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West Midlands, United Kingdom

Advice, please...
Having just read some advice Bulbaholic gave on planting bulbs out now, I wondered whether I am going to have a problem with last year's bulbs in containers.

I left all the daffodils, crocuses etc in the pots in which they had been planted. I waited till they had died back but fed them regularly until they had died back completely... as Moongrower advised. In the summer months, they were just left in another part of the garden, in their pots, getting wet/baked by the sun or whatever, according to the weather at the time!

Should I have put them under cover/ in a dry place, to prevent them rotting? They are still outside! Is it too late to put them under cover now...or have I misunderstood Bulbaholic's reply in a recent, similar question?

Also, I had a lot of alliums which I planted in pots last week as I thought it would be good to move them around next summer, depending on where I needed some colour. Should they be under cover all winter as well?

Maybe I have completely lost the plot!




Answers

 

No, none of the bulbs you mention need to be under cover or shelter over winter - unless you have tender alliums, that is. And no, you didn't need to take any particular care (other than what you did with feeding, which was exactly right) of the bulbs in pots during the summer, although a drop of water if they'd dried out might have been useful. Always assuming you've drainage holes in the pots, that is - waterlogging from no drainage would cause rotting, otherwise, not a problem.

27 Oct, 2010

 

Can you select just one of the pots and tip it out now, Izzy, to see how the bulbs are. As I said in the other question, plastic pots retain much more water than the soil in the garden (in wet weather) and so there is more danger of the bulbs rotting. If the chosen pot is OK then just repot it and the other should be alright.
Also, remember that Funguy is growing his in pots for one season only and will be planting them in the garden next year. It is much easier, and nicer, to work in dryish compost than wet stuff.

27 Oct, 2010

 

Ok. I'll check one of the pots and see what they look like, Bulbaholic....and replace the compost! I think they had quite a lot of rain on them this summer so doubt if they dried out, Bamboo. I DID feed them well though!

Is it inadvisable to keep bulbs in pots longterm? I always seem to dig up bulbs when planting summer bedding etc. so decided to plant in tubs/pots! I would extend the size of the beds if we were staying here;I feel reluctant to do so when determined to move! A 5-bedroomed house is superfluous for our needs now all 5 children have left...and it means I have family visitors almost non-stop!

27 Oct, 2010

 

Oh, forgot to say!... all have drainage holes but not all pots are sitting off the ground!

27 Oct, 2010

 

We grow some bulbs that need special attenion, Izzy, and other for the show bench. These are grown long term in pots but, theoretically, they are repotted every year (this happens to most of the bulbs in most years - sometimes we need a nine day week). I think that bulbs will do OK for a few years without repotting but will then start to lose their vigor.
Our house is also too large for a couple but the garden is so well established that we will not be moving. Probably seal off the bottom of the staircase :-).

27 Oct, 2010

 

I once went to a talk by Anna Pavord, and she said that IF we dig up tulip bulbs, they should then be BAKED during the summer, in a cold frame if you have one (sounds like a contradiction, but not a bad idea as hopefully the pesky squirrels won't find them).

27 Oct, 2010

 

Yes if you lift tulip bulbs they need a hot dry period, the most important being the 'dry'. Tulips come from areas like Turkey which are naturally hot and dry in summer.

27 Oct, 2010

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