Hyacinth plants are one of my favourite spring flowers. They smell so wonderful and when they appear in my garden, I know that spring really is coming (and for me, not being a fan of winter, it’s a fragrant sign of hope) I have bulbs that regrow in my garden year after year and some of those are from bulbs that have been in pots gifted to me, that I have planted. After hyacinth bulbs have bloomed and the flowers have died, many people would throw them away but I like to try and keep them, look after them and let them regrow again the next year. It can be done, you just have to a few things to help them stay healthy and ready to bloom again, and not waste their potential.
- Remove Spent Flowers: Once the flowers have faded and died, remove them from the plant by gently pinching or cutting them off. This prevents the plant from expending energy on seed production and encourages the bulb to focus on storing energy for future growth.
- Continue Watering: Keep watering the hyacinth bulbs regularly, ensuring that the soil remains evenly moist but not waterlogged. Hyacinth bulbs are still actively growing and storing energy after flowering, so adequate moisture is essential.
- Fertilize: After flowering, you can fertilize the hyacinth bulbs with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer to replenish nutrients in the soil. Apply the fertilizer according to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually every 2-4 weeks during the growing season.
- Provide Adequate Light: Hyacinth bulbs benefit from plenty of sunlight to recharge and replenish their energy reserves. Place the pots in a sunny location indoors or outdoors, ensuring they receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.
- Allow Foliage to Yellow: After flowering, allow the foliage of the hyacinth plant to naturally yellow and wither. This process is essential for the bulbs to absorb nutrients and store energy for the next blooming season. Avoid cutting back the foliage prematurely.
- Reduce Watering: As the foliage begins to yellow and die back, gradually reduce watering to allow the bulbs to enter dormancy. Overwatering during this stage can lead to rot, so monitor the soil moisture carefully and water sparingly.
- Prepare for Dormancy: Once the foliage has completely withered and turned yellow, stop watering the bulbs altogether. Allow the pots to dry out gradually as the bulbs enter dormancy. You can store the pots in a cool, dark location during this period.
- Optional: Lift and Store Bulbs: If desired, you can lift the hyacinth bulbs from the pots once they’ve entered dormancy. Clean off any remaining soil and store the bulbs in a cool, dry place until it’s time to replant them in the fall for the next growing season.
This way you can have beautiful, scented hyacinths growing at home, and stop throwing away the bulbs of the plant, which can and will grow again if you look after them correctly.
When you gift them to someone, why not print these instructions to attach to the pot, so the person receiving them knows that once the flowers have died back they can actually grow them again, and make the gift last a long time, and also be more eco friendly too.
Would you try this? Let me know in the comments.