How To Propagate and Grow
Christmas Hyacinth

Decorate your Christmas table with beautiful Christmas-Hyacinth in full glorious bloom.

And take pleasure in their pleasing fragrance.

These plants really are ideal as winter flowering indoor attractions.

Chrismas Hyacinth come in shades of pale blue, dark blue, red, yellow, pink and white and look splendid if displayed on their own or in groups of the same or similar colour.

Try this little trick for an eye-catching display, group red, pink and white together or blue and yellow together.

The red, pink and white grouped together or just red and white grouped together are especially eye-catching as they will compliment your Christmas setting and decorations.

So how do you have flowering Hyacinth at Christmas?

Well its really quite easy.

The most attractive way is to grow them in glass or transparent plastic bulb vases as you can see the roots as they grow and fill the vase.

These can be bought from most good garden centers, gardening nurseries, garden mail order companies and even online, usually quite cheaply.

Buy yourself some hyacinth bulbs, but be careful here, you must make sure they are Winter Hyacinth.

Hyacinth bulbs for winter flowering are labelled “prepared”, so these are the ones you want.

Ordinary Hyacinth bulbs will not flower for Christmas.

Once you have your vase and bulb simply fill the vase with water, to just below the neck and place your bulb in the top, roots down.

You just need to make sure that the water does not touch the bulb, it needs to be just below it. Only the roots should be in the water as they grow.

That’s it. Now is that simple or what?

Alternatively you could use plastic Hyacinth vases which come in several attractive colours.

These are just as easy to use as the glass vases but differ slightly as they usually have a removable top with three plastic clips which hold the bulb in place.

The white plastic top is removable and the water in the vase again needs to be just below the bottom of the bulb when the top is fitted.

These plastic vases can be bought from the same places as the glass versions.

These plastic vases are quite attractive and again, the same as the glass ones, you can display Christmas Hyacinth when they are in flower on their own or in groups.

Match the colour of the plastic to the colour of the flower or use contrasting colours. The choice is yours, whatever compliments your settings and Christmas decorations.

Well that’s the real simple bit.

Now for the real easy bit!

For Christmas Hyacinth to flower at Christmas you need to start them off in September or the very latest early October.

When you have decided on your type of vase and bulb colours and have done all the above put them in a cool cupboard, somewhere with a temperature around 48 deg F, or so.

It is best to cover them completely, bulb and vase, in black plastic.

Black plastic dustbin, trash, bags are ideal.

Just lay the bags over the top of them to exclude the light.

Check every few days and top up the water if necessary.

But remember the water should not touch the bottom of the bulb.

After about eight to ten weeks the bulbs will have produced an extensive root system and a pale green growing tip about 5cm (2inches) long.

At this stage they need to come into the light so they can develop and grow.

So move them to a room that is cool, but free from strong sunlight.

Keep an eye on the water throughout this time and top up to just below the bulb as necessary.

A position opposite a north facing window is ideal, but make sure they are away from heating radiators and out of any drafts.

The leaves will start to turn a darkish green as they get stronger and mature.

Once the leaves have darkened move them to a slightly warmer place and nearer to a window that receives direct light, a north facing windowsill is ideal.

Keep an eye on the water throughout this time and top up to just below the bulb as necessary.

Remove them from the window at night to prevent sudden temperature changes.

Be careful at this time, they don’t like drafts or a dry atmosphere.

So avoid placing them near heating radiators or open doors or windows.

They will really benefit if you stand the vase on a large pot stand filled with water. This raises the humidity, which is just what they need.

That’s it really, other than to say enjoy your Christmas Hyacinth while tucking in to your Christmas fare and opening your presents.

And you can tell your family and friends as they admire your beautiful flowering Hyacinth, “I did that”.

And thye would even make a nice Christmas present for your loved ones, family, friends, or just as a treat for you.

If you want any further information on growing Christmas Hyacinth please feel free to

Go to home page from Christmas Hyacinth

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