PlantSowGrow
How to grow Hyacinth (Mixed)
Hyacinthus orientalis
Also called Dutch hyacinth, common hyacinth, garden hyacinth
Dense, heavily scented spikes of blue, pink and white flowers in spring. Lovely in pots by the door.
At a glance: Sow mid September to early November.
When to sow, plant and harvest
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Hyacinth (Mixed): what it needs
- Light
- Full sun · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water pots in dry spells while in leaf; keep drier when dormant
- Soil
- Well-drained soil or bulb compost
- Spacing
- 15 cm
- Height
- 25 cm
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- Feed with a high-potash liquid feed as flowers fade
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 3–8
Step by step
- Mid September – early November · 4 weeks before the first autumn frost
Plant Bulbs
Plant 10 cm deep and 15 cm apart, pointy end up, in well-drained soil or pots. Water in.
- 100–150 days after “Plant Bulbs” · Late December – mid February
Look for Shoots
Green shoots should be showing. Keep pots moist but not wet and watch for slugs on young leaves.
Every year
- AprilIn Flower
Your bulbs should be in flower — a good moment for a journal photo.
- MayDeadhead and Feed
Snap off faded flower heads (not the leaves) and give a high-potash feed to build up the bulb for next year.
- JuneLet the Leaves Die Back
Leave the foliage for at least six weeks after flowering, until it yellows — don't knot or cut it. Then tidy it away.
