the leaves turn yellow, dig out the bulb, then soak it in a 0.1% carbendazim solution for 40 minutes, dry it, wrap it in paper, and place it in the refrigerator for cold storage until the next planting cycle.
Water Culture Method
Before water culture, disinfection treatment is also required.
After disinfection, a special hyacinth water-culture bottle does not need pebbles. If using a wide-mouth bottle, place pebbles in it. It is best to let tap water sit overnight before use, and place the bulb on the bottle or on the pebbles.
Note: the base plate of the bulb (that is, the rooting part) should be 1-2 mm away from the water surface. The bulb must not enter the water, otherwise it will rot. The bulb will sense the water vapor and begin to root. At this point, if you have a rooting promoter or similar agent to promote root growth, it can be diluted with water and used at a ratio of about 1:1000. During the rooting period, place it in a dark place to root. After about 2 weeks, many white roots will grow. At 1 month, true leaves begin to emerge and the flower stem is drawn out. At this time, it needs to be placed in a place with sufficient light and allowed to grow.
After moving it out of the dark place, there is no need to use rooting promoter. At this time, you can replace it with beautiful crystal soil for planting. Use soaked crystal soil, let it dry, then put it into the water-culture bottle instead of water. At the same time, an appropriate liquid nutrient can be added to promote flowering. The water in the bottle is generally changed once every 2-3 days, using overnight tap water.
Growing Environment:
1. After planting hyacinth bulbs, move them into a rooting room for rooting. The rooting period requires 8-10 weeks. Under normal circumstances, the temperature of the rooting room is kept at 9°C, the planting soil is kept moist, and the indoor air humidity is about 95%. If the air humidity is too low, splash water on the floor to increase relative humidity.
2. Management during the greenhouse period: after completing the cold treatment required for rooting, hyacinths can be moved into the greenhouse. The suitable temperature for hyacinths in the greenhouse is 17-25°C, and the growth time is about 3 weeks, but domestic solar greenhouses generally have lower temperatures, and the greenhouse growth period may be extended to about 30 days. The air humidity in the greenhouse should be at least no lower than 80%, the soil should be kept moist, and watering should be done on sunny mornings. If conditions permit, supplement light for 24 hours to prevent deformed, pale, weak flowers. Like tulips, hyacinths can be sold as soon as the bulbs have completed rooting, because by then the flower spike has already emerged from the soil and can grow and bloom as long as it is in a room with suitable temperature, but attention should be paid to appropriate watering. Hyacinths do not need additional fertilizing during growth.
3. Storage Hyacinths are not very suitable for storage at low temperature, but if storage is necessary, it must be done after the small flowers have separated, maintaining a temperature of 0.5-1°C and ensuring air circulation. Under these conditions, they can be stored for 2-3 weeks.
The above are the detailed planting methods for hyacinth bulbs. If you want to grow hyacinths, you can refer to them. Hyacinths need sufficient sunlight, but they cannot be exposed to strong direct sun. You can place them under other relatively large plants so that the sunlight is scattered; also pay attention to placing them in a well-ventilated place. Do not water on cloudy and rainy days; just keep the surface soil of the pot from drying out, and absolutely do not overwater. Now that you understand the planting process for hyacinth bulbs, those of you still worrying about growing hyacinths should hurry up and take good care of your hyacinths.
How Hyacinths Bloom Again After Flowering
Old Li has grown hyacinths for 8 years, and here he talks about his many years of experience in growing and caring for them.This type of plant of course blooms every year in its place of origin, but after coming to China it easily degenerates, so now it is still imported every year. A small number of places in China can produce it, but the output is far from enough. Here, two phenomena must be prevented: one is thinking it can only be used once, and the other is thinking it can bloom again under extensive management. First, the Mediterranean climate in the place of origin has mild, rainy winters and cool, dry summers. What mainly affects plant dormancy is the moisture factor. Therefore hyacinths, tulips, all kinds of narcissus, crocuses, anemones, ranunculus, and so on all grow in winter and go dormant in summer. Of course, because winter still has a slightly cold period, natural bulbs still need vernalization (a cold environment) to bloom. The bulbs we plant are basically refrigerated, so they can bloom even with the vernalization step omitted. After normal flowering, logically speaking, they should also be able to bloom again just like in their place of origin.
However, the time after flowering is exactly the time when the plant bulb grows rapidly. Here two factors must be faced, and neglecting one may lead to degeneration. One is the length of time from after flowering to before the leaves wither. In the place of origin, flowering generally begins in mid-February, and bulb growth and renewal begin fully in early March (some are renewed once every 3 years, such as hyacinths; some, like tulips, have the old bulb replaced every year), and high temperatures do not begin until mid-June or the end of June. Here there are nearly 3 months, during which the bulb grows rapidly. In most parts of China under natural conditions, flowering begins in mid-March, bulb growth begins only after April, and after May the temperature rises rapidly. The leaves turn yellow and wither by late May at the latest, causing bulb growth to stop halfway through, so of course it cannot grow large.
The other is nutrition. The nutrition in water culture is of course insufficient. Even if buried in soil after flowering, root breakage is hard to avoid, and even without root breakage, it is hard for the plant to adapt to the soil. In addition, the nutrition in pot culture is also insufficient. You should know that when planted in the ground, the root system reaches more than 50 cm, so sufficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizer must also be added to the potting soil, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied several times after sprouting, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be applied several more times after flowering until the leaves turn yellow.
After the leaves turn yellow, the bulbs should be dug up for storage. At this time temperature is also very important. I have found that hyacinths and foreign narcissus are not too sensitive, but tulips must be stored below 25°C, otherwise flower bud differentiation is significantly reduced, daughter buds increase, and the next year there are more small bulbs but they cannot grow large, making degeneration even more serious. Diseases and insect pests can also cause degeneration, which will not be elaborated here.
Only by adopting corresponding countermeasures against the above influencing factors can degeneration be prevented or reduced, and at least three or more years of flowering be ensured.
First, extend as much as possible the growth time of the plant from after flowering to before withering. Under the premise of ensuring suitable temperature, plant as early as possible, especially natural bulbs. The suitable temperature for tulip rooting is 6°C-9°C (soil temperature), hyacinths are similar or slightly higher, and foreign narcissus can be a bit higher. Before autumn, this temperature should be maintained for at least more than one month so as to grow enough roots. Narcissus, on the other hand, needs high temperature for summering. During summering there are also problems of easy mold and rot, mainly caused by inadequate disinfection, humid air, and poor ventilation, so do not think you can just put them anywhere. A little experience is to use old stockings discarded by your wife to hold the bulbs and hang them in a ventilated, cool place. Of course, before that they should still be soaked in carbendazim for one hour and dried.
Old Li has grown more than one hundred, so he cannot bear to throw them away, which is why he has studied this. In fact, hyacinths degenerate rather slowly. Even if they degenerate, do not easily throw them away; they can still bloom the next year, only with fewer flowers. Old Li's hyacinths already have third-generation descendants. However, tulips degenerate seriously, and if not managed well, the flowering rate the next year is less than 40%. To let hyacinths bloom a second time smoothly, you should also note:
1. The flower stem of a hyacinth can be cut from half its height to prevent cutting too low and causing downward rot.
After the leaves wither, the flower buds have actually not yet completed development, so natural bulbs should be cooled immediately. Leaf buds do not emerge from the soil before spring and require more than 45 days at a low temperature below 5°C (those planted in the ground can tolerate a low temperature of -40°C), then raise the temperature early to strive for early flowering. After refrigerated bulbs are treated, the temperature can be raised above 15°C to force flowering. Generally they can bloom in 58 days, so flowering can finish by the end of February, gaining a precious one-month bulb-growing period. After May, as the temperature rises and sunlight intensity is strong, ground-planted ones should be shaded to lower the temperature as much as possible and prolong the retention time of green leaves, while potted ones can be moved to a cool place. If there is rain at this time, be careful to shelter from it, otherwise water accumulating in the leaf center can very easily cause stem rot (bulb rot).
Second, maintain sufficient fertilizer supply, as described above, so no more repeated words here.
Third, disinfection at planting time is very important. Not only should the bulbs be disinfected with fungicide, the soil should also be disinfected. It is best to add carbofuran or aldicarb to kill nematodes.
Fourth, there is the problem of keeping them high and dry through summer. Hyacinths are relatively fine, and foreign narcissus can still remain in the soil to summer, but tulips must be kept below 25%, and in China [they must be] stored. They can be dried after disinfection and stored, maintaining a temperature of 20°C from June onward so that the flower buds complete their later development. Before cultivation, cold storage treatment (a low temperature of 5°C, that is, the temperature of a refrigerator's cold storage compartment) for 45 days is required before planting. As stated above, planting requires a soil temperature of 6°C-9°C. Hyacinths can be raised to 11°C, but must not exceed 15°C.
2. Cutting off water is a gradual process. One principle is to keep the leaves green for as long as possible, so timely watering is very important. In the early period after the flowers fade, the plant bulb expands rapidly, and the water requirement actually increases, so at this time it needs sufficient watering, but not waterlogging. It should also be appropriately fertilized, preferably with a 0.2% monopotassium phosphate solution once every 10 days. Water should be cut off after May. First extend the watering interval, and after it is somewhat dry, water lightly, then stop watering in June (at this time it is best not to let it get rained on), and lift the bulbs after 10 days.
3. After digging up the bulbs, the roots have actually already aged and can simply be removed by hand. The yellow leaves can also be removed at the same time. First let them dry for more than ten days, then soak them in a 0.1% carbendazim solution for 40 minutes, take them out, dry them, bag them, and hang them up. Be careful not to bruise the outer skin, and turn and inspect them once a week.