How can you describe the hyacinth flower?
Flower of rains – this is what the ancient Greeks called hyacinth, making it the hero of the myth about the son of the king of Sparta. This modest-sized flower is endowed with bright beauty and a strong aroma, which were enhanced by Dutch breeders who created most of the modern varieties of hyacinth
What kind of flower is hyacinth
- Queen of the Blues (Queen of the Blues) and Rembrandt (Rembrandt) – with blue flowers;
- Blue Magic (Blue Magic) and Woodstock (Woodstock) – with flowers of different shades of purple;
- Prin fo Love (Prince of Love) and Gertrude (Gertruda) – with pink flowers;
- Snow Crystal (Snow Crystal) and Madame Sophie (Madame Sophie) – with snow-white flowers;
- Hollyhock (Hollyhock) and Jan Bos (Jan Bos) – for lovers of red flowers;
- Gypsy Princess (Gipsy Princess) and Orange Bowen (Oranje Boven) – with yellow to orange flowers.
Growing hyacinth
| family | Asparagus |
| Life time | perennial |
| soil | Fertile, drained soils with neutral reaction |
| Temperature | Cold-resistant |
| World | photophilous |
| Watering | Abundant during periods of drought |
| Pests and diseases | Root mites, mole crickets, nematodes, hover flies, aphids and thrips. Various types of rot, variegation |
| Reproduction | Seeds and babies |
| Sowing and planting | Seeds in closed ground – in April, bulbs – in September-October |
| Landing at a permanent place | September-October (1) |
Planting hyacinth
Hyacinth bulbs are planted in the fall, depending on the region – the second half of September and until the end of October. It is better not to rush, so that warming does not provoke the extension of flower stalks.
Choose a place for planting that is well-lit, quickly warms up in the spring, with rich fertile soil, well-drained, without stagnant water. When the acidity level is below 6,5 pH, deoxidation must be carried out.
The ideal place in the garden is sunny, sheltered from the winds and with light shade from distant trees during the midday hours.
The soil is prepared in advance by digging, adding sand, ash and well-ripened compost as necessary. Fresh organic matter is destructive for hyacinths. On poor soils, in addition to compost, add (per 1 sq. m):
- superphosphate – 70 g (5 tablespoons);
- potassium sulfate – 30 g (5 teaspoons);
- magnesium sulfate – 15 g (3 teaspoons), but on sandy soils the amount of magnesium sulfate is increased by 1,5 times.
Before planting, the bulbs are inspected, damaged areas are cut out and lubricated with brilliant green, be sure to be pickled in Maxim or Vitaros for 30 minutes, then dried.
For planting, prepare holes 120 cm deep, pour 1 – 2 tbsp on the bottom. spoon of coarse sand or perlite and plant the bulbs at a distance of 15 – 20 cm from each other. Small bulbs and children are planted more densely and at a shallower depth at the rate of 3 times the height of the bulb. After planting, the bulbs are first sprinkled with sand, and then with soil, the soil is lightly compacted, watered and mulched with peat in a layer of 3–4 cm (1).
Hyacinth care
Hyacinth is a difficult crop, but overall care is simple. However, for longevity and quality of flowering, it is important to follow certain rules.
Watering. Hyacinths need high-quality watering – rarely, but until the soil is wetted to a depth of 20 – 25 cm). And to prevent the soil from drying out quickly, it is useful to mulch the plantings.
Feeding. Hyacinths are fed during the season to ensure quality flowering and prepare the bulbs for the next season. Before each feeding, the plants are well watered. During the season, 2 feedings are enough:
- immediately after the ground thaws: ammonium nitrate – 20 – 25 g (5 – 6 teaspoons) and superphosphate – 15 – 20 g (1 tablespoon) per 1 sq. m, fertilizers need to be evenly scattered over the area and incorporated into the soil with a rake;
- at the beginning of bud formation: potassium monophosphate 15 g (3 teaspoons) per 10 liters of water, the norm is 10 liters per 1 sq. m, or apply dry fertilizers for incorporation – 30 g (2 tbsp. spoons) of superphosphate and 20 g (1 tbsp. spoon) potassium sulfate per 1 sq. m. m.
It is equally important to fertilize after flowering so that the bulb will put out a peduncle next spring. To do this, it is recommended to use a mixture: 30 g (2 tablespoons) superphosphate and 30 g (5 teaspoons) potassium sulfate per 1 square meter. m. (2).
Protection against diseases and pests. Plants need not so much protection from diseases as prevention. Various types of rot that affect hyacinths can be prevented by treating the bulbs before planting, not using fresh organic matter, and not thickening the plantings.
Inexperienced flower growers have cases when the hyacinth’s peduncle falls out of the rosette of leaves at the beginning of its growth. However, this is not a disease, but a physiological problem caused by high soil moisture or planting the bulbs too early in the fall.
More often, hyacinths suffer from pests – their flower stalks become bent, the leaves turn yellow early and the flowers quickly fade. If pests are detected on plants, you can use insecticides – Fitoverm, Actellik, Iskra Zolotaya.
Digging and storing bulbs. An important point is the annual digging of bulbs after the leaves die off (late June – early July) and the creation of conditions for storing planting material. Remains of leaves and roots are carefully removed from the bulbs, large children are separated and small ones are left, dried in a dry, ventilated area, then placed in paper bags or boxes in 1 – 2 layers, sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Store in a warm room (22 – 26 °C) for 2 months, then transfer to a cooler place (about 17 °C), where they are stored until planting. It is important that the humidity is high enough, otherwise the bulbs may dry out.
How to grow hyacinth in a pot
To grow hyacinths in pots, you need neutral soil consisting of turf and leaf soil (1:1), as well as perlite. The pot should be wide, but not deep, with good drainage holes.
Large, full-bodied bulbs that have been prepared in the summer are selected for planting. They must be pickled and planted so that the upper third of the bulb is above the ground level. The soil surface is mulched with cut sphagnum moss.
During the rooting period, the pots are kept in the cold. As soon as a green sprout appears on the surface, the pots are brought into a warm room (12 – 14 ° C), covered with non-woven material, and after 2 – 3 days the temperature is raised to 15 ° C, the cover is removed and additional lighting is done with phytolamps for up to 10 hours a day.
From the moment the buds are colored, they are fertilized with complex mineral fertilizer and regularly watered with settled water at room temperature.
Depending on the air temperature, you can adjust the flowering time – the higher it is, the faster the flowers open.
Popular questions and answers
We asked about hyacinth agronomist Oleg Ispolatov – he answered the most popular questions from summer residents.
Where to buy hyacinth bulbs?
Hyacinth bulbs can be purchased at garden centers, online and offline stores. During the season, packages with hyacinths can be found on supermarket shelves and in flower shops. In winter, bulbs prepared for winter and spring forcing go on sale. The range of varieties is extensive.
How to propagate hyacinth?
The main method of propagation of hyacinths is by children. To create more of them, you need to cut the bottom or rub it with a hard cloth. Large children are separated from the bulbs immediately after digging, small ones are left at the bottom. In the fall, large children are planted in flower beds, small ones – in breeding beds for growing for 4 – 5 seasons (3).
Is it possible to propagate hyacinth from seeds?
It is possible, but this process is long. Only fresh seeds give good germination. But the seedlings will bloom in 5–6 years and will not retain their parental characteristics.
Sources of
- Matantsev A., Matantseva S. Hyacinths: different colors and varieties, planting and care // M.: Ridero, 2020
- Kolesnikova E.G. Modern gardener’s calendar // M.: SME Publishing House, 2003
- McMillan Brose F. Plant propagation // M.: Mir Publishing House, 1992
“Flower of rains” is how the name of this beautiful plant is translated from Greek. Most of the hybrids bred belong to Dutch flower growers; it was they who glorified the hyacinth, which is rightfully considered the most beautiful primrose. Along with other things, hyacinth has a delicate, surprisingly persistent aroma. The Greeks believed that it could refresh and enlighten the weary mind.
The hyacinth inflorescence is placed on a low peduncle and is a curly brush of blue, light blue, lilac, lilac, pink, white or yellow. Hyacinth is used both in garden landscaping and for cutting and forcing.
Planting hyacinth
Landing place. Hyacinths are more demanding on growing conditions than other bulbous plants. The sunniest, warmest, windless places are chosen for them. The soil should be light, loose and fertile. Acidic soils must be limed.
Soil preparation. The soil for hyacinth is prepared in advance so that it has time to settle without dragging the bulb along with it, thereby tearing off the resulting roots. The site is dug up to a depth of 30-40 cm, at the same time 1-2 buckets of humus, 1,5-2 g of complete mineral fertilizer, and, if necessary, lime at the rate of 100-150 g/m80 are added per 100 m2. The soil is leveled with a rake and left alone until planting.
Landing time. Hyacinth is planted in the fall, from late September to early October. Planting earlier will cause the plant to start growing and die from winter frosts.
Preparing bulbs for planting. Only healthy, strong bulbs are selected for planting. In order to protect hyacinth from diseases, it is advisable to pickle the bulbs for 30 minutes in a solution of the drug “Hom” (40 g per 10 liters of water).
Planting scheme. The bulb is planted at a depth equal to three times its size. The distance between plants is 15-20 cm. After planting, the soil is mulched with a 5 cm layer of peat or compost, which protects it from sudden temperature changes in the spring and retains moisture.
Hyacinth care
Watering. Hyacinth is a moisture-loving plant; the soil should always be kept moderately moist. Plants are watered after planting if the autumn is dry. In a dry vein without watering, hyacinths quickly fade. Watering rate is 15 liters per m2. After watering, loosening and weeding are carried out.
Feeding. The diet of hyacinths deserves special attention. Feeding is carried out three times per season
- In the spring, immediately after the emergence of seedlings, 1-2 g of ammonium nitrate are scattered per 20 m30.
- During the budding period, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. You can dilute fertilizers in water and fertilize them in liquid form.
- After flowering ends, fertilizing is carried out with the same fertilizers in similar doses.
Caring for hyacinth after flowering
At the end of flowering, the flower stalks are cut off. When the leaves turn yellow (usually in June-July), the bulbs are dug up, cleared of soil and placed in lattice boxes. For several days, the bulbs are stored in a ventilated area without direct sunlight (under a canopy, in a barn). After this, the bulbs are cleaned of old scales and roots, well-formed children are separated, sorted and stored. The bulbs are stored for the first 8 weeks at a temperature of about +25 ºС. At this time, the formation of the future flower occurs. Then the temperature is reduced to +17…+18 ºС. Under such conditions, the development of rudimentary roots and leaves occurs.
Diseases and pests of hyacinth
Unfavorable humidity conditions and non-compliance with the rules of agricultural technology can provoke the occurrence of various diseases and the appearance of pests. The most common of them are white rot of bulbs, fusarium, gray rot (botrytis), onion mite, onion hoverfly, and stem nematode.
In order to protect the plants and save yourself from unnecessary, rather unpleasant, work, you just need to treat the bulbs before planting in a solution of the drug “Hom” (40 g per 10 liters of water), and against pests before budding, spray the plants with a solution of colloidal sulfur ( 40 g per 5 l). In addition, timely annual digging and drying of the bulbs, storing them in optimal conditions, will make the plants more resistant to disease.
Forcing hyacinth
In February-March, we can see pots of multi-colored hyacinths on store shelves. The hand is tempted to buy a handsome man, thereby diluting the winter melancholy with bright colors. However, you can grow hyacinth on your own in winter; it can be forced very easily. This process is absolutely not complicated, you just need to adhere to the following rules
- The flowering bulb field is dug up as usual and stored for two months at a temperature of +25. +28 ºС. In September, the largest bulbs are selected for forcing, transferred to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in a linen bag or paper bag and stored there until planting.
- In order for hyacinth to bloom in March, planting is carried out in November. Choose a pot with a height of at least 15 cm, the diameter depends on how many bulbs you plan to plant.
- Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot, fertile soil is poured, and a centimeter layer of sand is placed on top, and watered a little. Plant the bulbs quite tightly, but so that they do not touch each other. The top is covered with two-thirds of the fertile soil. The pot is placed in a dark place with a temperature no higher than +4. +6 ºС (basement, refrigerator) for two to three months. Do not water, otherwise the bulbs may rot.
- After 10-12 weeks, green leaves hatch from the bulbs. When they reach a height of 4 cm, the pots are transferred to a cool windowsill, shaded from light, and the temperature is maintained at +10. +14 ºС. In such conditions, the plant is kept for about another month until flower stalks about 15 cm long appear.
- After this, the plants are taken out to a well-lit room with a temperature of about +20 ºС. Monitor the soil moisture, water from time to time, but not in excess.
- After flowering, the bulb is dug up, cleaned and stored in a cool place until autumn. Then they are planted in the ground as usual.
