CyberSalad: Garden Pursuits: Bulbs: Hyacinths

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Hyacinthus

     Hyacinths have a sweet, haunting fragrance that gardeners everywhere associate with spring. The most familiar species is the large-flowered hyacinth, H. orientalis, which grows 8 to 12 inches tall and bears 6- to 10-inch pom-pomlike clusters of single or double flowers.
     Most hyacinths survive winters outdoors in Zones 4-10. Hyacinths are also among the most popular house plants for midwinter flowering indoors. All species do best in full sun. Plant them directly in the garden in September or October in Zones 4-7, from late October through December in Zones 8-10. Space bulbs of H. orientalis 5 to 6 inches apart and cover them with 5 inches of soil. in Zones 4-6, apply a winter mulch such as salt hay or wood chips. Left undisturbed, plants will continue to blossom for years. The blooms of H. orientalis become smaller the second year because their large bulbs split into two or more small ones. To have beds of large flowers every spring, dig up the old bulbs after the leaves turn yellow and replace them.
     To grow hyacinths as house plants, pot them in fall in a good potting soil. Keep the potting mixture very moist while the plants are growing, then dry after the foliage matures. Do not fertilize. Save the bulbs for planting in the garden in fall. Keep the pots in a cool dark place (50° or below) for about 12 weeks, until the plant is about 2 inches tall. Then bring it into indirect light in the coolest room in the house--night temperatures of 50° or lower assure long-lasting bloom. After about a week to 10 days, give the plant at least four hours of direct sunlight a day until the buds show color; then shield the plant from direct sun with a light curtain or shade.

	'Blue Delft' a beautiful bright blue hyacinth with a sweet scent.
	'White Pearl' creamy white with a delightful scent.

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Site launched January 1, 2000.
Site updated September 1, 2007.