It’s a real bummer that hyacinths only show off those gorgeous blooms for a short window between March and April. Sadly, a lot of gardeners just toss the bulbs in the trash once the flowers fade. But hold on—don’t do that! While I can’t give you a 100% guarantee that a potted hyacinth will bounce back every single time, following these tips makes a second act very likely. Why not give it a shot?
The Basics
To keep your hyacinth healthy and vibrant (even when it’s not in bloom), keep these golden rules in mind:
- Keep the soil consistently moist. You don’t want the substrate drying out completely.
- Never cut off the leaves while they’re still green. They need that foliage to gather energy!
- Hyacinths need a long “nap” (a dormancy period) to prep for their next show. During this time, they need to stay somewhere cool.
Pro Tip: If you keep your potted hyacinth indoors, it might actually bloom as early as late December. To help it gear up for next year, snip off the faded flower stalks as soon as they wilt. This prevents the plant from wasting energy on dead parts.
Post-Bloom Care
Once the flowers are gone, you’ve got a real chance at a comeback—but only if you treat the bulb right during its “off-season.”
Location
After the blooms have withered, move your plant to a bright spot. A basement window that gets plenty of light but no direct, scorching sun is perfect. Alternatively, you can move it out to the patio. The outdoor air is actually better for it, as hyacinths really dislike warm indoor air during their rest phase. Unlike the growing season, you’ll want to keep the soil on the drier side now.
Pro Tip: If you need that flower pot for something else, you can actually dig up the bulb and store it in a cool, dark place until next season.
Watering
Scale back your watering significantly. Once the leaves start turning yellow, stop watering altogether.
Pro Tip: Getting a hyacinth to bloom again can be a bit finicky, but it’s definitely not a lost cause. With the right TLC, a hyacinth bulb can actually live up to 15 years! Sure, the flowers might get a little thinner as the bulb gets older, but seeing those buds return year after year is always a win in my book.
