When to Plant Flowering Hyacinths?

Hyacinths come in many colors and are strongly fragrant.

Many people choose to plant hyacinths for the fragrant blooms and multitude of colors. The plants require regular care to produce the waxy dense flowers, but rate as relatively easy to grow. With varieties that include single, double and multiflora hyacinths, they bloom in the spring and reach 6 to 12 inches in height.

Hyacinth Bulbs

Hyacinths bloom from March to April, before becoming dormant in summer. Autumn provides optimal conditions for planting bulbs, in-ground or in containers, in sandy soil that drains well. Plant each bulb 6 to 8 inches deep and 4 to 8 inches apart in a sunny to light-shade area.

Planting Inside

Planting an indoor hyacinth in a pot or container requires heat-treated bulbs. Place the plants in a dark, dry area for 10 weeks, watering regularly. When shoots appear, move the plants to a moderately sunny spot, and then to full sun when blooms start to appear.

Hyacinth Propagation

In late summer, dig up the bulb and separate the offsets -- the small bulbs -- from the old bulb. These bulblets must have at least one growing season with their parent bulb before you do this, however. Store the bulblets in a cool, dry area, and plant them in sandy, shallow soil.

References

• Doug Green's Flower-Garden-Bulbs.com: Hyacinths
• Gardening-Howto: Propagation of Bulbs
• Easy To Grow Bulbs: Hyacinth Growing Information
• BBC Gardening Guides: Grow Indoor Hyacinths