Are hyacinths one of your absolute favorite spring flowers? If so, you probably want to fill your home and garden beds with as many of these fragrant beauties as possible. But let’s be real—buying dozens of bulbs at the garden center can get pricey! In this post, I’m going to show you how to propagate hyacinths yourself. It’s easier than you think, and definitely worth a try!
Different Methods
You can multiply your hyacinths quite easily using “offset bulbs” (baby bulbs) or, if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and the conditions are right, by planting seeds.
Offset Bulbs
Whether they are in a garden bed or a pot, hyacinths naturally produce small side bulbs, which are basically like little plant babies. You’ll recognize them because they’re much smaller than the main bulb. You can gently detach these and plant them elsewhere. However, they do need a period of cold (stratification) to get going.
Pro Tip: Always wear gloves when handling hyacinth bulbs! They produce a sap that can cause a skin irritation known as “hyacinth itch.” As long as you take precautions, this method is super simple. Just be very careful not to damage the main “mother” bulb when separating them, or it might rot. Here’s your step-by-step:
- Dig up the hyacinth bulb.
- Gently brush off the soil.
- Carefully snap off the offset bulbs by hand.
- Store them in a cool spot (the fridge works great!).
- Plant them out in the garden come spring.
Quick Tip: When storing your baby bulbs, make sure they don’t dry out completely. It’s also best if they don’t touch each other—try wrapping them individually in newspaper, straw, or wood wool.
Seeds
Another option is growing them from seed, though I’ll be honest: even the pros find this one tricky. The challenge is that you can’t store the seeds; they need to be sown immediately after harvest. Even then, they won’t sprout unless they’ve gone through a cold snap. If you’re harvesting seeds from outdoor hyacinths, you’re pretty much at the mercy of the weather.
Another downside? Patience is key here. Unlike offset bulbs, hyacinths grown from seed usually won’t bloom until their second year.
Natural Propagation
If you prefer a hands-off approach, hyacinth bulbs are hardy enough to survive several winters in the ground and will actually multiply on their own. Just wait for new shoots to pop up in your garden beds! The trick here is to *not* cut off the spent flower heads after they bloom. Of course, you can give nature a little nudge by harvesting those seed heads yourself and scattering them exactly where you want new flowers to grow next year.
