When to dig hyacinths for the winter?

In order for the tubers of hyacinths to be ready for wintering, it is necessary to give them time to recover after the end of flowering. In early or mid-July, plants begin a period of gradual leaf death. It is very important to extend the life of green leaves after flowering as long as possible. This will help to saturate the bulbs with nutrients, which will be very useful for full storage throughout the winter season. Experienced growers recommend continuing to care for plants even in the absence of flowers.

In regions with warm climates (especially in winter), hyacinth tubers do not have to be dug up annually. It is only necessary to remove the children from the adult plant in a timely manner in order to avoid thickening, since it will negatively affect flowering. In dense plantings, flowering may not come or will stop very quickly.

In a cool summer and a harsh winter with severe frosts, it is imperative to transplant hyacinths, since tubers can die in deeply freezing soil. In addition, the transplant will contribute to an even more active and lush flowering in the next season. Also, during transplantation, preventive measures can be taken with the underground part of the plants. If necessary, you need to treat the corms with special preparations that will help get rid of diseases and possible pests. If the bulbs are already infected or damaged, then this is a great opportunity to discard them.

A favorable time for harvesting hyacinths comes during the dying off and drying of the leaves. It is not recommended to skip this moment, because without the aerial part of the tubers in the ground it will be very difficult to find. They are located at great depths and without a leafy part can be found only during the appearance of spring shoots.

Experienced growers are advised to remove the bulbs from the ground after the complete yellowing of the aboveground part of the hyacinth and the death of the root system. During this period, the average tuber size should be at least 5 cm in diameter. If they are removed earlier, the planting material will be of very poor quality or completely unsuitable for further planting.

It is very important that the leaves of the hyacinth dry up independently and gradually after flowering, but the peduncles can be cut off immediately after the flowers wither. Natural drying of the leafy part of the plants ends until about the tenth of July.

When growing hyacinths as indoor plants, leaf care continues until the end of July, with a gradual reduction in watering. The flower pot with the plant is subsequently placed in a cool room without direct sunlight and, after the aerial part of the bulb has completely dried, it is removed from the flower container, thoroughly cleaned and dried.

How to preserve hyacinth after flowering (video)