How to Care for Hyacinth Bulbs and Blooms

Measure the soil temperature at 7 inches of depth. Select the hyacinth bulbs by the time the ground is 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Incorporate 2 inches of compost into the soil to a depth of 10 inches.

Mix 5 tbsp. of 10-10-10 fertilizer with 2 cups of bone meal for every 10 square feet. Blend the formula into the soil.

Dig 7-inch-deep holes spaced 9 inches apart.

Locate the roots on each hyacinth bulb. Place the bulbs in the holes, root side down. Fill the holes with topsoil.

Irrigate the bulbs to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

Cover the hyacinth bed with a 2-inch layer of mulch, such as shredded bark or wood chips, to keep the bulbs moist and protected from extreme temperature fluctuations.

Apply 1 lb. of a 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet to the hyacinth plants as soon as they sprout in spring. Water the bed again to help the fertilizer absorb into the soil.

Irrigate the plants regularly once the flower buds appear. Apply 1 inch of water a week in one session until the blooms fade. Remove the dead flower stalks.

Mow the hyacinth's foliage after it turns yellow and dies to the ground.

Divide hyacinth bulbs every three to five years, when blooms decrease in size and quantity. Dig the bulbs out of the ground after their foliage dies back. Separate the offsets that grew off the original bulb by hand. Replant immediately, or store them in a refrigerator until fall.