How To Grow Hyacinth Bulbs in Water

  Growing Hyacinths in a vase of water is a traditional method, much loved by the Victorians.
Seeing the bulb roots through the glass looks beautiful & is intriguing, especially for children.
  You can enjoy the fabulous, heady fragrance of the flowers indoors.
And perhaps best of all, it’s easy to do!

What you’ll need;

• 'Prepared' Hyacinth bulbs. ‘Prepared’ means the bulb has been exposed to cold in storage. These bulbs cost a little more but worth it as they’re ready to grow & flower early in the season, when you need it most.
• A glass vase or jar. Garden Centres, Antique & Charity Shops are good sources for these.
• Water
• Gloves are recommended as Hyacinth bulbs can irritate skin & eyes

How to start your bulbs into growth;
Step 1

• Fill your vase with water up to the neck of the vase. Then sit your Hyacinth bulb so it sits firmly in the bowl area at the top.
• The water level needs to be about ¼”/0.5cm below the bulb base. If the bulb touches the water, it’ll rot, so avoid this.
• If you have them handy, glass marbles or lozenges can be added (very gently) to the bottom of the vase. This helps keep the vase steady – the flowers & leaves can be heavy when fully grown.
• If you don’t have a classic Hyacinth vase, improvise with jars like this – it works!

Step 2

• Place the bulb somewhere cool & in low light conditions for about 10 weeks. I put mine in a frost-free greenhouse under the shelving. The bulbs must be kept frost-free
• Refresh the water weekly & keep topped up to level described in step 1

 Step 3

• When a strong root & bud (approx. 2”/5cms) has formed, bring the vase into a lighter (not bright sunshine) & cool place indoors.
• The leaves will ‘green up’ & after 3-4 days can be moved to a brighter place, for example a windowsill. If leaves begin growing too fast compared to the bud, return to a cooler position.
• Keep away from temperature extremes – draughts & hot places (such as close to a radiator).

  Step 4

•  As the flower opens, move to somewhere you’ll enjoy the intoxicating fragrance.
• Turn the vase a little each day so they don’t lean towards the sun. A north facing windowsill is perfect.
• Flowers will typically last up to 2 weeks.

  Different cultivars will grow at different speeds. If you want flowers for Christmas, aim to start your bulbs off by September 24th – but it isn’t an exact science.

  After flowering...
  The hyacinth bulbs are exhausted after the effort of producing a flower in water only. Transplant bulbs into the garden after flowering. They may not flower well next year but will recover to produce small blooms in future years.

Ready to try 'Something New'?
Many bulbs will grow in water, just like Hyacinths. You could try Snowdrops, Crocus, Narcissi (especially the Miniature ones), even Amaryllis. Just use a different size jar, & have fun!

Blog post by Rosie Gray, Galloway Flowers. Updated from her post first published here on 22/11/2016