In the autumn months one regularly sees hyacinth bulbs for sale in garden centres and nurseries. And when grown correctly, these bulbs can provide a profusion of colorful blooms and a heavenly scent early the following year. Indeed, in those typically grey, boring months between Christmas and spring starting, a pot of cheery hyacinths can really help to bring a smile to your face.
So how to actually grow hyacinths so that they flower freely indoors, at the time you want them to?
There are typically two different types of hyacinths available in the autumn – prepared and unprepared. If you want to grow your hyacinths indoors I would advise you to spend a little more and invest in the prepared variety.
Once you have bought your bulbs, bring them home and if you can’t plant them immediately then place them in a dry, cold, dark place to keep them fresh. When it comes ot planting, the bulbs do not require too much space so one can plant a number on a reasonably small pot. Use a normal peat-free compost and plant them so that the crown of the bulb is just poking through the soil.
The real magic though is what happens after you plant them. What you want to do is to water the compost, then place the pot somewhere dark and cold, yet frost-free. In a garage or shed is ideal. And here they will sit for some months. All you need to do is to ensure the compost stays moist.
Normally around Christmas time you will be able to see an inch or two of leaf growth coming out of the top of the hyacinth bulbs and this is the time to act. Bring the pots inside and place them somewhere warm and bright – a south facing windowsill is ideal – and within a week or two they will explode into bloom.
