Hyacinths are fragrant, easy-to-grow bulbs that make fantastic Christmas displays. Flowering in a range of colours, from traditional pinks and purples to whites and mauves, there is a type of hyacinth to suit every indoor display.
If you’re aiming to have hyacinths for your Christmas displays, you’ll need heat-treated bulbs to help initiate an earlier flowering display. We have a number of beautiful and fragrant varieties available in our stores, suitably prepared for indoor Christmas flowering
Growing Hyacinths Indoors in Pots
For growing hyacinths in pots indoors, you’ll need to plant the bulbs around 13 weeks before Christmas, roughly in late September. We recommend using bulb fibre or multi-purpose compost and there’s no need for a rich growing medium or post-planting feeding.
Begin with adding a 5cm layer of compost in your chosen container, and then placing the bulbs close together without touching. Once they have been placed, fill compost around the bulbs, leaving the tops visible. Water in the bulbs lightly, and leave a 1cm gap below the rim of the pot.
After planting, create a winter-like environment for the bulbs, as this dark and cool period will encourage the development of a good, healthy root system. You can create this environment by covering the containers with a black bin bag or newspaper and keep them in a cool, dark place – ideally around 9°C. Check on your bulbs regularly and water when the compost dries out. If your containers lack drainage, tip them briefly after watering each time to avoid a water build-up.
Around 10 weeks after planting, shoots should begin to appear and you can move your hyacinths into a bright, cool place like a windowsill. Ensure they are not too close to heat, such as radiators, as this can cause them to grow too quickly and topple over. Within the next 3 weeks, your hyacinths should bloom, and the cooler the temperature the longer your flowers will last.
Growing Hyacinths Indoors in Glasses
For a different approach, you can grow hyacinths in glass jars without any compost. You will need heat-treated bulbs and a glass filled with water.
Fill your chosen glass with water to just below the bulb’s base, ensuring the basal plate doesn’t touch any water. They should be kept in the same way as you would potted hyacinths, in a dark area and only topping up the water if it’s necessary.
Once the main green shoot is about 7-10cm tall, you should move the glass into full light and then you can watch the flower gradually develop. Every day, turn the glass around by a half-turn to prevent the plant growing towards the light and toppling over.
Looking After Your Hyacinths Indoors
If you have used forced hyacinth bulbs for your indoor displays, they cannot be used for forcing again the following year. Instead, you can plant them outdoors after the foliage has died back for spring blooms in subsequent years.
If your hyacinths tend to flop over, this could be due to heavy flower heads caused by excess heat. Try placing them in cool, well-lit spots away from heat sources to encourage slow, sturdy growth.
If the leaves develop faster than the flower buds, you can move the pots back to a dark, cooler place for a day or two – but no longer than this, or the leaves may begin to turn pale.
The main reasons for poor results:
- Removing the bulbs too soon from their cool, dark conditions
- The bulb fibre or compost is too wet or too dry
- The dark conditions are not cool enough
Other Bulbs You Can Grow for Christmas Indoors
Paper White Daffodils
Narcissus ‘Paper White’ will flower 6 to 10 weeks after planting. They can be planted in exactly the same way as the hyacinths, but instead of keeping them in the dark, place them in a cool bright place so they don’t get too tall and leggy. An unheated greenhouse, a sheltered spot outside or a cool windowsill are all good planting spots, but they need to be frost free spaces. Bring them inside at the last minute when the flowers are about to open.
If the stems get lanky, try to push some twigs into the compost to support them. Note that bulbs like Narcissus ‘Paperwhite’ are not hardy in most UK areas, so dry and store them for replanting the following autumn.
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) produce a thick stem topped with huge, dramatic trumpet shaped flowers. Pot them up in October for flowering in six to eight weeks. Each bulb should be potted individually in a container, leaving about two-thirds above the compost surface. Use a heavy plant pot or cover pot to stop the top-heavy flowers from falling over.
Like the paper whites, keep the bulb somewhere cool and well lit, watering sparingly. When leaves and a flower stem start to emerge increase the watering. Turn the pot once each week so the stem doesn’t lean towards the light. The flowers will last longer if the bulbs are kept somewhere cool.
Planting Indoors This Christmas
Flowers blooming indoors at Christmas are a joy in themselves. Hyacinths and Paper white daffodils are gorgeously scented as well as beautiful, while amaryllis are fabulously showy. Planting up the bulbs is low maintenance and with just a little care between planting and Christmas, you can have your own flowering winter display.
Don’t fret if you miss the window for planting your bulbs in time for a festive Christmas display. Planting them a few weeks later will reward you with their charm even more once the Christmas decorations are packed away. With the glitter and festive commotion gone, you can fully appreciate their beauty and delightful fragrance.
Visit your local Tates of Sussex this festive season to explore our range of plants ready to flower indoors, or browse online.
For outdoor planting, read our blog featuring ‘Our Top 12 Winter Flowering Plants’
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