The right time for planting hyacinths in the garden is a guarantee of abundant flowering in spring
When hyacinths bloom in spring, they become one of the first and, obviously, the brightest decorations in the awakening garden. Despite the thermophilic nature in the middle lane, guests from the Mediterranean and the Middle East delight gardeners with friendly flowering, multiply and, with knowledge of the features of agricultural technology, are not so picky. The main thing is to create conditions that are as similar as possible to those faced by the culture at home, starting with the choice of a site for cultivation and time planting hyacinths, ending with the storage of faded bulbs.
Hyacinths: planting time and features of agricultural technology
In the middle zone, where the summer is not long enough 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 once planted bulbs are not dug out after flowering and you do not arrange for them an artificial "southern summer", every year the fragrant arrows will become smaller until they disappear completely. When is the time to plant hyacinths?
Autumn is the best time to plant the bulbs that have gained strength and laid down the arrow. And here it is important to choose the right period of time so that the plant has time to take root before the cold weather, but does not begin to actively develop.
The correct timing of planting hyacinths is extremely important.
- If the bulb enters the nutrient soil ahead of time, the plant will start to grow, while in winter frosts will certainly damage the root system and the green part of the hyacinth that has begun to develop.
- If you are late with planting, the bulb that has fallen into the frozen ground will also not overwinter.
But planting hyacinths in the ground in the spring is not done, since the simultaneous acclimatization and preparation for flowering for the plant turns out to be an impossible task.
Wishing to postpone planting until November, the prepared soil must be covered with a film or insulation material until the bulbs are planted. Then the site is again closed from snow, cold and rain.
Preparation of a site for planting hyacinths in the ground
When to plant hyacinths in fall? In most regions of Russia, this type of bulbous plants is planted in open ground from the second half of September to mid-October. And the preparation of the site for the plantation begins a month before this moment. During this period, the soil, treated to a 40-centimeter depth, manages to settle, and a complex of mineral and organic fertilizers is introduced into the soil, per meter of area, at the rate of:
- 60-80 grams superphosphate;
- 20-30 grams of potash fertilizers or 200 grams of wood ash;
- 15 grams of magnesium sulfate or 250 grams of dolomite flour.
Only well-rotted compost or humus is used as organic matter; fresh fertilizers of this kind can cause a burn on the thin surface scales of the bulbs and harm the plant.
Before planting hyacinths, the soil is loosened again and all weeds are removed.
Hyacinth transplant and selection of planting material
In the fall, at the same time, hyacinths are transplanted to another site when it is required to expand the plantation or replace some plants with others.Experienced flower growers, in order to prevent bulbous diseases, are advised to transfer hyacinths at least once every 3-4 years, and carefully inspect the planting material before planting and treat healthy-looking bulbs with a fungicide.
Bulbs are recognized as suitable for planting in the ground:
- dense, with a smooth formed surface;
- no mechanical damage;
- signs of disease and harm caused by pests;
- having a well-defined neck and shoulders.
When hyacinths are to be planted in the fall, you need to remember that strong medium bulbs are more suitable for open ground, which quickly acclimatize and withstand bad weather. In this case, the bottom on the bottom of the bulb should occupy about 2/3 of the area.
Before planting in the ground, the planting material is immersed in a fungicide solution for 30 minutes, and then dried.
The location of the bulbs during planting hyacinths in the ground
The planting 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.
As follows from the video about planting hyacinths, the layer of soil above the bulb is three times greater than the height of the planting material itself. At the same time, on light soils, the planting depth is slightly increased, and on clay 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. You can achieve a friendly 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 spring or autumn, when hyacinths are planted, a solid sand drainage is made at the bottom of the pit. An excellent result is achieved by planting in a "sand jacket" when a layer of this moisture-wicking material is located around the entire bulb.
Then the plot watered and before the onset of cold weather they make sure that the soil does not dry out. After planting hyacinths, as in the video, the moist soil is mulched with sawdust, a layer of peat or sphagnum moss, which will help the hyacinths 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 against possible pests.