How to grow hyacinths

Hyacinths work well at the front of spring borders, along with other spring bulbs like grape hyacinths (muscari) and tulips. Their small size makes them ideal for spring pot displays.

In the house, grow hyacinths in a bright, airy spot, ideally with plenty of sunshine.

When to plant hyacinth bulbs

Plant hyacinth bulbs in autumn, typically from September to November. However, you can usually get away with planting hyacinths up to Christmas, but you may find they flower later than they would normally.

For Christmas hyacinths indoors, plant the bulbs around 13 weeks beforehand, around the last week of September. For guaranteed Christmas blooms, plant three batches, each at weekly intervals, so if one batch goes over there will be two more in the sidelines ready to flower on the big day.

Here, Monty Don explains how to force hyacinths for Christmas:

To force hyacinths into flowering you'll need to cover them for a while. You can cover them with an old blanket, some straw or a thick newspaper, and store them in a shed or garage where they will remain cool (9ºC is ideal), for up to 10 weeks. Check them regularly and give them another light watering if the compost feels dry.

Once the shoots have grown, bring your hyacinths indoors to a bright, cool spot such as a windowsill. Take care not to put them near a heat source such as a radiator, as they can grow too quickly and topple over. Water as and when you need to, typically when the compost starts to feel dry. Once indoors, your hyacinths should take only three weeks to flower.

How to plant hyacinths

It's a good idea to wear gloves when planting hyacinth bulbs, as they can irritate the skin.

Growing outdoor hyacinths:

1. Plant the bulbs in autumn, ideally in a sunny spot in moist but well-drained soil.
2. Prepare the soil by removing weeds and dig to reduce compaction if necessary, then add organic matter such as well-rotted animal manure or compost.
3. Plant the bulbs at a depth of around 10cm, and 8cm apart.
4. Cover with soil and gently firm around them. Water the soil if it's dry.

Growing hyacinths in pots:

1. Plant hyacinths in peat-free multi-purpose compost, around 5cm apart.
2. For long-term displays use a loam-based compost such as John Innes No.2, and plant the bulbs further apart, as you would if planting them in the ground.
3. Add an annual dressing of slow-release fertiliser to help keep the display looking its best.

How to plant hyacinths indoors

Hyacinths make fantastic, fragrant Christmas displays. For the best results buy ‘prepared’ or heat-treated bulbs, which don't need to be forced for as long to encourage early flowers. You don't need to plant indoor hyacinths as deeply as you would in outdoor pots or in the ground.

Simply place the bulbs on a 5cm layer of compost, so they're close together but not touching. Fill compost around them so the top of each bulb is visible. Water lightly to moisten the compost. Cover them and keep them somewhere dark and cool for around 10 weeks until shoots appear, and then move into a light, airy spot to bring on the flowers.

How to grow hyacinths in a glass vase

You can also grow hyacinth bulbs in glass jars or vases, without any compost. Use only heat-treated bulbs for this.

1. Fill each vessel with water to just below where the bulb’s base will sit, then put the bulb in place. Make sure it doesn't touch the water, but sits just above it.
2. Place the glass in a cool (below 10°C), dark place for six weeks for roots to form.
3. Once the main green shoot is about 7-10cm tall, move the glass into full light and watch the flower gradually develop.
4. Turn the glass around by a few degrees every day to prevent the plant leaning towards the light and toppling over. Top up the water as necessary.

What to do with hyacinth bulbs after flowering

After flowering, hyacinth flowers and leaves die down back into the bulb, where nutrients are stored to aid growth the following year. Outdoor-grown hyacinths can therefore be left in the soil to reappear the following year. Remove the flowering stem to stop the plant from wasting energy on seed production. Let the foliage die down completely and feed with a potash-rich fertiliser like a tomato feed, which the bulb will use to produce next year's flowers.

Prepared hyacinth bulbs for indoor displays won't be suitable for using indoors again, but you can plant them outside and they'll flower every spring for years to come.

How to propagate hyacinths

Hyacinth bulbs grown in the ground will naturally propagate themselves by forming off-shoots. You can dig up the bulbs and remove these during autumn and winter, or let the clump bulk up naturally.

Pests and diseases

The most common problem when growing hyacinths indoors is that they flop over. This is caused by heavy flower stems and too much heat. Make sure your hyacinths grow in cool, bright conditions, away from a heat source, such as a radiator. This will ensure they grow slowly and don't topple over.

In the garden, hyacinths may not look as floriferous the second or third year after planting. While these look attractive in their own right, you may wish to encourage them to return to their original flowering form. To encourage this, make sure the foliage dies down naturally after flowering and give the bulbs a good feed with a potash-rich fertiliser. For bulbs that have been in the ground for more than a couple of years, it may be best to replace them.

Best hyacinth varieties to grow

Hyacinth 'Delft Blue'

This stunning hyacinth variety gets its name from the Dutch city of Delft. The inky-blue flowers are intensely fragrant. A good variety for growing outdoors beneath shrubs and trees.

• Buy hyacinth 'Delft Blue' from Crocus
• Buy hyacinth 'Delft Blue' from J Parker's

Hyacinth 'Amethyst'

'Amethyst' has soft-pink flowers with an intense scent. It looks beautiful growing in the border with spring-flowering pulmonarias and primulas.

• Buy hyacinth 'Amethyst' from Anglia Bulb Company

Hyacinth 'Blue Tango'

'Blue Tango' is a double-flowered hyacinth related to 'Royal Navy' but with soft-blue flowers instead. The blooms release a powerful fragrance, so it's a lovely choice for growing indoors.

• Buy hyacinth 'Blue Tango' from Dutch Grown UK

Hyacinth 'Carnegie'

The white flowers of 'Carnegie' are fabulous indoors or outdoors. Muscari, chionodoxa and forget-me-nots make ideal planting partners.

• Buy hyacinth 'Carnegie' from Thompson & Morgan, Crocus and Suttons

Hyacinth 'Woodstock'

'Woodstock' is a stunning variety with intense purple flowers – a shade rarely seen in hyacinths. It looks especially good when planted with contrasting colours, like pale-yellow daffodils and white anemones. Richly scented.

• Buy hyacinth 'Woodstock' from Thompson & Morgan
• Buy hyacinth 'Woodstock' from Sarah Raven

Hyacinth 'Fondant'

This sweetly fragrant hyacinth has rose-pink flowers, borne in tight clusters. Try planting 'Fondant' with forget-me-nots and white or purple tulips to create a soft colour scheme.

• Buy hyacinth 'Fondant' from Crocus
• Buy hyacinth 'Fondant' from J Parker's