Hyacinths attract the attention of gardeners with their early flowering time. Few crops are pleasing to the eye with festive flowers before the season of general riot of colors. Cultivation rules for spring hybrids have special requirements for the dormancy phase.
Why dig up hyacinths
A variety of hyacinth hybrids bred through the efforts of breeders are now available to gardeners for cultivation. Bulbs left to grow year-round in the bed quickly lose ornamental traits and bloom less frequently.
Garden hyacinths in free-growing conditions gradually become wild, returning to their genetic source. The obligatory procedure of extracting the bulbs from the ground has a number of reasons and advantages. The culture needs a period of specially arranged rest, which allows:
- Preserves annual blooms;
- Eliminate unwanted mutations;
- Make a preventive inspection;
- Perform disinfection and cleaning.
How to determine the best time to dig up hyacinths
It is not recommended to rush to dig the bulbs out of the ground. Untimely removal of hyacinths can cause irreparable damage to the plant, including complete death. It will also be necessary to carry out certain preliminary measures before digging up the bulb crop.
It is extremely important not to leave flower stalks after the flowers have withered, eliminating the formation of seed bolls.
It is recommended to cut off the flowering arrows of hyacinths in the third and last week of flowering. This way, the bulb will not waste unnecessary effort on wilting and maturing seeds.
It is important not to completely stop watering hyacinths after flowering. Water the plants in moderation so as not to cause souring of the soil.
The gardener, with some attention, is able to determine whether the hyacinth bulb is ready to be dug up on its own. After the flowering period, the plants enter a period of preparation for the dormant phase. At this time, the sap movement in the leaves is reduced. Nutrients gradually accumulate in the bulb.
Hyacinths are ready to be dug up when the green part has lost its turgor and is partially wilted.
Normally, early flowering bulb crops finish their preparation for resting in the last decade of June or the first decade of July. By this time, the above-ground part has time to fully transfer nutrients to the bulb. Garden work should not be postponed because of adverse weather conditions. It is extremely important to meet the deadline before the green leaves wither completely.
How to properly dig up hyacinths
It is necessary to prepare a wooden or plastic box for the bulbs before you start gardening. Hyacinths should be dug up with a small shovel so as not to damage the underground part of the plant.
The dug up bulbs are placed in a single layer in a disinfected dry container. Leave the open boxes under a roof or bring them indoors and leave them to dry out in the open air for five days.
It is not advisable to leave hyacinth bulbs in direct sunlight to avoid overheating or sunburn.
When the bulbs have dried, remove the dry husks and roots. It is also advisable to rinse them under running water to remove any soil residue. New young bulbs are carefully separated from their mother bulbs and given a general treatment.
Too small “babies” are left as is so that they can grow and mature with the larger bulb.
Features of the dormancy phase of hyacinth bulbs
The resting period of the dug-up bulbs consists of two stages:
- 60 days;
- 30 days.
During the first two-month stage, the boxes with planting material are stored in a dark, dry room at an air temperature of +25+27°C. Periodically, the bulbs are gently turned over to prevent spoilage.
Hyacinth bulbs are sprayed with a sprayer once every two or three weeks to prevent over drying.
The main difficulties arise during the second stage of storage of dug bulbs, which lasts one month. The container with planting material is transferred to a cooler, dryer room. The air temperature should be in the +13+17°C range.
The storage temperature should not be drastically reduced so as not to cause fungal infestation of the bulbs.
Reducing the temperature is necessary to preserve the annual flowering of the bulb primroses. Otherwise, the change of vegetative cycles is disturbed and the plant may sprout in the middle of autumn, which will inevitably lead to death with the onset of frost.
In such conditions the planting material is stored until the end of September or early October. It is not uncommon for new small bulbs to form on the bulbs while hyacinths are resting and preparing for planting.
What to do with small hyacinth bulbs
Young “baby” hyacinths should not be planted in the ground along with mature bulbs. Small bulbs will have to grow for the first three to four years in a room or greenhouse. Growing hyacinths indoors does not exclude the dormancy phase.
However, planting and growing at home differs significantly from the agrotechnics in the open ground. First of all, the planting material is buried in the substrate only by half. Watering is carried out very carefully, so as not to overwater the bulb.
After bunting, the new hyacinths are planted in the open ground together with the garden specimens. Hasty planting of small bulbs will lead to the death of the bulbs in winter due to insufficient supply of nutrients.
When to plant hyacinth bulbs
The dry dormancy phase ends after three months. Approximately this is the last decade of September or the first decade of October. The climatic characteristics of each particular area must be taken into account.
The planting time should not be postponed because of weather conditions. Early planted bulbs will have time to release sprouts, which is extremely undesirable on the eve of winter colds. Late planted hyacinths will not have time to take root before the first frost, which will have a negative effect on overwintering.
The plot for planting should be dug to the depth of 30-35 cm. Too heavy dense soil is optimized by adding river sand. Hyacinths prefer slightly acidic soil. Additional fertilizers are not applied until spring, so as not to provoke unwanted growth of shoots.
The first watering of hyacinths in the open ground is postponed until the growth buds open in spring.
Bulbs are buried in the soil to a depth of two or three bulbs. The depth of planting depends on the moisture capacity and aeration of the soil. The heavier the soil, the shallower the planting. The bed is filled with substrate and compacted, leaving it without watering.
Many gardeners do not dare to grow hyacinths, because they have heard about the hassle of agrotechnics. Bright primrose pays a hundredfold for the garden work, delivering the joy of colors in early spring. Sturdy flower stalks form from large, healthy bulbs.
The main rules for forming a healthy bulb are a few unalterable rules:
- Annual complete dormancy period;
- Observance of temperature and humidity;
- Choosing the right location for planting;
- Application of appropriate fertilizers.
Hyacinth agronomy has long been available thanks to modern garden and houseplant care tools.
