Would you like to plant a grape hyacinth in your garden or around your home? This flowering plant is very special and unique. In this article we explain how to plant, grow and care for the flower. Grape hyacinth care is easy, so try growing the beautiful plant yourself!
How to plant grape hyacinths?
Plant grape hyacinth bulbs in small clumps in the fall. Dig a small trench 10cm deep and plant a handful of the small bulbs. The same principles apply to planting in pots, but you can also plant the bulbs closer together as the blooms will not last.
Grape hyacinths don't need VIP treatment and spread well once established. Cut back spent flowers to prevent seeds from forming. The digging andDividing established clumpscan help control its spread while increasing flowering potential.
Which growing conditions should you consider?
Grape hyacinth care is extremely easy and the plants can be naturalized anywhere. As long as their light and soil needs are met, grape hyacinths will take root anywhere and spread easily. Unfortunately, this ability to spread makes it an invasive species.
Adequate lighting conditions
Grape hyacinths are light lovers and need full sunlight to thrive. In order for these flowers to thrive, they should be full for 6-8 hours a dayReceive sunlight. However, they can tolerate some shade, especially in warmer climates. Late afternoon shade isn't a problem either, as long as they get at least more than half of the day's sunlight.
How often to give water
We recommend watering your hyacinths about once a week to keep them hydrated. Grape hyacinths thrive in rock gardens, where they stand out best from the rough texture of the soil. They are not extremely thirsty and only need a moderate amount of water once a week. In a rainy climate they thrive on rainfall alone.
It is important to know that grape hyacinths do not like soggy soil, which can cause bulbs to rot. Once established, you should only water them when the soil has dried out slightly.
Grape Hyacinths Care in Containers: The plants may need more frequent carebe poured, as the soil in pots dries out much faster. Check the soil regularly and water when the top few inches of soil have dried out. This should be done on average 2-3 times per week, perhaps more often in the hot summer sun.
Which soil is suitable?
These pretty bulbs require well-drained soil to thrive and are not picky about soil pH. Remember that soil type can change your watering habits. Sandy soils dry out more quickly than clay soils, so you may need to water your plants more frequently. In general, however, grape hyacinths prefer sandy soils, which is why they thrive so well in rock gardens.
Climate and temperature
To achieve the best results during the flowering period, they prefer cooler winters. These cold periods ensure that they produce the stunning grape-likeproduce flowers, which they are known for. Warm winters can cause flowering to fail the following spring.
Fertilize
It is not necessary to fertilize the soil when planting. You can apply an onion fertilizer in containers, but this is not absolutely necessary in the first few years of growth.
How to propagate the flowers?
Propagation from seedsis one way to grow these plants. The best time for propagation from seeds is summer when the seed pods have dried. Harvest the seeds from these pods and place them on a damp paper towel. Place the towel and seeds in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator. The refrigerator replicates the cold conditions that the seeds would normally be exposed to in the wild.
The seeds should germinate within two to three months. Once they begin to germinate, you can plant them directly in your garden. Alternatively, you can plant the young grape hyacinths in pots until they are large enough to be transplanted. Use a high quality potting mix andplantonly turn them over when there is no longer any threat of frost.
Division is a popular method of propagationof these bright flowers. Grape hyacinths propagated from seeds can take up to three years to produce flowers. Division plants, on the other hand, produce the sought-after flowers in the following flowering period.
They are best divided during the dormant season in late spring or early fall. Carefully dig up the clumps and separate the cuttings from the larger bulbs. You can water the plants before digging them up to help the soil and tubers soften.
The largest bulbs will produce flowering plants within the first year, while smaller bulbs will take a year or two to become established.
Once the bulbs are separated, dig a wide but shallow planting hole and enrich the soil with organic material. You can also add some onion fertilizer to the soil to encourage vigorous root growth. Each bulb produces one to three stems with densely packed clusters of flowers.
Growing Grape Hyacinths: Problems
Grape hyacinths are not affected by pests and diseases. However, they tend to spread and can be invasive. Remove spent flowers to prevent seeds from forming, and keep an eye on established clumps - if they look like they are spreading too much, dig them up and repot the bulbs.
Transplanting new bulbs from the nursery or propagated hyacinths is just as easy. This little onePerennial needsnot much room to thrive. Whether in traditional beds or in containers, all they need are holes three centimeters deep and spaced three to four centimeters apart. Water thoroughly and deeply after planting.
When to harvest the plants?
Harvesting is a simple process that can be carried out at any point in the life cycle.
Grape hyacinths are edible and used in various Mediterranean dishes. They should not be confused with the traditional hyacinths, which are extremely poisonous if consumed.
The entire plantis edible, but the flowers and buds are frequently harvested. You can pick whole flowers or individual buds, depending on what you want to do with these plants.
