Dear gardeners, today we will talk about wonderful hyacinth flower.

Hyacinth is a robust bulbous plant, with a thick stem and fleshy, hard leaves, and it’s all crowned with a fluffy brush of delicate flowers with an extraordinary aroma!

The plant looks great both solo in a pot and in group plantings, in which it looks like an extraordinary fragrant carpet. At the same time it has rich palette colors, which allows you to create beautiful combinations. It also looks great in the company of other flowers.

History of a flower

Asia Minor and the Mediterranean are considered the homeland of hyacinth. Wild forms of the flower grew there, which were not as lush and beautiful as today's hyacinths, but nevertheless local residents they happily grew them in their gardens, enjoying their modest beauty and aroma.

Only in the 16th century the flower was brought to Europe. It was there that his rapid selection began. Holland especially distinguished itself in this regard. It was there that they began to propagate and select plants with particular zeal. They managed to obtain unprecedented colors of flowers and an increase in their number on the stem. To this day, Holland remains the “second homeland” of hyacinths; it is from there that the bulbs are sent all over the world.

Hyacinth became so fashionable that it was a fixture in the gardens of the rich. Of course, because bulbs of new varieties with massive inflorescences were prohibitively expensive. Gradually, the fashion for them spread throughout Europe. In Germany, they were grown in whole fragrant fields, for which an entrance fee was charged. The French discovered that the plant can be grown without soil, in water, or even upside down.

Hyacinth came to Russia only at the end of the 19th century and also firmly established itself in the gardens of wealthy families. In Russia, a tradition has emerged to expel their fragrant arrows for the New Year, Christmas and Easter. This blooming piece of spring looks very impressive when there is a snowstorm outside the window.

Photos of hyacinths with names of varieties

Let's take a closer look at these wonderful flowers and see their photos.

After the reorganization of the botanical catalog, it was decided that hyacinth has only 3 species: eastern hyacinth, Litvinov hyacinth and Trans-Caspian hyacinth.

Eastern hyacinth

The most widespread is the Dutch Oriental hyacinth, the varieties of which we will now consider. After all, he is the main inhabitant of our personal plots, gardens and balconies.

Just look at these beautiful flowers, just a sight for sore eyes!

Forcing hyacinths

Forcing is the artificial germination of a bulb. Many people confuse forcing with planting this plant in open ground, and are generally confused when to plant hyacinth, in spring or autumn? Let's understand these concepts.

Forcing - artificial creation suitable conditions and germination of the plant, stimulating its flowering, outside its natural timing. Usually forcing bulbous plants produced in winter or early spring, often on holidays - New Year and March 8th.

It's a completely different matter if you plan to plant hyacinth in your garden on permanent place so that it grows there and delights you with its beauty. It's already called landing, it occurs in compliance with the natural requirements of the plant.

According to the rules, hyacinth is planted in the fall; it is during the cool autumn period that the bulb takes root and lays a flower bud. After which, having successfully overwintered, in the spring it will decorate your garden with its flowers.

When forcing this cool dormant period, you will have to imitate it, or buy specially prepared bulbs.

Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous. Symptoms of poisoning are diarrhea, vomiting, impaired kidney function, and blood clotting. They should not be eaten, and children and animals should be protected from them.

If we buy bulbs in stores and garden centers, they must have a special mark “for winter forcing,” which indicates that the bulbs have gone through a cooling period and are properly prepared.

The bulbs should be large (5 cm or more in diameter), healthy and strong, in a word, ready for the hardships of winter flowering. They should not be moldy or rotten, they should not be soft. Before planting, store them in a dark, dry place at a temperature of 16-17 degrees.

If you want to force plants from your own bulbs, from your garden, then you will need to prepare them yourself, going through several stages. It is necessary to dig them up in advance (from June 20 to July 5), dry them thoroughly at a temperature of 25-30 degrees and store them at 17-20 degrees in dark room.

Forcing in pots with soil

2-2.5 months before the expected flowering date, the bulb must be planted in a pot. To do this, we use a not very large container, put a drainage layer on the bottom, and add suitable soil.

Before planting, remove the children from the bulbs, if any, and bury them (the bulbs) 2/3 into the ground so that only the crown remains sticking out. The soil should be moderately moist. The bulbs of this plant do not have a dense protective shell and therefore easily rot from excess moisture.

The next step will be a cooling off period. For our plantings to take root, they need coolness, darkness and a temperature of only 4-9 degrees. A basement or cellar is suitable for these purposes, glazed loggia, heated garage, cold storage room, refrigerator.

There the bulbs will take root and produce the first leaves and peduncle. After this, they can be taken out and placed in a well-lit place. At first, hyacinths transferred from a dark place to bright light will need to be shaded.

Very often, the surface of the earth in a container with hyacinths is mulched with moss or lichen. This not only gives an attractive decorative look, but also protects the soil from drying out quickly.

Forcing hyacinths in water

Another interesting way- forcing hyacinth bulbs in water. The technology is almost the same, but for germination a glass container of suitable size with a wide neck is used, into which the bulb is placed. Water is poured inside; its quantity should not be less than 300 ml. The distance between the bottom of the bulb and the water should be about 2 cm to avoid rotting.

The plant will take root on its own and reach the water. When the bulb is established, it also needs to be placed in a dark place with a low temperature until it develops root system and leaves with a peduncle. A refrigerator will do. During the entire germination period, you need to add water to the container with the flower.

As soon as the leaves and flower arrow appear, the plant can be transferred to warmth. The peduncle needs to be covered with opaque material until it reaches 10 cm. Complex fertilizer can be added to the water.

In warm conditions, hyacinths quickly develop and bloom.

But, regarding this method, it should be noted that flowering when forced in water will last less, and the bulb itself will be greatly depleted. Therefore, if you plan to grow hyacinth more than once, then the bulb will need to be planted in the garden in the fall.

Detailed video about forcing hyacinths in water:

Distillation in hydrogel

An innovative method of forcing a plant, in which hydrogel is used instead of soil and water.

Hydrogel - polymer compound, capable of absorbing an amount of moisture several times greater than its own weight.

Hydrogel balls are filled with water with complex fertilizer, according to the instructions, and placed in a filled hyacinth bulb container. Subsequent steps are the same as for the two previous methods: installation in a dark, cold place, and subsequent transfer to a warm place in the light.

Planting hyacinths

Let's now look at planting hyacinths in open ground. In order for these beautiful flowers to decorate your garden in the spring with their elegant inflorescences, you will need to plant them in the fall.

Normal planting time: September - October. It is necessary to focus on the climate in your area. If it’s still warm in your area until the end of October, then you should wait a little longer with planting. In warm regions, planting may be delayed until November.

We plant hyacinths when the average daily temperature no longer rises above 10 degrees. Planted bulbs should have time to take root and set buds before winter, but should not have time to germinate. The bulbs overwinter directly in the ground.

How to prepare hyacinth bulbs for planting and at what depth to plant

The preparation of the bulbs consists only of antifungal treatment: you need to keep them in a solution of Fitosporin or another fungicide for 20 minutes.

To plant, you need to dig holes 30-40 cm deep and add there:

• 150–250 g of well-rotted manure or humus;
• 250 grams of limestone or 15 grams of magnesium sulfate;
• 200 grams of sifted wood ash or 30 grams of potassium sulfate;
• from 60 to 80 grams of superphosphate.

Hyacinth prefers loose soil. If you have clay soil or dense black soil, you will need to dilute it river sand or peat. Also, you should not plant hyacinths in a low-lying area, or in a place where rainwater accumulates.

The planting depth of the bulb depends on its size. For large bulbs (more than 5 cm), the planting depth is 18 cm, for smaller bulbs - 12-15 cm.

Hyacinth planting video

You can see how to plant hyacinths in a flowerbed in the fall in this video:

Caring for hyacinth in open ground

All care for this plant in the ground comes down to regular fertilizing with complex fertilizers, loosening the soil, weeding and watering hot weather. Otherwise, these are very unassuming flowers that do not require special attention.

Hyacinth after flowering

After the hyacinth has bloomed, you should not immediately dig up the bulbs. We need to continue watering and feeding until the peduncle and leaves turn yellow, so the plant will tell us that it is preparing for a dormant period.

Many gardeners are interested in whether it is possible not to dig up bulbs for storage every year and leave them in the ground? We answer: yes, this is possible, but it is worth remembering that then the flowering next year may be weaker.

Residents of the southern regions, where optimal conditions so that the bulb has a good rest and gains strength until the next flowering in the spring.

In central Russia, digging up hyacinths winter storage still recommended. Optimal time for extracting bulbs: last ten days of June - early July.

The bulbs are dug up, everything that remains of the vegetation, including the roots, is cut off. The bulbs are placed in boxes in a well-ventilated area, dried and stored in a dark room until autumn. In the fall you will need to plant them back in the ground.

Propagation of hyacinth

At one time, the Dutch and other Europeans had a lot of trouble trying to propagate hyacinths. Daughter bulbs of this plant do not always appear, and if this does happen, then their number is no more than one or two.

The Dutch really wanted to put the trade in hyacinths on stream, and for this they needed to somehow speed up reproduction. And here, there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped. Once in one of the botanical gardens, during storage, some of the bulbs were chewed by mice. They gnawed through the bottom of several bulbs.

Imagine the surprise of the botanists when the damaged bulbs suddenly became overgrown with babies all over the damaged circumference, and there were a lot of them! This method is still used by gardeners. Before sending the bulbs to rest, the bottom is cut crosswise with a sharp knife, or cut in a circle.

After these manipulations, the damaged surface is sprinkled with fungicide and the bulb is sent for storage. In a few weeks you will see the beginnings of daughter bulbs.

How to do this in detail, see this video:

Propagating hyacinths, or, as they are popularly called, rain flowers, is not a difficult matter. Every housewife, even a small one garden plot can grow this flower to the delight of himself and the views of those around him.

Hyacinths are quite popular plants nowadays. They look very neat. And although hyacinth sometimes reproduces quite difficultly, it is still a passionate housewife personal plot or a small flower bed can find its own optimal and convenient way of propagating rain flowers.

What you need to know about hyacinth propagation

Breeding hyacinths is quite an interesting activity. But you shouldn’t expect hyacinths to reproduce on their own. Even if they do, this process will not happen very quickly. Independent natural propagation of these beautiful flowers different colors lasts quite a long time. Therefore, if you decide to grow a rain flower on your site, then you should find out more about the methods of its propagation and make some efforts.

But sometimes it happens that the process of reproduction of these flowers is unwittingly accelerated completely unpleasant to a person rodents, mice. Indeed, hyacinth is probably the only flower that is not only not afraid of mice, but even, on the contrary, can increase its numbers with their help.

The thing is that the mouse, eating part of the onion, thereby damages it. Damaged areas begin to stimulate active cell growth. So in these places new cuttings are formed, and therefore new plant units.

It was precisely this accidental discovery made by one of the gardeners that allowed breeders to develop new way propagation of these amazing and beautiful flowers. This method is now called bottom cutting.

Method of cutting the bottom

Notching, or cutting out the bottom, is a fairly effective technique for propagating hyacinths. As mentioned earlier, a damaged bulb activates all its forces for further survival, thereby accelerating cell growth. The nodules formed after damage soon turn into surprisingly smooth and neat bulbs. This method of reproduction can also be called reproduction by children.

In order to produce correctly this method reproduction, you need to have a sharp knife or scalpel on hand. Having turned the onion upside down and first cleared it of old tissue, make an incision with a sharp knife. The plant tissues of the bottom must be completely removed. Otherwise, new tissues that give rise to the growth of a new plant will not form on the remaining parts of the plant. A hole should form inside the bulb that looks like a small funnel. An interesting fact is that this method not only allows hyacinths to reproduce faster, but also improves the health of the existing material. The bulbs formed when using this technique are extremely smooth and strong. After cutting out the wedge-shaped part of the onion, it is necessary to dust it with powder activated carbon.

• place them at the bottom of the box, cut sides down;
• the bottom of the container is pre-filled with perlite;
• The box with the bulbs is covered with a bag, and after about 2-3 months you can observe the appearance of small bulbs.

Propagation of hyacinths by leaves

Reproduction of rain flowers can be done not only by cutting the bottom and certainly not by waiting for the bulbs to be chewed by mice. Today there are several more ways to breed these flowers. Each gardener will determine for himself which method will be the most effective and convenient.

For example, hyacinths can be propagated using leaves. But for everything to be successful, you need to know some subtleties.

The best period For propagation using this technique, the time will be when buds are set on the hyacinth.

From each individual plant you are required to take two large leaves, which are located at the very base. The leaves are cut with a knife. The cut leaves are divided into a number of parts, but the size of each of them should not be less than 5-6 cm. Next, these leaves must be treated in a heteroauxin solution and planted in a container with sand, the planting depth should be no more than 30 mm.

The box, as in the first case, is immersed in plastic bag. Plants should be stored in this form under diffused light, the temperature should be around 15°C. After a month, the bulbs will appear, and after 2 months you will notice roots and leaves.

Propagation of hyacinth (video)

Propagation of hyacinths by seeds

Propagation of hyacinths by breeding them from seeds also takes place, but it should be understood that this method of propagation will take the grower quite a long period. Rain flowers propagated in this way will begin to delight with their beauty only after 6-7 years of life.

Seed setting will occur only in warm sunny weather. During this period, the bolls do not yet open, but are already turning yellow. This is a signal of the ripening of flower seeds. At this time, you need to have time to pick the boxes and dry them. Within a week, the boxes will open and the seeds can be packaged in paper bags.

It is important to remember that each variety, if there are several of them, must be stored in a separate bag so that the seeds do not mix.

Prepared seeds must be sown in the fall, in still warm soil.

If you plant hyacinths with seeds in the spring, then seedlings can be expected only after a year. Shoots can be seen in the flowerbed in April or May.

The best option would be to sow the seeds in a greenhouse, the bottom of which will be covered with sand. In sandy soil there is a very low risk of seed rotting.

In general, it can be noted that the flowers of rain are quite beautiful plants. Delighting the surrounding people with their blooms, they create a true spring mood. Hyacinths do not require any special conditions There are a sufficient number of breeding methods for these flowers, and you just need to choose the right one.

Hyacinths: description and breeding (video)

Everyone would love hyacinth, but it’s too painful slowly multiplied. Bulbs can bloom for two or three years in a row and not produce children. Quite by accident the Dutch discovered quick way propagation of hyacinths.

An ordinary mouse helped them in this: having climbed into the room where the bulbs were stored, it gnawed the bottom of one of them, and after a while small children appeared on it. Since then to get a new one planting material, bulbs stimulate. They do this in several ways.

Cutting the bottom

When planting, look for large, dense and heavy bulbs. When they fade and the leaves begin to turn yellow, these hyacinths are dug up. Without waiting for the bulbs to dry, they are washed under a strong stream of water, washing away the soil and old scales. Then they are placed in a box in one layer and, in good weather, dried in the shade under a canopy; in rainy weather, in a warm, ventilated room.

After about a week, the roots will be easily separated, which means you can start cutting out the bottom. Using a sharp knife, make a wedge-shaped cut, removing the entire bottom and central bud. The cut must be dusted with crushed charcoal or activated carbon.

The prepared bulbs are placed cut side up in a box with perlite sprinkled at the bottom. The box is placed in a plastic bag to create optimal conditions for the growth of children: temperature 30°C and air humidity 100%. After 2.5-3 months, the young bulbs will reach 5-10 mm, they will have rudiments of roots and small sprouts.

If the operation was carried out in June-July, then the prepared bulb (together with the children) can be planted in open ground, covered with peat. If planting is late, then the bulb is placed until spring in a box with soil (bottom down) and stored in the basement or refrigerator at a temperature of 2-6 ° C, and in the spring it is planted in a flower garden.

When the leaves of the hyacinths turn yellow (this usually happens in August), the bulb is dug up. It will all be filled with grown-up children. They are planted in open ground at the end of August - beginning of September to a depth of 10-12 cm according to a 5x15 cm pattern and covered with a 10 cm layer of peat. After the first winter, the mulch is removed, and after the second, it is left. In the third season, young hyacinths bloom.

Reproduction by bulbous scales

Bulbs with a diameter of about 5 cm are divided into 4-6 parts. Then individual flakes are broken off from the bottom, the broken areas are treated with charcoal, and the flakes are placed in a plastic bag with perlite or clean river sand or charcoal.

The bags are tied and kept for 6 weeks in diffused light at a temperature of 20-25°C and 6 weeks at a temperature of 17-20°C. During this time, one or more bulbs are formed at the base of the scales. Further storage and planting, as in the first case. In this way, from each bulb with a diameter of 5 cm you can get up to 50 new ones.

Notching the bottom

In this case, the bottom is not cut out, but cross-shaped cuts are made on it: on large bulbs 4, that is, two crosses are obtained, on small ones - 2 cuts (up to 0.6 cm deep). They are dusted with charcoal and the bulbs are placed in a dry, warm place with a temperature of 21°C for a day so that the cuts open better. Subsequent operations are the same as in the first case. With this stimulation, fewer bulbs are formed (up to 10-15 pieces), but they are larger.

Propagation by leaf cuttings

The best time for this method is when buds appear on the hyacinth. Take two leaves from each plant, cutting them off at the very base. The leaves can be divided into several parts, but they must be no shorter than 6 cm. They are treated in a heteroauxin solution (0.5 tablets per 1 liter of water) and planted obliquely in a box with sand to a depth of 3 cm.

The box is placed in a plastic bag and kept in diffused light at a temperature of 10-15°C and 90% humidity.

After 30-40 days, the rudiments of the bulb will appear on the cuttings, and after 2 months the first roots and leaves will appear. After this, the young plants can be transplanted into the garden bed. It is possible to get 8-10 babies from one cutting. Moreover, you can also propagate hyacinths during budding and blooming of the first flower when forced in an apartment. The lifespan of a hyacinth bulb depends on the condition of the bottom and storage scales. Young ones, weighing 60-80 g, have a small round bottom.

Hyacinth is one of the most charming plants, used both for decorating the garden and for growing in room conditions. This flower, easy to plant and care, exudes a delicate, wonderful aroma, giving you a spring mood. At the same time, you can make it bloom even in winter by creating necessary conditions.

Hyacinth: origin, appearance and main properties

The genus Hyacinth belongs to the Asparagus family, whose representatives are distributed in the regions of Central Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, namely in the Balkans, Syria and Turkey.

The name primrose is translated from Greek as “flower of rain.”

Hyacinth is a perennial herbaceous ephemeroid (a plant with a very short growing season). The time of its growth, flowering and fruiting occurs in the spring, and during the period of hot summer, cool autumn and frosty winter, the development of the flower stops.

The large, dense hyacinth bulb has a rounded shape and is covered with thin filmy scales. Leaf blades are elongated.

Feature of the plant: during flowering, the size of the leaves is relatively short, and after the peduncle dies, they grow up to 20 cm.

The bell-shaped flowers are decorated with thin and gracefully curved petals. The buds are numerous; on one racemose inflorescence they can bloom from 12 to 35 or more pieces. IN wildlife The hyacinth corolla is usually blue or white tone, and the range of varietal flowers is very wide.

Popular varieties

Hybridizers have developed a huge number of varieties with large flowers and an intoxicating aroma, differing in the size of the inflorescences, color, height of the peduncle, and flowering time. The most common ones include:

1. Royal Navy. A variety with double flowers of a rich purple hue.
2. Brooklyn. A variety with white-yellow-cream flowers with a darker center.
3. Raphael. Distinctive feature varieties have semi-open flowers with narrow elongated petals.
4. Rosalia. Flowers of this variety bright pink hyacinth.
5. Ostara. Feature varieties - bright purple inflorescences and a fairly long flowering period (about three weeks).
6. Woodstock. Purple-lilac hyacinth with large inflorescence.
7. Midnight Mystique. The variety is a find of the last decade. Its characteristic features are original flowers almost black in color.
8. Carnegie. A variety with magnificent snow-white flowers.
9. Fondant. Elegant pink hyacinth, the petals of which are shimmering with mother-of-pearl.
10. Orange Boven. The variety boasts salmon-apricot flowers with a yellow throat and dark pink perianth tips.

Photo gallery: varietal diversity of hyacinths

The Royal Navy variety is a hyacinth with double flowers of a rich purple hue. The Brooklyn variety is a delicate hyacinth with yellowish-colored flowers with a darker center. A distinctive feature of the Raphael variety is semi-open flowers with narrow elongated petals. The flowers of the Rosalia hyacinth variety are bright pink. A characteristic feature of the Ostara variety is bright purple inflorescences and a fairly long flowering period Woodstock variety - purple-lilac hyacinth with large inflorescences
A characteristic feature of the Midnight Mystery variety are the original flowers of almost black color. The Carnegie variety is a fragrant hyacinth with magnificent snow-white flowers
Fondant - elegant pink hyacinth, the petals of which are shimmering with mother-of-pearl. The Orange Boven variety boasts salmon-apricot flowers with a yellow throat and dark pink tips of the perianths

Optimal conditions for hyacinth in spring-winter and summer-autumn: table

Season	Lighting	Humidity	Temperature
Winter-spring	Hyacinth - lover of bright things sunlight, for more long flowering it needs lighting for 15 hours a day, so when kept in an apartment in the fall and winter, the plant should be illuminated with fluorescent lamps. The best location option is windows facing southwest or south.	Additional humidity is not needed; the flower develops well in indoor conditions. It is not recommended to spray hyacinth, especially during the flowering period, since additional moisture can cause the death of the flower.	20–22 o C. It is important to protect the flower from drafts and keep it away from radiators.
Summer-autumn	Requires a dark place. You can also cover the bulb with a thick cloth.	Excessive moisture is detrimental to the bulb.	After flowering ends, it is necessary to dry the bulb at a temperature of 22–25 o C, and then provide cool conditions (5–9 o C).

Planting hyacinth and features of forcing a flower in an apartment

Under natural conditions, hyacinth is a primrose that blooms in mid to late spring. But indoors, flowering can be significantly accelerated and the plant can be made to bloom by any date, for example, Christmas, New Year or March 8th. To do this, the bulbs are brought out of the “sleep” state by creating certain conditions. The process is called "forcing". Hyacinths yield to it quite easily. Luxurious fragrant flowers are easy to obtain at home.

There are two ways to grow hyacinth: in substrate or in water. The following composition is suitable as a soil mixture:

• garden soil;
• peat;
• sand.

All components must be taken in equal quantities and mixed thoroughly so that the result is a light and loose substrate. Hyacinth also requires good drainage, it can be made from pieces broken bricks or use expanded clay.

Choosing a pot

The container should be small the best option will use pots with a diameter of 1.5 times the size of the bulb. You can also use wider bowls if you plan to plant several plants in one bowl. In this case, select the container according to the size of the planting material; the bulbs should be positioned so that there is a distance of about two centimeters between them.

There is no need to replant hyacinth bought in a store. The flower can only be covered with a paper cap to make the peduncle larger.

How to expel hyacinth in the ground: preparatory stage

1. Choose large and healthy bulbs, the diameter of which is more than 5 cm. They are usually well-ripened, which means that the flower buds have had time to form well and accumulate a sufficient number nutrients for excellent flowering.
2. Keep the bulbs intended for forcing for about a week in a dry room. During this time they will ripen.
3. Place a layer of drainage in the prepared container, pour coarse sand on it, which will protect the planting material from rotting.
4. Fill the container with the prepared substrate.
5. Drop off at soil mixture hyacinth bulb, deepening it by half or two-thirds of its height.
6. Water the soil lightly; the soil should not be soggy, otherwise rotting will begin.
7. Cover the pot with dark material, since the rooting process must take place in the dark.
8. Transfer the pot with the planted bulb to a cool room with a temperature of 5–9 o C. You can place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator intended for storing vegetables, or take it out to the balcony.

Forcing hyacinths planted in the ground

1. When the hyacinth leaves grow 8–10 cm, remove the dark fabric from the pot, move it to a bright place and start watering the plant. Thus, the time for forcing the peduncle begins, which takes 3–4 weeks. Based on this, you can predict the flowering time. For example, to get flowering for the New Year, you need to remove the hyacinth from cool and dark place at the beginning of December.
2. The hyacinth temperature during this period should be from 10 to 20 o C. At a higher temperature, flowering will be short.
3. Accustom the plant to the temperature in the room gradually, since if conditions change abruptly, the flower will begin to grow leaves to the detriment of flowering.
4. During this period, hyacinth needs to reduce daylight hours, since in bright light the peduncle will grow short. To do this, gardeners use a cap made of dark paper or cover the plant with an opaque plastic glass (first for the whole day, then half, and then for part of the day). It is recommended to use this simple device until the peduncle rises above the leaf blades.
5. When the hyacinth begins to bloom, you can remove the cap and enjoy the flowering of the plant.

At home, hyacinth blooms for about two weeks, however, if the flower pot is moved to a cool place overnight, this period can be extended for another seven days.

An effective option: how to properly expel bulbs in water

Manufacturers often use the method of forcing hyacinth in water. You can try growing hyacinth at home this way.

1. Until September, keep the bulb at a temperature of about 25 o C.
2. Choose a container that tapers at the top to about 4 cm. Small vases or special vessels for forcing hyacinths are suitable for this.
3. Place a few pieces of charcoal on the bottom to help prevent rotting. To prevent it from floating, add a layer of coarse sand on top.
4. Pour water into the flowerpot. To force hyacinth, it is advisable to use soft water: rain or melt water.
5. Place the bulb on the neck of the container so that the distance between the bottom and the surface of the water is 1–2 cm.
6. Wrap the container with the onion in dark paper and store it in a dark and cool room with a temperature of 4–8°C.
7. Periodically inspect the bulb and add water.
8. After about two months, long roots will develop and leaf blades and inflorescences will begin to grow. At this time, you need to move the flower to a bright, warm place with a temperature of 22–25°C.

Please note that growing hyacinth requires very good lighting, otherwise the peduncle will become very elongated and will grow thin and weak.

Forcing flowers for certain dates (New Year, March 8, etc.)

If you plan to have charming hyacinths bloom on a special date, then you should plan the stages of forcing the flower in advance.

1. In order for magnificent flowers with a delicate aroma to bloom for the New Year, it is necessary to begin the preparatory stage of forcing in the middle of summer. In July, the bulbs are removed from the soil, cleared of soil and stored for two weeks at a temperature of about 25–30 o C and high humidity(approximately 90%).
2. After this, the temperature of the bulb is reduced to 20–25 o C and kept under such conditions for about two more weeks.
3. Closer to September, the planting material is transferred to a cool place with a temperature of 10–13 o C. At this point preparatory stage The forcing of hyacinth ends by the New Year, and the immediate process begins in October, when the bulbs, after a rest period, are planted in pots.
4. If you want the hyacinth to bloom in February, then forcing should begin two weeks later, in mid-October. The flower will bloom in March if the bulbs are planted in the ground or placed in water in early November.

Video: hyacinth forcing technology

How to care for hyacinth

Hyacinth cannot grow at home for several years. The bulb is forced once. At this time, it loses a lot of strength and it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve excellent flowering again. After forcing, the bulb can be planted in the garden.

Watering and fertilizing

Hyacinth is a moisture-loving flower. The plant must be watered regularly, after the top layer of soil has dried. In this case, it is recommended to pour water only along the edge of the container, since liquid getting into the axils of the leaf blades can cause the death of the hyacinth. The procedure requires soft, settled water at room temperature. Ideally, it will be rain or melt. The flower does not need additional moisture in the form of spraying.

When forcing hyacinth in water, it is necessary to periodically add it to the vessel. Experienced flower growers It is recommended to add not water, but a weak solution complex fertilizer. For feeding, you can use a universal preparation for bulbous plants, diluting the solution at half the dose recommended by the manufacturer.

Hyacinths grown in soil mixture also respond well to fertilizing. The color of the flowers becomes brighter, and the flowering period lasts much longer. As a fertilizer, it is recommended to use universal preparations for bulbous or flowering plants. The procedure should be carried out once a week from the moment the leaves appear until the plant fades. After this, feeding should be stopped completely.

Features of caring for the plant after flowering

After the hyacinth flowers wither, the peduncle should be trimmed. During this period, you should completely stop feeding, but continue to water the flower until the leaf blades turn yellow. During this period, the number and volume of watering must be reduced by approximately half. There is no need to cut off yellowed leaves; they should die off naturally.

How to provide hyacinth with a dormant period

When the leaf blades wilt, remove the bulb from the pot. Dry it for five to seven days in a well-ventilated place at a temperature of about 20–22°C. After this, remove all dead scales and trim the roots. Provide the hyacinth bulb with a period of “sleep”, which should last approximately 3 months. During forcing, the bulb is greatly depleted and cannot be subjected to the procedure again. The plant can be planted in the garden in August and enjoy its flowering for several more seasons.

Table: consequences of improper care and what to do to solve problems

Problem	Probable Cause	How to fix the situation
Flowering does not occur	Very high temperature content	Move the flower to a cool place and cover it with a cap made of thick paper.
Flowers rot and fall off	Severe waterlogging	Adjust the watering regime, moisten only after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried. Water along the edge of the container, being careful not to get water on the flower.
The buds are falling	Water getting on the buds	Do not spray the plant, especially during flowering.
Leaf blades turn yellow	Draft	The flower does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature and drafts, so move the plant to another place.

Methods for treating and preventing diseases and pests: table

Hyacinth is practically not affected by diseases and pests, but only if the planting material is healthy and the plant care is correct. Sometimes, under unfavorable conditions, a flower can be damaged by yellow bacterial rot, and hyacinth pests can be attacked by root mites, stem nematodes and aphids.

Diseases and pests	Signs	Reason for appearance	Methods of treatment and prevention
Yellow bacterial rot	Black spots appear on the leaves, and mucus forms around the bulb.	Excessive dampness, poor air circulation.	Sick plants cannot be cured. The bulbs and soil should be discarded. The container must be thoroughly washed and disinfected. For prevention, planting material must be treated with a phosphorus-containing preparation before planting.
Root (onion) mite	The growth of hyacinth is delayed, the leaves turn yellow and die, and the quality of the flowers deteriorates. In the bulbs you can find cavities filled with brownish powder.	Cold and damp content.	Before planting, place the affected bulbs in hot water(35–40°C). If the plant is damaged by a mite during the growing season, spray it with Keltan or Rogor (according to the instructions).
Aphid	Greenish insects appear on leaf blades, flowers and shoots.	Excessive dry air.	Treat the hyacinth with insecticidal soap or Decis or Actellik (according to the instructions).
Stem nematode	Swellings appear on leaf blades and shoots, they thicken and become deformed.	Insufficient humidity in the room, infected planting material.	Spray the plant with Fitoverm, Akarin (according to the instructions). Before planting, disinfect planting material and tools.

Propagation of hyacinths at home

There are various ways reproduction of hyacinths: baby bulbs, bulb scales and seeds. As a rule, amateur flower growers use only vegetative methods, and seed hybridizers are used to breed new varieties.

Reproduction by baby bulbs

During natural reproduction, an adult specimen produces only 1–2 children per year (in rare cases, 3 or 4). They are separated from the mother bulb when dug up after flowering. The number of children can be increased by making a crosswise notch on the bottom with a depth of about 5 mm. In a year, such a bulb will produce twice as many children, which, after digging and drying, must be separated and planted for growing.

Reproduction by scales - step-by-step master class

How to propagate hyacinth by seeds

Hyacinth is propagated by seeds, planting them in the garden. It is very difficult to create the necessary conditions indoors, so this method has not taken root among lovers of indoor floriculture.

Based on popular belief, about 30 types of hyacinths are found in nature, but some classify them all as one species, which includes many varieties. Be that as it may, garden hyacinth comes from Oriental hyacinth and its varieties.

Varieties and types

IN natural form oriental hyacinth is a bulbous perennial up to 30 cm tall, with shiny or matte belt-shaped leaves up to 20 cm long, bright green and fragrant flowers in the form of bells of various colors. Flowers form inflorescence-tassels of 12-35 pieces. The flowering period begins in the last days of spring and lasts 10-15 days.

One of the most generally accepted classifications of hyacinths is their division according to the color of the flowers. For example:

Pink hyacinth - it is most likely weather resistant hyacinth fondant with pearlescent inflorescence up to 20 cm long and large 4.5 cm flowers.

Early pink variety — hyacinth pink pearl - with a cone-shaped inflorescence, it has a dark stripe on the perianth and is distinguished by oblong (up to 7 cm) bracts, their shape resembling leaves.

Of these varieties, it should also be noted:

• hyacinth china pink with an apricot-salmon hue of flowers and a rich aroma.

• hyacinth Anna Maria up to 25 cm high, with a cylindrical 10 cm inflorescence of a soft pink hue, flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter, blooming for 15 days, starting in the middle of April.

White hyacinth is represented by varieties

• with white cylindrical inflorescences up to 22 cm high;

• - up to 35 cm long, fragrant and, most importantly, resistant to diseases, which allows even an inexperienced beginner in floriculture, and several others, to easily care for it.

Blue hyacinth includes the following varieties

• Delft blue the variety is characterized by a height of up to 23 cm, spacious inflorescences up to 12 cm in length, large blue 4-centimeter flowers and early flowering - from mid-April.

• Aida very impressive due to the large, very fragrant and unusually lush inflorescences, consisting of star-shaped flowers of a dark blue hue, shimmering in the sun with blue-violet tones during flowering in April and May.

• Blue Star has blue flowers with a whitish border, up to 4 cm in diameter, forming cylindrical inflorescences, and begins to bloom in April.

Variety of hyacinth colors

As noted above, the variety of hyacinth colors is very large. Therefore, among them there are also cream and yellow , such as variety Hyacinth City of Haarlem up to 28 in height, blooming from last days April.

Orange , How hyacinth gypsy queen with a persistent aroma, well suited for distillation at home.

Flowers hyacinth woodstock up to 15 cm long have a violet-crimson color; moreover, the tips of its leaves are also painted crimson - this new variety exudes an elegant aroma and is ideal for distillation at home.

Garden large-flowered Hyacinth Miss Saigon with curly tassels of delicate inflorescences lilac color It also boasts a persistent aroma and is rightfully considered one of the leaders among plants for spring (the flowering period begins in April) decoration of flower beds.

It is 30 cm high and has lilac flowers with a whitish edge; it also begins to bloom in April.

Hyacinths planting and care in open ground

For successful landing hyacinths in open ground in our conditions, a number of nuances should be taken into account. It is recommended to plan planting at the end of September - beginning of October, selecting medium-sized bulbs, as they are more resistant to bad weather.

When planting, it is necessary to maintain the depth (15-18 cm) and density (20 cm), and after preliminary digging, add peat or normally rotted compost. Hyacinth is demanding on watering, especially in the heat during budding, flowering and 2 weeks after flowering.

In addition to loosening and weeding the soil on the site, it is recommended to treat it in advance (in August) to a depth of 40 cm. Humus is added in a volume of 10-15 kg per square meter.

Replanting hyacinths after flowering

Replanting these plants is quite easy. To do this, you need to dig up the hyacinth after flowering in the summer and store until autumn time, then, in the fall, transplant to another site.

When the bulbs finish blooming, it is best to wait a couple of months until they recover from the growing season.

Fertilizer for hyacinth

Feeding in the case of hyacinths is mandatory and is carried out twice or thrice during the growing season. Both dry and liquid fertilizers are suitable - in dissolved form you need a little less of them, but the soil should be watered first, while dry ones are scattered and embedded in the soil.

Fertilizers are applied to initial stages growth (superphosphate in a volume of 15-20 g, saltpeter - 20-25 g per sq. m), then at the budding stage (potassium sulfate - 15-20 g, superphosphate - 30-35 g) and at the end of flowering (superphosphate with potassium sulfate - 30-35 g each). These volumes increase one and a half times on sandy soils. It is preferable to apply nitrogen fertilizing in the spring and summer.

Do I need to dig up hyacinths for the winter?

Hyacinths from Holland left on winter period V open ground, in the 2nd year they will bloom worse.

In this regard, after the foliage turns yellow (optimally - at the end of June - beginning of July), the bulbs are dug up, dried, cleaned of leaves and roots and sent for storage.

Hyacinth bulb storage

The quality of flowering next year depends on storage, so this should be taken with great responsibility.

After cleaning, the bulbs are brought into a well-ventilated, dry, shaded room. Before storing the bulbs, warehouse and containers are disinfected and dried. Lay the onions in a small layer in wooden boxes, place them in gauze or nylon bags, and loosely wrap them in paper to allow air access.

During storage in the onion, the most important processes, formation of rudiments of leaves, inflorescences, root system, new buds, therefore during this period it is necessary to ensure optimal temperature regime. During the first ten days, the storage temperature must be maintained at thirty degrees. Then until mid-September - twenty-three to twenty-five degrees above zero, and then before planting in the ground - about seventeen degrees above zero.

Hyacinth also requires care when storing bulbs. In which, if the temperature regime is disrupted, the process of formation of inflorescences is also disrupted, resulting in next year weak peduncles with individual, often underdeveloped flowers appear.

Air humidity in the storage should not exceed seventy percent, with high humidity Fungal diseases develop rapidly. During storage, do not forget to regularly inspect the bulbs, while discarding the diseased ones. If spots appear, the bulbs are dried, and if pests develop, they are treated with insecticides.

Hyacinths planting and care at home

Large bulbs are planted in clean pots, up to 10 cm in size, with sandy loam soil, so that the bulbous tops are flush with the edges of the pot, the rest should be buried 2/3 into the ground.

The pots are covered with paper caps or inverted dishes and placed in a cool (6-10℃) place. Perform watering cold water dry soil for 12 weeks. When the sprouts reach 10 cm, they are moved to the sun.

In early December, you can remove the coverings and transfer each hyacinth in a pot to the windowsill of a well-lit room. For now, you should maintain the temperature at least 23℃, steadily water and spray the flowers until budding begins. After a month, the hyacinth will bloom for 3 whole weeks.

Growing hyacinths from seeds

With a selective approach, the seed method is preferable, which boils down to sowing seeds at the end of September in boxes with a substrate including humus, sand and leaf soil in proportions 2:1:1, and further cultivation in a cold greenhouse for 2 years.

Propagation of hyacinths by children

The resulting seedlings almost never inherit the properties of their parents, which is why amateur gardeners prefer the vegetative method. Although it is not without its drawbacks - every year you can count on an increase of only 1-3 children.

If the children are easily detached from the bulb, they are planted and grown, but if it is difficult to separate them, then the parent bulb is planted together with them.

Propagation of hyacinths at home

Homemade hyacinths are propagated using medium-sized bulbs. First, suitable ripening conditions are created, including moving it into a pot with specialized soil for hyacinths (sold in stores) and sprinkling the soil on top.

So the bulbs are left for 8-10 weeks in a room completely devoid of light with a temperature of less than 8 degrees (in general, a refrigerator is quite suitable), maintaining the soil moisture level.

Diseases and pests

IN natural conditions middle latitudes, hyacinths are practically not susceptible to disease. Their stay in the house turns out to be much more dangerous. Pest infestation is indicated by external signs such as inability to stretch out , early yellowing and wilting .

As preventative measure Before planting the bulbs, treatment is applied in a phosphorus-containing preparation for 15-20 minutes. Diseased specimens must be dug up and destroyed, the remaining ones must be treated with phosphorus-containing agents.

Among the diseases most often noticed yellow bacterial rot , characterized by the transformation of bulbous tissue into mucus, emitting a disgusting odor. Problems with pulling are associated specifically with it, in addition, the appearance of stripes and spots on foliage and peduncles, and their rotting are noted.

All parts of diseased plants must be destroyed (preferably by burning), and the pit must be treated with formaldehyde (5%) or bleach. Subsequently, it is recommended to plant hyacinths in the same place only after several years.