if i dont want the pot I shove behind the garage in the shade and just leave them. f i want the pot I lift the whole lot out and pop them into another pot/bucket with drainage holes and then again behind the garage.

the iris are left in their large pot and when the foliage has died back I surface plant with bedding annuals that dont need lost of water. I replace the top 2" of compost and then water as required.

it works for me but see what others suggest tt.

thanks Seaburngirl ... sounds a good plan ...

Do not even think about cutting off, or tying off, the dying foliage. The bulb needs the energy fed from the leaves to create next year's flower. Do feed with half strength tomato food as the leaves are dying back.

Also remember that if the bulbs are less than 15 cm deep, they may not bloom next year, if left in the pot.

Thanks Moongrower and Tugbrethil ...
Does the 15cm rule also apply to bulbs in the ground .. and why is that depth necessary please ?

Moongrower ...
Do I add the half strength tomato food now, or wait till the leaves have died more ?

Will it help if I add similar half strength tomato food to tulips where they are planted in the ground and the leaves are dying back ?

Also, I have white muscari and two tone muscari ..
will I increase them by leaving the flower heads on, or by dead-heading to increase the production of bulbs under the ground.. ? Thanks..

Hi TT feed now until the leaves die back completely once a week is good. Yes watering any bulb after flowering with half strength tomato food once a week will help it.

Regarding your muscari you can increase your stock from the bulbels the main bulb will produce and also by sowing the seed, or letting it self sow, it will take around four years from seed sowing to flowering size bulb.

Thanks Moongrower ..
Very useful answers :o)

Deep-growing bulbs, such as the larger daffodils, and tulips, will bloom the first year when planted shallowly, but spend most of their energy after blooming trying to get to their proper depth again, rather than preparing for next year's bloom. With tulips, they break up into dozens of bulblets that--in their wild ancestors--would be easier for contractile roots to pull down to the proper depth--doesn't work so well for effete modern hybrids! Daffodils put their energy into an offset or two that they push a few cm deeper into the ground than the mother bulb--it may be another two years before they feel comfortable enough to bloom.

Thanks Tugbrethil for such a helpful explanation ...
... very interesting and useful ...

You're welcome!

Half-strength tomato food ...

Please tell me if can I use half-strength Miracle-Gro plant food ..
or would that not be so beneficial to bulbs ?

Tomato food is designed to encourage the plant to set flowers. As I've never used Miracle-Gro have no idea what it is meant to do... Okay I've just Googled and I don't think you would get the same results. Miracle-Grow is designed to be used on a plant that is growing to encourage it to grown more/bigger/better. I am not sure it will feed the bulb in the same way that half strength liquid tomato feed will... Send a pm to Bamboo TT and ask her, I'm sure she will know :-)

Thanks Moongrower ...... I started using Tomato Food but used up what was left in the bottle... found I had lots of Miracle Gro.. so thought I would ask... :o)

Hi Terra:)
I would say use whatever fertilizer u have - but do it now. And half the strenght sounds right... you don't want them to produce new leaves - just to help them to produce new tiny embryo with a flower bud inside the bulb. (echo of my college days, hehe - looks like I learnes something, lol)
Deadhead them as soon as they stop flowering, so they will put all the energy in producing new baby bulbs instead of seeds... Putting them behind the garage is a good idea - their dormant season is in summer - so let them do what they like - means falling asleep, leaves going yellow, dead, lol... Most of bulbs like dry soil during summer. Planting at the proper depth allows them survive during winter, frozen soil... planting too deep means they would struggle to produce flower stem through the soil... To close to the surface - they can suffer during frost.
Hope it will help:)

Thanks Kasy .. that's a useful comment.... :o)

Not sure I've anything useful to add, though I feel that Miracle Gro general purpose could be used full strength without any trouble at all, and also that the pots shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely while any leafage is still present. I'd also add that Muscari will increase rapidly to the point where you'll wonder why the hell you ever planted them because you're having to dig them out by the hundreds every year, and all that without any encouragement, feed or anything else...

Thanks Bamboo... :o)))