HOW TO GROW HYACINTHS FOR CHRISTMAS

Possible to grow in soil or water, plant your hyacinths in time to bloom beautifully through the festive period

Grow indoor hyacinths in glasses:

Fill the glass with water, just below the bulb’s base.
Rest the bulb in the top of the glass so that the roots are touching the water.
Place glass in a cool, dark place for six weeks for roots to form.
Once the main shoot is about 7-10cm tall, move the glass into full light.
Turn the glass around by a half-turn every day. This helps to prevent the plant from growing towards the light.
Ensure you top up the water when necessary.

Plant your hyacinth bulbs in a large pot/container of peat free, multi-purpose compost or bulb fibre.
Stick to one variety per pot, as hyacinths grow at different rates and flower at different times.
Make sure to plant the tips of the bulbs just above the surface, as this provides a good depth of compost for the roots to develop properly.
Place your potted bulbs in a cool, dark place for about 10-14 weeks (Prepared bulbs only take about 6 weeks).
Check your pot/container regularly to ensure that the compost remains moist.
When the shoots are about 5-10cm tall, bring the container into a warm (light) position.
Full light is essential to prevent stems from becoming lanky, as they will topple under the weight of the flower heads.

When watering, avoid over-wetting the compost or allowing it to completely dry out.
After flowering, indoor hyacinths can be planted outdoors.
Hyacinths grown in the ground require little maintenance. Once the flowers have faded they can be removed, but allow time for the leaves to die back naturally.

Will prepared hyacinths flower the next year if I keep them?
Yes, but only if you look after them. The common belief is that preparation treatment weakens the bulb, but there is no reason why they should not grow normally the following year.
Can I put hyacinths that have flowered indoors in the garden?
Yes you can, but the easiest thing to do is to plant them out, as soon as the flowers have faded, in the garden. Put them into pots (at least 10cm deep). They may look a bit odd the next spring, but should be fine in the following years.
Should I plant hyacinths in sun or shade?
Hyacinths prefer a good, rich soil in full sun. In the shade they struggle and the spikes get thinner every year, until they will eventually dwindle away.

Why do my indoor hyacinths have short stems?
This is a common problem with hyacinths and occurs when bulbs are brought into the light and heat before the flower spike had grown enough to get beyond the neck of the bulb.
After my potted hyacinths have flowered, should I continue watering them?
Yes you should, once they have flowered you need to water and feed them about every week until they die down naturally. If not, they might not grow back the next year.
Why do my indoor hyacinths always flop over when in flower?
One of the reasons could be that the bulbs have been kept somewhere too warm when in flower. Try to keep your hyacinths as cool as possible. This will make them last longer, smell better and keep upright.