Can I Plant a Potted Hyacinth?

Check Your Zone

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture divides the country into 11 planting regions, referred to as hardiness zones. Hyacinth will only grow as a perennial in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 7. What this means is that if you plant the hyacinth outdoors within zones 3 through 7, it will dieback, enter a dormancy period and bloom again in the spring. If you live outside of these hardiness zones, the hyacinth will only grow as an annual -- meaning it will dieback and not reemerge the following spring.

After the Frost

• Plant the potted hyacinth after the threat of frost is over in your planting zone. A heavy frost is good for the bulb but not until it has time to store its energy for winter. Blooming exhausts a bulb, so planting a bulb in chilled soil while it still has green foliage attached can kill it. Wait until the ground is workable or it will be tough to dig. A steady soil temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for planting the potted hyacinth.

Soil pH

• Check the soil pH before planting. Hyacinth prefers soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Garden centers and online sources sell soil tests that can help you determine the soil pH prior to planting. If the soil test determines that the pH is not within range, modification will be necessary. Mixing lime in with the soil will raise the pH. Peat moss lowers soil pH. Lime and peat moss require strict adherence to the instructions provided by the manufacturer on the packaging label.

Planting Specifics

• A potted hyacinth requires full sun and a planting hole that matches the height and width of its container. After removing the hyacinth from its pot, set it in the center of the hole, backfill and water deeply. Spread a layer of mulcharound the hyacinth to protect the bulb during extreme weather changes. The foliage eventually turns from green to brown. This dieback is essential to the bulb. During dieback, the foliage takes energy from the sun and stores it inside the bulb. Once the foliage turns brown, cut it to the soil line. The bulb enters its dormancy phase, waking up and reemerging the following spring.