Hyacinths are not just particularly colorful and fragrant spring bloomers. The possibility of caring for the flower in a hyacinth jar is also an interesting task for hobby gardeners. Our grandmothers already grew plants in glass jars.
How does growing hyacinths in a hyacinth jar work?
A hyacinth jar allows you to grow hyacinths in water without soil because the bulbous glass shape keeps the bulb above the water level. In order for the plant to take root in a dark, cool room, it takes two to three months before it can be placed on the bright windowsill.
What should hyacinth glasses be like?
The hyacinth glass has a special shape. It consists of a bulbous lower part and an equally curved upper shell into which the tuber of a hyacinth fits exactly.
The lower part is filled with water. The onion receives moisture without coming into direct contact with the surface of the water. The hyacinth does not need soil in the glass. So it's basically a form of hydroponics.
Hyacinth jars are available from specialist retailers. But you can also find numerous offers for decorative models in online stores (€19.00 at Amazon) that are suitable for caring for hyacinths in glass.
How to grow hyacinths in a glass
- Cleaning the glass
- Fill water at the bottom
- Insert hyacinth on top
- Keep dark and cool
- Refill water daily
The glass is rinsed and cleaned well so that no more bacteria stick to it. Any detergent residue must also be removed.
Fill the glass with fresh water. Place the hyacinth bulb in the top bowl with the tip facing up. There should be little space between the roots and the water level. Under no circumstances should the onion come into direct contact with water. You have to refill fresh water every day.
The hyacinth jar is placed in a cool, dark place until it blooms. A temperature of around ten degrees is ideal.
Cover the tuber with a paper hat
If you don't have a suitable place to place the glass dark enough, use a paper cone shaped like a cone.
You can make it from cardboard or other opaque fabric.
By darkening, you create the same conditions as the tubers have in the ground. The roots only form when it is dark.
On the windowsill after two to three months
It takes two to three months for the hyacinth to sprout leaves and finally flower stalks.
Wait until the paper hat above the hyacinth jar lifts itself. Then the leaves and flower stalks have developed well.
Now you can remove the blackout or take the glass out of the darkness and place it on the bright and warm windowsill.
Hyacinths can only be grown in a glass as an annual
Hyacinths in glass unfortunately only last one season. After flowering, the tuber is exhausted and must be thrown away.
You can try to plant them in the garden, but this effort is usually not successful.
Tips & Tricks
Hyacinth glasses look particularly decorative if you line the glass with small decorative stones in the color of the hyacinth flower. The roots spreading over it create an interesting appearance.
