Donna Ludlow writes
Hi All

I have brought some hyacinths to hopefully flower indoors over christmas in
my Dad and Nan's memory but after last years growing them in the dark, found
them to grow leggy rather than compact like my Dad and Nan use to get them
to grow. Has anyone ever tried growing them in both conditions to see what
works best?

I got them standing in the semi dark in the kitchen at the moment but would
love to hear any advice on what is best...

Start them off in the dark and bring them into the light as soon as you
have about an inch of shoot poking through.

The logic is that their wild ancestors would have been buried in soil.
But we plant them towards the top of the pot (to maximise soil depth for
the roots) or even in a hyacinth glass, so we simulate the soil by
starting them in the dark. But as soon as they have any shoot, they need
the light in order photosynthesise and grow.

If you start them in the light, allegedly they develop shoot at the
expense of root, and keel over and collapse later on.
--
Kay