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No Quibble GuaranteeHow to grow Hyacinths
Hyacinths are one of the most highly perfumed bulbs you can grow. They come in a rainbow of striking bright colours and muted pastels which enhance any spring planting scheme and add something special to pot displays.
Plant the bulbs in autumn to bloom the following spring, or force specially prepared bulbs for earlier winter flowering. Indoor hyacinths will flower for a much shorter time.
Hyacinths make popular cut flowers for both their scent and beautiful, densely packed flower spikes, just a few blooms will fill a low vase and further fill the room with their fragrance. Cut Hyacinths when just a third of the blooms are open and they will last for over a week in cool water. Most Hyacinths reach about 25cm in height, so cut the stems right at the base for maximum stem length, but leave the foliage attached to the bulb.
All parts of Hyacinths can be a skin irritant due to their oxalic content, so if you have sensitive skin, you should wear gloves when planting bulbs or cutting the stems or wash your hands thoroughly after handling. The bulbs are also poisonous to pets so take care to keep them away from your furry friends.
Key Information
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Where & when to plant Hyacinths
Hyacinth bulbs should be planted in autumn, ideally in September or October. This allows the bulbs to put down roots whilst the ground is still warm, followed by a long period of cold to slow down growth before they wake back up in spring to bloom.
A spot towards the front of the border where you can enjoy the scent of your Hyacinths is perfect and light shade will mean the blooms do not go over too quickly. Plant in groups or drifts for the best effect.
How to plant Hyacinths
The bulbs are deer and rabbit resistant and should be planted at a depth of 10cm deep and 15-20cm apart in moist, well-drained soil. Use a garden spade, trowel, or bulb-planter to create planting holes and add a layer of grit to the bottom to assist drainage. Place your bulbs in the ground and cover back over with soil before watering well. If you garden on poor soil or heavy clay, some leaf-mould mixed into the planting area will help with the nutrition and texture.
If you are growing Hyacinths in pots, use multi-purpose compost with added grit, or special bulb compost. You can also add some crocks to the bottom of the pot for extra drainage. The bulbs can be placed more closely together in pots, although not so close that they are touching. Grow simply by themselves or combine with other spring flowering bulbs. Add another layer of grit to the top of the compost after planting to keep slugs and snails from munching the emerging buds in spring.
What to plant with Hyacinths
Hyacinths look beautiful when woven into a tapestry of other spring flowering bulbs such as Narcissi, Tulips, Iris reticulata, and Fritillaria. They add a great mid-storey full of colour, texture and of course that unmistakeable scent.
We have a fabulous range of Hyacinths available at Hayloft, including some glorious collections – Hyacinth Retro Collection is a delightful mix of apricot Hyacinth Gipsy Queen, Hyacinth orientalis Purple Star and berry coloured Hyacinth Woodstock – beautiful in a large terracotta pot on your patio and welcoming next to a front door.
Try growing pure white Hyacinth Snow Crystal with white Narcissi Stainless and Tulip Green Star in a simple and elegant green and white planting scheme.
A set of pots or containers in different sizes such as our Stone Effect Planters Collection full of mixed spring bulbs creates a cheerful display. Combine different heights, colours, and textures for a long-lasting show.
Hellebores, Primulas, Pulmonarias, Anemones, Primroses, Dogs tooth violets, and Muscari all flower at a similar time and combine well with Hyacinths.
If you would like any further advice or planting ideas for your Hyacinths, our friendly and knowledgeable Customer Care Team at Hayloft will be more than happy to help if you give them a call.
How to care for Hyacinths
Pot grown Hyacinths should be watered regularly to ensure the soil does not dry out. Take care not to overwater the bulbs as this can cause them to rot. The bulbs can be planted out into beds and borders after flowering for the second year onwards as they will thrive better in the ground.
As Hyacinths are not tall flowers, they do not usually require any support.
You can deadhead the blooms to tidy the plants up after flowering but be sure to leave the foliage attached to the bulb. This will allow your Hyacinths to photosynthesise and store energy for next year’s flowers. Remove the foliage one it has turned brown to avoid the spread of fungal diseases. A liquid feed of high potash fertiliser such as tomato feed can be beneficial at the same time.
A mulch in autumn of leaf mould or homemade compost will feed the bulbs and ensure next year’s display. It will also suppress any weeds around your Hyacinths and help the soil to retain moisture.
Hyacinth flowers tend to get smaller and smaller each year, the stems less tightly packed with florets. It is therefore worth purchasing fresh bulbs every few years to ensure your displays are impactful. This is also a great opportunity to try new colours, combinations, and varieties.
Hyacinth bulbs will multiply naturally beneath the soil. The small new bulbs can be unearthed with a garden fork and replanted into other parts of the garden or pots to grow on; they will eventually flower although they will take several years to reach a decent size.
How to propagate Urginea
Urginea are imposing plants, creating a dramatic statement when planted alone, creating quite an impressive clump when they have naturalised.
However, when grown amongst grasses or interspersed Allium they look incredible.
When choosing companion plants, think about the growing conditions that are preferred by each plant. Maybe grow Urginia maritima with Allium Forelock, Moly or Hair – the almost globe-like spheres of blooms will hover above the foliage but will have faded by the time the Urginea flowers have fully developed so will not detract from the spectacle.
Whether grown in borders or containers, the period when the foliage is absent could be filled with a low growing, evergreen carpet of Delosperma Suntropics Purple, Copper or Red, which become covered with bright almost neon coloured daisy-like flowers from spring until the first frosts.
