When to plant hyacinth bulbs for bold spring blooms – don't miss the planting window

Known and loved for their perfumed blooms, hyacinths are popular spring features both outdoors in pots and borders and indoors in vases. Knowing when to plant hyacinth bulbs will encourage the strongest possible growth, allowing them to flourish when spring arrives.

Once you know when to plant bulbs for spring and you've learned how to plant hyacinth bulbs correctly, you'll already be halfway to beautiful spring displays. There are hundreds of hyacinth varieties to choose from, with colours to suit every garden scheme or vase arrangement (hyacinths are on our list of the best spring bulbs for cut flowers for a reason).

Knowing when to plant hyacinth bulbs can mean the difference between no-show blooms and flourishing displays, so we've put together a guide to help you get your timings right.

When to plant hyacinth bulbs

If you want to guarantee bold and beautiful blooms in March and April, you should aim to plant your hyacinth bulbs between September and November. Autumn temperatures are perfect for these hardy bulbs, allowing them to establish their roots and develop their shoots.

'You'll want to plant bulbs from the end of September, and no later than mid-November,' confirms Andrew White, gardening expert at Rhino Greenhouses Direct.

Leaving it too late can hinder the development of the bulbs. ‘If their roots aren't fully developed before the first frost, when the cold hits, it will damage them and stunt their growth,' explains Steve Chilton, garden expert from LeisureBench. 'This results in unhealthy flowers and sometimes no flowers at all.’

Just remember to wear gloves when handling hyacinth bulbs to avoid skin irritation, and keep them away from children and pets.

If you missed the deadline, though, don’t worry – you might be able to get away with waiting until December to plant your hyacinth bulbs, but you’ll just have to be a little more patient. Bulbs planted later will simply arrive later in the spring.

Where to plant hyacinth bulbs

One of the major plus points of hyacinth bulbs is that they can be grown in pots or in the ground. You could even try layering them up with other spring bulbs as part of a bulb lasagne.

Either way, they prefer to be planted in fertile soil. 'Ideally, look to plant them in well-draining soil,' adds Andrew from Rhino Greenhouses Direct.

If you want to appreciate these blooms year after year, it’s best to plant your hyacinth bulbs in full sun. And while this is good news for those with south-facing gardens, that doesn’t mean that they can’t tolerate a little bit of shade. However, hyacinths grown in the shade won’t be quite as bright or bold the following year.

Try these hyacinth bulbs

FAQs

Can you leave hyacinth bulbs in the ground all year?

Once they're in the ground, hyacinth bulbs are hardy and should survive the whole winter – even if we suffer a hard frost.

The same can’t be said for hyacinth bulbs in containers, though. When the cold frost arrives, you might want to consider wrapping your pots in bubble wrap or taking them indoors.

Can potted hyacinths be planted outside?

If you've been growing a hyacinth plant indoors but fancy giving it a change of scenery, you can move the plant outdoors.

'Once your potted hyacinths from indoors have finished flowering, they can be dried off and then planted into the garden the following autumn,' says Angela Slater, gardening expert at Hayes Garden World. 'Make sure you feed them with a tomato fertiliser before the foliage dies back as this will encourage the formation of flowers for the following spring.

'Keep them somewhere dry and away from rodents until it is time to plant them again in the autumn.'

So, now you know when to plant hyacinth bulbs for the best blooms possible. Which varieties will you be growing?