1. Fill the jar with water, just below where the Bulb will sit. It’s important the Bulb is not touching the water, as this will cause the Bulb to rot.
2. Place the Hyacinth Bulb in the neck of the jar, with the pointed end of the Bulb facing up (and the flatter end facing downwards).
3. Place the Hyacinth jar in your fridge for around 8 weeks - topping up the water if necessary. Keep the Bulb away from fruit and vegetables if possible, as the chemicals they produce will cause growth issues.
4. After around 8 weeks of growth, your Hyacinths should have fully developed roots, which will fill up most of the jar, and the Bulb will likely have a shoot of around 3-4cm. If the roots haven’t fully developed, it’s important to give them another couple of weeks in the fridge.
The bulb in the image below needs more time for root and shoot growth.
5. Once the bulb is ready remove from the fridge and place it in a dark position. Over the next 3 to 4 weeks, gradually move the Hyacinth jar into brighter, warmer areas of the house. Too much light and warmth at this stage of growth can cause your Hyacinth to grow too rapidly, giving you a flimsy flower stem.
6. After around 5 weeks, your Hyacinth will be in full flower, spreading it’s fragrance around your home. Ensure that it’s not placed in full sun, or getting too hot, as this will shorten the flower life.
7. After flowering, plant your Bulb in the garden. It will take a couple of seasons for the Bulb to recover from it’s forced flowering, so leave it a couple of years before repeating this process again.
If you want to try your own flowering Hyacinth at home we have the glass jars and 4 colours of hyacinth bulbs to choose from
