How to plant hyacinths in the fallbecome one of the first and, obviously, the brightest ornaments of the awakening garden. Despite the thermophilic character in the middle zone, guests from the Mediterranean and the Middle East delight gardeners with friendly flowering, multiply and, with knowledge of the peculiarities, agricultural technicians are not so picky. The main thing is to create conditions that are as close as possible to those faced by the culture in the home country, starting with the choice of a site for cultivation and the time of planting hyacinths, and ending with the storage of faded bulbs. This means that in conditions of the middle band for bulbs choose a windless, flat, sunny place where there should not be an excess of moisture dangerous to the hyacinth. In nature, faded plants in spring for several hot months are in a kind of hibernation, accumulating strength and laying the bud of the future flower arrow. Even the mild Mediterranean winter seems to be designed to awaken the bulbs and prepare for a new growing season.
Hyacinths: planting time and agrotechnical features of
In the middle zone, where summer is not long and warm, and in winter, on the contrary, the soil can freeze to a considerable depth, it cannot be said that hyacinths feel comfortable. If the bulbs planted once do not dig up after flowering and do not arrange them with an artificial "southern summer", each year the fragrant arrows will become smaller until they disappear completely. When is it time to plant hyacinths?
Autumn is the best time for disembarking the gathered forces and the bulbs that laid the arrow. And here it is important to choose the correct period of time, so that the plant can take root before the cold weather, but does not start to actively develop.
The correct timing of planting hyacinths is extremely important.
- If the bulb gets into the nutrient soil ahead of time, the plant will start growing, while in winter the frost will damage the root system and the green part of the hyacinth that has begun to develop.
- If you are late in planting, the onion caught in the frozen soil does not overwinter either.
Read also: Why Kalanchoe does not bloom at home
But planting hyacinths in the spring in the ground is not made, because the simultaneous acclimatization and preparation for flowering for the plant is an impossible task.
In order to delay the planting until November, the prepared soil should be covered with foil or insulation material until the bulbs are planted. Then the site is again closed from snow, cold and rain.
Site preparation for planting hyacinths in the ground
When to plant hyacinths in the fall? In most regions of Russia, this species of bulbous plants is planted in open ground from the second half of September until mid-October. And preparation of a site for a plantation begins one month before this moment. During this period, the soil treated to a depth of 40 cm has time to settle, and a complex of mineral and organic fertilizers is applied to the soil, per meter area:
- 60–80 grams superphosphate;
- 20–30 grams of potash fertilizer or 200 grams of wood ash;
- 15 grams of magnesium sulphate or 250 grams of dolomite flour.
Only well-stocked compost or humus is used as organic matter; fresh fertilizers of this kind can cause burns on thin superficial scales of the bulbs and damage the plant.
Before planting hyacinths, the soil is loosened again and all weeds are removed.
Read also: Petunia Alderman - features of growing
Hyacinth transplantation and selection of planting material
In the autumn, at the same time, hyacinths are transplanted to another site when it is necessary to expand the plantation or replace some plants with others. Experienced growers are advised to transfer hyacinths at least once every 3-4 years for the prevention of bulbous diseases, and before planting carefully inspect the planting material and process healthy-looking bulbs with a fungicide.
The following bulbs are considered suitable for planting in the ground:
- are dense, with a smooth formed surface;
- without mechanical damage;
- signs of disease and harm caused by pests;
- having a clearly distinguishable neck and hangers.
When it comes to planting hyacinths in the fall, it must be remembered that strong open bulbs, which quickly acclimatize and withstand bad weather, are more suitable for open ground. At the same time, the bottom at the bottom of the bulb should occupy about 2/3 of the area.
Before planting into the ground, planting material is immersed for 30 minutes in a solution of the fungicide and then dried.
The location of the bulbs during planting hyacinths in the ground
The depth of the bulbs depends on their size.
- Large specimens with a diameter of more than five centimeters are buried 18 cm from the bottom.
- Standard bulbs, about 4 cm in size, are planted to a depth of 12–15 cm.
See also: Do you know when you need to dig hyacinths after flowering?
As follows from the video on planting hyacinths, the soil layer over the bulb is three times larger than the height of the planting material itself. At the same time, on light soils, the planting depth is slightly increased, and, on clayey soil or black soil, on the contrary, it is reduced.
The distance between individual hyacinths is also chosen based on the size of the bulbs. It is possible to achieve harmonious flowering by planting plants with similar parameters in the same group and at the same depth.
If the bulbs in the selected area are threatened with excessive moisture in the spring or autumn, when hyacinths are planted, they make solid sand drainage at the bottom of the pit. A perfect result is provided by planting in a “sand shirt”, when a layer of this well wicking material is around the whole bulb.
Then the area is watered and before the onset of cold weather makes sure the soil does not dry out. After planting hyacinths, as in the video, damp soil is mulched with sawdust, a layer of peat or sphagnum moss, which will help the hyacinth to overwinter. In the spring, when the snow melts, the insulation is removed, the soil is loosened, nitrogen fertilizers are applied and treatment is carried out from possible pests.
How to plant hyacinths in the fall - video