Proper way to grow hyacinths

What is the proper way to plant and care for hyacinths?

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##FULL QUESTION## Dear *Gardening Life*, Can hyacinths grow outdoors and do you have to dig them up and when? And when can you plant them? Are they a bulb? Thank you very much. *—Lee Curry*

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##FULL ANSWER## Hyacinths are indeed a bulb, are spring-flowering and usually planted in fall like tulips and daffodils. You don't say where you are located but most hyacinths are hardy to Zone 4 and can be left in the ground from year to year. They like full sun, and average to rich, well-drained soil. Plant them 6" to 8" deep and 4" to 8" apart, in clumps of at least four bulbs. In cold zones, apply a thick winter mulch after the ground has frozen in fall and remove it in early spring. Hyacinths produce the biggest, tightest blooms the first spring, and smaller, looser spikes thereafter. The hyacinths that are available in flower in pots at the garden centres in early spring have usually been forced to bloom earlier than they would in the garden. Although forced bulbs won't be the most vigorous, they can be planted outdoors if it's not totally freezing, or enjoyed indoors in a cool spot, then planted outside after blooming. The only difficulty with planting forced bulbs in flower is that it is difficult to get them planted deeply enough. If you do plant them, I suggest you wait till the flowers have finished and the foliage has died back, then dig them up and replant the bulbs at the proper depth. Bulbs in the garden benefit from a top dressing of well-rotted manure or compost in the fall; otherwise, they are very easy-care. Hope that helps! *—Karen York, Botanical Editor* Other questions recently answered by the GL team: Growing on a septic field How to battle weeds between flagstone and alternative options Mysterious orange powder on the lawn What to do with end-of-season potatoes on the vine How to control Japanese knotweed What to grow in a dry area The proper way to plant astrantia What is the star flower and how do I manage it? How do I eliminate my ant problem? Preventing red beetles from attacking lilies Vine types to grow on a new pergola Maintaining purple fountain grass Keeping bougainvilllea healthy throughout the winer How to rid invasive green goutweed Good garden uses for fireplace ashes Growing grape hyacinth indoors The best way to convert a lawn into a meadow The proper way to grow rhododendrons Eliminating beetle damage to spruce trees Annual resembling Japanese maple Planting ivy near cedar trees In search of the 'Sundance Kid' sunflower Caring for canna bulbs A supplier for barren strawberry ground cover Winter care for roses Cutting back mauna loa The best time to harvest curly-leaf lettuce Eliminating invasive trumpet Caring for double-flowering hibiscus trees Eliminating white aphids from honeysuckle vine Where to purchase Japanese blood grass An alternative to rhododendrons Growing a vegetable garden over a septic field Dividing and replanting daylilies Proper care for oakleaf hydrangea The best care for shrub roses 'The Fairy' Pest eating purple leaf sand cherry Preventing lawn brown spots Keeping plants sturdy Preventing suckers from a cut-down serviceberry tree Best tomato seeds to sow Preventing wind damage to grasses Plants to highlight a pool Reshaping yew tree The best way to replace a lawn Best screening plants for privacy Buying snowberries in Montreal Keeping 'Endless Summer' hydrangea growing strong The proper way to fill planters

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