Hyacinths are one of the classics in spring. The colors are mostly intense blue, red or pink, sometimes also delicate in the nuances. The perennial onion plants are particularly impressive because of their intense scent. The plant is often associated with Greek mythology. The lily plant contains calcium oxalate in the plant sap, which can cause skin irritation. As a garden plant, the onion flower should be planted before winter. After it has faded, it is important that you leave the greenery on the plant. Excavation is not necessary. With proper care, the bulbous plant can flower and overwinter outdoors for many years.

Worth knowing Location Planting Care Watering Fertilizing In the bucket As a houseplant In wax Pests & diseases FAQ

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Interesting facts about hyacinths

Botanical name: Hyacinthus orientalis, Hyacinthus multiflora
Other names: garden hyacinths
Use: bedding plant, balcony plant, cut flowers, aromatic plant, ideal for forcing on glasses, for naturalizing, for rock gardens, cemetery planting, for a short time as a house plant
Origin: southern Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine
Planting time: from the end of August to December
Flowering time: February to April depending on location and temperature
Flower colour: blue, violet, white, pink, light yellow, red, salmon-colored
Special features:Hyacinths are perennial plants that will grow in the same spot in the garden for many years and flower reliably. Hyacinth care is easy. Without much protection, the bulbs overwinter outdoors in the ground. The onions can also be easily driven on a glass without much care. Attention Hyacinthus is slightly poisonous and can lead to allergic skin reactions.

In which location do the hyacinths feel most comfortable?

Hyacinths are extremely easy-care early bloomers and do well in a sunny to partially shaded spot in the garden or on the balcony. Sufficient sun, well-drained soil with humus and even soil moisture are optimal. Flowering time is shortened in a sunny location, so choose a semi-shady location if possible. It is important that the hyacinth bulbs never have standing moisture, because then rot can quickly occur. A very sandy subsoil gives the flower bulbs too little water and root formation is inhibited. It is therefore important that you improve the bed accordingly with good quality potting soil (pH 6.5 to 7) before planting and for a goodensure drainage. In the short term, potted hyacinths can also be used as a herald of spring in the house. Temperatures of 15 to 18 °C and sufficient light are optimal here. The warmer the place, the shorter the shelf life.

Fact: If you want to use hyacinths as cut flowers, it is important that you first place the stems in a vase of water without any other species. The bulbous plant secretes a slime that harms other cut flowers. Then change the water and combine the different types after 10 minutes.

How do I plant my hyacinths in the garden?

blue hyacinths in combination with yellow pansies

Like all spring flowers, hyacinths are planted in late summer and autumn. With all flower bulbs that are planted in autumn, it is important that they are planted in good time so that the storage organs can form roots in the autumn. The main planting season is September to November. Specimens planted early are well rooted and are best able to survive the winter. The storage organs are hardy and can remain in the same location all year round.

Planting tips:

• Loosen the soil well and remove all weeds.
• Dig a planting hole.
• Put good quality potting soil in the planting hole.
• With organic flower bulb power you can activate and support soil activity. Put this activator in the planting hole before planting or sprinkle it on the surface and work it in.
• Now the bulbs are placed in the planting hole with the tip upwards.
• Cover the storage organs loosely with the humus-rich garden soil.
• Watering after planting is recommended.
• Basically, the onion is planted three times as deep as the onion is long. You will find the exact information for the optimal planting distances and further care instructions on the back of the packaging.

Potted bulbs can be planted directly in planters, in the garden or in the cemetery in spring. Our gardening tip: The effect is best if you always plant in tuffs of 3 to 5 pieces. You can also plant horned violets, forget-me-nots or Bellis in the area between the bulbs and get intensive colors in borders, on graves, on the balcony or in baskets and pots in spring.

How do I properly care for my hyacinth after flowering in summer and autumn?

In order not to waste unnecessary energy in seed formation, it is best if you use pruning shears to cut off the withered flowers immediately after they have faded. It is important that you protect the leaf and leave it on the plant until it has yellowed and dried up. This process is essential for the flower bulb and influences the budding in the next spring. Gently loosen the soil around the bulbs and remove any weeds that may be present. The storage organs can remain in the ground all year round. Sometimes they are kept in a dark place in a dry basement from the end of May to the end of August and planted again in late summer. DarkRooms are important so that things don’t get too busy. It must also not be too warm and humid, as this can result in rot. However, hibernation must take place outdoors.

How do I water my hyacinths correctly?

Onions planted in the ground are easy to care for, robust and hardly need any additional watering. Waterlogging is not tolerated and therefore watering is only necessary in extreme cases. If the soil is very light or there is minimal rainfall, watering can help prevent yellow leaves from appearing. Rainfall is usually sufficient on humus-rich and nutrient-rich soils. Specimens in pots are only poured carefully and protected from too much rain, especially in the cold season, because waterlogging is harmful.

How do I fertilize my bulb flowers?

Bulb flowers planted in the fall will develop new roots if there is sufficient moisture and can remain in the same spot for many years. The green leaves and the flower stalks with buds initially develop directly from the storage organ. In order for the flowering plants to remain strong in growth and lush in bloom, a dose of fertilizer is necessary. Start fertilizing as soon as the leaves have grown about a hand’s breadth out of the ground. Organic flower bulb power or perennial fertilizer is best suited for this. Only fertilize until the flowers begin to bloom, because after flowering the storage organ for summer rest matures and the fertilizer is no longer absorbed.

How to plant fragrant hyacinths in a pot?

The lily plant is ideal for bowls, balcony boxes and planters. So you can enjoy the fragrant spring flowers even without a garden. However, the vessels must already be planted in autumn in order to be able to go into the winter sufficiently developed. If you combine different types or varieties, you will have a variety in one container for many weeks in the coming year.

9 tips for planting in containers:

• • Choose vessels with a water drain.
  • Provide a drainage layer at the bottom of the vessel.
  • Fill the pot with new soil.
  • Plant so close together that the hyacinth bulbs barely touch.
  • Fill in the cavities with soil.
  • Water the soil thoroughly.
  • Leave the pots outside, because the cold is necessary for flowering.
  • Make sure the jar never has too much moisture.

At low temperatures, protect the container with fleece or special winter protection.

Can fragrant hyacinths be placed in the room as potted plants?

As a bloom, it is possible to keep the early bloomers as houseplants for a short time. The fragrant flowers of the garden hyacinth in particular spread a touch of spring in the middle of winter. You can enjoy the pots for a particularly long time if you do without a warm place. Place the plants in a light spot with temperatures around 15°C. The colorful flowers are a splendor for 14 days. Faded hyacinths do not need to be thrown away. After flowering, cut off the faded stalks, leaving the green on the plant. Place the hyacinths in a light, cool but frost-free place or put them directly in the garden. The onion goes into the dormant phase and only puts up leaves and flowers in the following year.

Our gardening tip: the flowering period is significantly longer in a cool place. In a sunny place in the apartment with temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius, the durability of a bulbous plant can be compared to that of a bouquet.

An alternative to pot culture is forcing. This has a long tradition and the trade offers special forced hyacinths. These were artificially cooled and have completed the hibernation. Place the forcing hyacinths on the special hyacinth glasses and marvel at the spectacle of nature. Within six to eight weeks, the roots will develop and the fragrant flowers will unfold their full splendor. Particularly striking are the hyacinth roots, which, depending on the shape of the glass, form a spiral or a straight line.

Prefer hyacinths — blog post
Hyacinths are among the classics in spring gardens or in pots. You can easily propagate the hyacinths in the jar and they will root within six to eight weeks. A short time later you can enjoy the first flowers and plant them in the garden after flowering.

Growing hyacinths in a jar

How to care for hyacinths in wax?

As a special feature, the wax hyacinths have recently been inspiring. The bulbs are coated in colored wax and thrive without any soil or pot. The wax protects against drying out and is decorative at the same time. Learn how to care for these waxed hyacinths below.

The wax — coated hyacinth bulbs set very special accents and are a distinctive eye-catcher that is available in different colours. A layer of wax in gold, silver or red is particularly suitable for Christmas. But simple colors such as white are also an attractive decoration with the right accessories. From January, hyacinths with wax in spring colors are a nice change from the lush colors of Advent and Christmas.

How to properly care for the hyacinths with wax:

• • • Do not place the bulb too warm and the flower will begin to unfold without any care.
    • No water is necessary.
    • The location should be bright
    • Temperatures above 10 °C are ideal. The warmer the waxed hyacinth is, the shorter the flowering period.

Avoid direct sunlight. Our gardening tip: rotate the bulb regularly so the stalk grows upright and straight.
Beautiful decorations result from the combination of waxed hyacinths with twigs or with spring flowers such as primroses. Or you can combine waxed hyacinths with a waxed amaryllis.

Caring for waxed hyacinths after flowering

Don’t want to throw away your hyacinth bulb after flowering? Then , after flowering, remove the wax from the bulb and pot it in well -drained potting soil. With a bit of luck, new roots will form after a few weeks. First leave the pot with the flower bulbs in a light and cool place. Make sure that the onions are not exposed to temperatures below 0 degrees. Hyacinth bulbs are hardy, but after several weeks indoors too much temperature difference is bad for the bulbs. From March you can put the bulbs outside or plant them in the ground. A new flower may appear in the following year.

Which pests and diseases can the garden hyacinth get?

Like many other plants, hyacinths bloom profusely in the ideal location. If the ground conditions are poor, the following problem can occur within a short period of time:

Fusarium onion blight

The plants do not sprout well and become ailing, the leaf tips turn yellow and the flower bulbs die. The cause is often a place that is too damp or too high a nitrogen content in the bed. Only preventive measures (improving heavy soil with sand) make sense here, combating it is not possible.

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

Why do the leaves of onion flowers turn yellow in early summer?

At the end of the growth phase, the onions withdraw the nutrients contained in the leaves. As a result, they turn yellow and wither. However, the onions store the reserves and are ready for a new shoot next year. It is important that the leaves are only removed when they are completely dry and can be easily pulled out of the ground. It is therefore also important that you only cut off the faded inflorescences and protect the foliage. This principle also applies to tulips and daffodils.

Do the bulbs have to be taken out of the ground in summer?

The storage organs can remain in the ground all year round without any problems. Do not cut off the foliage after flowering, but wait until the foliage has completely dried up. If you want to change the location, the completely dry storage organs can be removed from the bed from June. It is important that you store the tubers in a dark, dry and cold place until they are planted again. You can also multiply hyacinths in this way.