How Long Do Hyacinths Bloom? (And What to Expect During Dormancy) - The Practical Planter (2024)

Hyacinths have become very loved due to the fact that they are beautiful, and it also helps that they smell really nice. You might have even received some as a gift due to how popular they are to give as gifts.

The big reason why hyacinths make such good gifts is that they produce amazing flowers that people are able to enjoy. If you received one that is blooming, you might be wondering exactly how long the blooms are supposed to last.

A healthy hyacinth is going to go through a period of blooming that will last for between eight and twelve weeks. During this time, it will produce flowers that look fantastic, and it will be a truly impressive plant to behold.

After this time has passed, the hyacinths will go dormant, and you’ll notice changes. Keep reading to learn about what occurs when they go dormant as well as what you should do to keep the plant.

Hyacinth Dormancy

After the blooming cycle is over, a hyacinth plant is going to enter a phase in its life known as dormancy. The first big thing that will happen is that the beautiful flowers that you have been enjoying will die.

Once the flowers have started to die, you’re going to see that the leaves on this plant will wither as well. By the time most of the flowers have turned brown, you’re supposed to take action if you want to keep the plant.

What you need to do is go through a process known as “deadheading” that will prepare the plant for its next cycle. This involves cutting the whole flower stalk off for the sake of the plant so that it can continue living.

The foliage of your plant will still be green right now, but it’s going to die off over time. There isn’t anything you can do about that, and it’s actually normal.

You just want to protect the plant without bending any of its leaves or breaking them. It needs all of the energy that it can get so that it can get ready for another blooming cycle.

Preparing your hyacinth for another blooming cycle usually involves giving it some fertilizer. Using a strong indoor plant fertilizer that is good for hyacinths will be ideal, and you should be able to find something very easily.

You need to continue to water the plant as well so that it can keep on living for now. It’s good to just keep taking care of it like normal, and you will see it bounce back for another blooming cycle when the time is right.

One important piece of advice to keep in mind is not to go overboard with watering during this time. Hyacinth bulbs will actually have big problems if you decide to give them too much water.

It’s possible that watering a hyacinth bulb too much could lead to issues such as rot. You definitely don’t want this to occur if you’re looking to keep your hyacinth going, and rot could ruin the whole process.

This means being especially mindful about continuing to provide water while being smart about not giving it too much. Too much moisture will be a bad thing, and being vigilant about your watering habits can help to keep things safe.

Storing it During Dormancy

At a certain point in time, the leaves are going to wither and fall off, but this is actually normal. It’s the sign that it is time for you to cut the plant back down to soil level, and this means that you will only have a bulb and the roots.

You’re supposed to move the pot somewhere cold and dark where it can just do what it needs to do. It might seem unusual, but you actually want to keep it away from light at this point in time.

Some people place bags over the pots to keep them from being exposed to light. You could use some type of paper bag that you have at home if you would like to.

Remember that it is essential to protect your hyacinth from moisture at this point in time. Wherever it is that you decide to place it, it needs to be a place where the plant won’t come into contact with moisture.

It’s a good idea to take this into consideration when choosing a bag for the hyacinth since you might be able to find something that will help to protect it from moisture. Some people have even reported placing the hyacinth pots in black garbage bags since they will protect them from moisture while also keeping light out.

Let the hyacinth remain like this until spring, and once it is time, you can start exposing it to light again. Eventually, you should notice that the pot will have new shoots coming up out of the soil.

It’s also worth noting that hyacinth plants will send up more shoots each time that you do this, and this means that you’re likely going to need a bigger pot. The pot that you were using for your hyacinth might not be big enough for it during this new cycle, and this means that repotting it into a larger pot is likely for the best.

If your pot was already a little too big, you won’t need to worry about it. Just be mindful that your hyacinth might need more space now and that you can make this change without it being too hard.

It makes a lot of sense to repot a hyacinth while it is still in its dormant state since it will be even easier to do. You could make the decision to repot it early so that you can have a simple time, but it’s really your call to make.

Hyacinths Only Bloom Once Per Year

Now that you have read all about the hyacinth life cycle, it should be easier to tell that these plants only bloom once per year. You’re going to be able to enjoy that glorious blooming cycle that lasts between eight and twelve weeks to the fullest.

If you are willing to put in the effort, you can continue to get your hyacinth plants to bloom in future years. Not everyone bothers with this, though, as some people feel that it is a bit of a hassle.

You can decide if you love hyacinths enough to store the bulbs and let them remain dormant somewhere safe. It isn’t necessarily all that hard to do this, but it is something that takes a lot of time for only a short period of blooming.

There isn’t really anything that you can do to extend the blooming period either, and this means that you just have to make the most of those eight or twelve weeks that you get. You should prepare for this before you make the decision to grow hyacinth plants because it’s just a part of the process.

Other Important Hyacinth Information

If you’re planning on keeping hyacinth plants in your home for any amount of time, there are some things that you should be aware of. For example, you’ll want to know that hyacinth bulbs are actually poisonous to your pets.

If pets eat your hyacinth bulbs, they might experience various complications. The most common issues that have been reported are stomach or digestive issues as well as skin irritation.

While hyacinth plants might not be extremely dangerous to pets, they can be problematic if you have dogs or cats that like to eat plants. It would also be a shame to go to all that effort to raise a hyacinth plant only to have it get eaten by a pet that will get sick from it.

It’s going to be wise to keep your hyacinth plants out of the reach of your pets so that they cannot eat them. You’ll also want to keep them away from children because they can cause skin irritation when you handle them.

The skin irritation on humans is often very mild, but it’s still likely going to be better to wear gloves when handling the plant. This is especially true if you’re going to be handling the plant for longer than a minute or so at a time.

If you do handle a hyacinth plant with your bare hands, you should try to remember to wash your hands thoroughly after you’re done. The toxicity of the plant isn’t entirely a bad thing, though.

Those who choose to plant hyacinths outside will notice that various pests will stay away from the plant due to its nature. This is a good thing for the survival of the hyacinth most certainly, and it keeps all of your hard work raising it from going to waste.

You know all of the pertinent details about hyacinth blooms now, and you should be able to take care of these plants well. So long as you are prepared to do what you need to do for these plants, they’re going to look great in your home.

Don’t hesitate to give them as gifts either so long as you let the person you’re gifting them to know about the toxicity issues. Overall, hyacinth plants have earned their reputation as gorgeous houseplants that can be enjoyed by anyone.