Growing Guides: How to grow Muscari (Grape Hyacinths)
Muscari or Grape hyacinths are the essence of early spring. They appear around March/April depending on the variety. Although the deep blue Muscari Armeniacum are the most familiar, there are also many other colors of muscari. Once planted in a favorable spot – a sunny to semi-shaded location that stays fairly dry during the winter – they can pop back up year after year. Most of the Muscari varieties are great for naturalizing!
How to plant muscari bulbs:
- In the Fall, choose a spot that is somewhat sunny and has nicely well-draining soil.
- Planting muscari bulbs is fairly simple. Bulbs look much like a small onion, with wiry roots growing out of one site and a spike on the other. Plant with the roots pointing down and the spike pointing up.
- Follow the rule of thumb when planting bulbs and give the bulbs at least 2 times their height of soil above them. Dig a 2-3 inch deep hole, drop the bulb into it and cover with soil.
- Regarding the spacing between bulbs, if planting in beds, leave approx 3 inches between each cluster of bulb. If you are planting in containers, you can space them a little closer together.
- After planting, water well so that the soil above the bulbs settles.
- Muscari bulbs will flower in the Spring. After the flowers die down, the plant can enjoy a warmer rest period. You don't have to water too much during this rest period. Leaves will also die back and at this point, you can choose to tidy up the plant and remove the old leaves or just let nature take its own course.