FAQ for bulbs

Dave/Vols how about a list of FAQ and answers for those who buy bulbs and dont know how, where or when to plant them and how to keep them growing well?

I might compile it if you smile nicely!

Yes, please, let Mark do it! Yesterday went to Menards, finally reduce their bulbs to 99 cents a pkg. Then if you bought a plastic tote for $2.00, Everything you could stuff in the tote would be 20% off, so got more bulbs and iris to get planted or to carry over!

i'll start work this evening when I get in from work. if it's not wanted i'll not huff LOL

Good, now I have almost 300 of these things I MUST get planted whether in the house, outside, or in the garage. I keep putting it off, but now I have no choice! We are having 2 days of 35-50 degees F. I got a new long handled bulb planter, so perhaps some outside, if the squirrels don't dig them up! Doris

you are sooooo late. some of you bulbs will struggle to do anything this spring.

Aaack! Right now I will dash downstairs, there are some tulips that are early blooming and dig holes for them! (won't even turn the computer off)

my early tulips are already above ground. can you make a rough list of what you have?

Tulip - Cassini, Christmas Marvel, White Dream (all early). I also have mid spring and late spring.
Sibericas - early
Mid spring, Tete a tete, Red Devon, Ice King, Professor Einstein, Marilyn, White Triumpheter.
Tritelaris, also Fritillarias.
I just planted some of the fritillarias this afternoon close to the house where ground soft. (never realized!)
I think the tete a tete are mini daffodils.

I have a cousin in my zone who just doesn't have time to plant in the Fall - between going back to school stuff and holidays, she says she is too busy. She puts her bulbs (aliums, tulips, s. squill) in a ziplock bag in her freezer in Feb. and then puts them out as soon as the ground softens. Says it works just fine for her.

On another note -- Mark -- I just bought some Oriental Lilies on special at home depot. The bulbs seem pretty dry. Should I:
a. put them in a ziplock bag in the freezer?
b. put them in dirt and then put them in a ziplock bag in the freezer?
c. pot them up and put them in the garage?
d. pot them up and put them out on my front porch?

Really think the faq. would be great for folks like me - who are so new and have tons of questions!! I really appreciate you taking your time to share of your knowledge and experience.



This message was edited Thursday, Jan 9th 9:51 PM

I wouldnt put any bulb in any condition in the freezer. many wont take the -18C or so that they are set to. I think but could be wrong that the salad drawer is good enough.

before doing anything with a dehydrated bulb in needs to be sprayed with a fungicide as it is gonna be very weak. once that has dried in spray it with water on a regular basis while keeping it somewhere cool. or place it in damp, not wet, peat. if you plant it in a pot it needs the biggest and tallest pot you can put it in because lilies produce roots along the stem as they grow up to the top.

finally two questions

define dirt - I see it mentioned all the time
why buy bulbs that are way past their best and that will most likely die

Tulips above ground??? Here they bloom in April/May.. No sign of any bulbs yet. But at least we don't have to keep them in fridge. We plant bulbs here in September-November. First flower to bloom is usually Galanthus, first ones can start blooming in February. Eranthis is another early one.

Some of my tulips are showing their noses, but they're february flowering ones

And, yes those did get planted at the right time Mark (unlike my iris, which are showing now too)

Dirt - (potting soil)
I bought them because they were really marked down (6 bulbs for $3) and if they don't grow I get my $ back.

Regarding planting bulbs ~~~

I have heard from two sources..., one a production manager at White Flower Farm, and a greenhouse manager at the NY Botanical Garden, that commercial potting soil should generally not be used for bulbs (unless you are forcing) as it has been treated with ammendments that include various plant nutrients.

The instructions that came with both my crocus bulbs this year were specific about not using "potting soil," or adding compost ammendment to the soil I was planting the bulbs in. They all are showing a little bit of healthy greenery.

Apparently these too~early / too~intense nutrients are likely to burn new, tender bulb roots, thus resulting in poor root set, and thus foliage without flowers (or poor flowers) in the Spring season.

Does anyone have an opinion / experience with this ?

Please remember I am a total inexperienced amature, merely repeating what's heard from folks who seem to know more.

Thanks.

Adam.

We put all our bulbs in the ground today. We usually buy them at half price and often have excellent results. We inspect the bulbs in the packets and choose the best that is there or leave well alone depending on condition.

Aotearoa, general potting soil can set the bulbs back for the reasons stated, nor should it be used for seed sowing for the same reason. I'm not sure how available bulb fibre is to you but we use that or (and the environmentally friendly among us might bash me with a trowel for saying this) we use peat.

I just found out a few days ago about the environmental issues surrounding the use of peat moss. Here it is pretty much all dug out of Canada. And it's relatively cheap.

Thinking "it's organic it must be great," I have used a lot of it. Now, reading about the environmental impact of digging it, I would like to perhaps use somethhing else.

Does anyone have a suggestion of a viable alternative that I might try?

Thanks.

Adam.

Mark: Not meaning to hi~jack your bulb FAQ thread here..., I think this is in some way associated with it.

I have used peat free alternatives for years, but over here they are freely available commercial products - I don't formulate my own. My current favourite is Arthur Bowers 'New Horizon' which I believe is based on composted bark.
Another alternative of course are the soil based John Innes formulae

Interesting about not using fertilised potting composts for bulbs

Well - upon further inspection of these "bargain oriental lily bulbs" today - I found mold and rot! Will be taking them back ASAP and maybe I can I find someone to trade in the Spring - or just pay full price and get some healthy ones.

what I say seems to fall on deaf ears but why should I really care?

anyway, my mix for bulbs, perennials and everything else I pot up is 50/50 compost and fine top soil. to this I add a few litres of composted bark, Cam Bark, that has been sieved.

Yes, when i think of it i add extra bark/grit/sand etc depending on what I'm using it for

Well Mark, I can assure you -- at least on my part -- my ears are wide open and listening!! I really appreciate the tips and have been taking notes on it all!! Thanks for taking the time to share from your experience with me. :)

Mark (patience!!! *G*) what gems are falling on deaf ears?

I've never found a peat substitute I'm happy with, we bought a number of bags from various sources over the years and each one was disappointing although I've heard otherwise. Every time we used it in bulb containers they seemed to fail, perhaps Hampshire gets duff batches, or maybe it's just us?

Anyways, the only time I make any kind of potting mix is when we plant something like Tecophilea which needs just that little bit extra.

Gardening Which? did a survey recently about composts but I have given the magazine away and what I really need now is their magazine about bulbs, and nothing else, which came out around September last year. I gave that away too.

ahhhhhhhh!!!!!

sings a song from a while ago

"you have to laugh or else you cry
you have to live or else you die"

LOL

??????????

I might have that one still Mark, in my piles of rubbish. I'll have a look later

You're in good voice today then ;)

Tom Hark sang this

You never know what hits you till your black and blue
you never get the picture til the movie's through
and even if you do it doesnt mean a thing
you're only gonna play it like a fool again
The whole things daft, I dont know why
You have to laugh or else you cry
You have to live or else you die
You have to laugh of else you cry
You tell yourself you're sick and tired of getting burned
and then you realize youre never gonna learn
you think youre gonna get it but you just dont know
you want it but forget it cause you move too slow
The whole things daft, I dont know why
You have to laugh or else you cry
You have to live or else you die
You have to laugh of else you cry
We all need time to unwind and get away
far from ourselves everyone, everyday
The whole things daft, I dont know why
You have to laugh or else you cry
You have to live or else you die
You have to laugh of else you cry

This is interesting, about "Tom Hark":

http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/k/K99.HTM

Better late than never? I think an FAQ would be wonderful, and the fact Mark is volunteering assures me it will be terrific!

Don't know what happened with djm's bulbs but for zone 5a, I'd recommend potting them in a professional grow mix (mine is nothing more than peat and perlite - no fertilizers) and placing them in an unheated garage, basement or crawlspace (preferable if it's dark) and leave 'em alone until late March. This year, you'll have potted tulips, instead of tulips in the ground. Because in 5a your soil *should* be frozen by now.

A refrigerator vegetable "crisper" bin or drawer until spring works well, too - except the bulbs shouldn't be placed with apples and onions (I think that's right) because they give off gases that will be detrimental to the bulbs. Of course, apples and onions might not be a good combination under any circumstance, if you want to be able to eat the raw apples!

There is an ongoing argument for and against peat. I tend to believe it is a renewable resource, but should be used wisely (as should most of our natural resources.) That means I don't usually use peat to loosen up my soil. But I do use it to plant azaleas in heavy clay, because they won't survive otherwise. JMHO :)

I got it slightly wrong the Pirhannas did it http://www.musica.co.uk/musica/screen__ARTISTDB/shop__MUS/artist__Piranhas~(1).htm

In any event, Mark, you've got good taste (at least in so far as it agrees with mine).

Adam.

LOLOL Ao
(BTW where does your name come from, if it's not too personal a question?)

It's Maori, and means "Land of the long white cloud."

Adam.

Ah, I knew that was how the Maori for New Zealand translated, but didn't know that was the word
Thanks :)

Go Vols, I still have maybe 250 bulbs to go, I did go back and bought more! I followed Marks advice, we had a warm day and was able to geat some in the ground, wasn't easy, but gave up after planting 30 close to the house. The others , I will do as you say. I have loads of pots and several bags of grow stuff, but I better check to make sure no fertilizers. One bag I know is Scotts potting soil, but will check, Thank you, and Mark and since it was 12 above, I think I'll just stay in and pot tulips! Good thing it is cold out, else I might be tempted to go back to Menards!!!!
Doris

djm906,
After you pot them, will you put them outside? I have
some in the refrig that never got to the ground.
TLC

Nah, I'll keep them in the garage. Maybe when the weather gets better, March or so, then perhaps I can move them outside. (Thats if I get them all planted), the ones I don't will have to go in the refrigerator/ This will teach me next time not to go hog wild when I see a sale!!!

So what is the difference in the outcome:

Planting in a pot and keeping cool in the garage

vs

bulbs in refrigerator


Is there an advantage to putting them in the pots or will they do just as well if taken from the refrig in March and are potted up and set outdoors.

Thank You,
TLC

When planted in the cool ground during the Autumn, bulbs set roots.

Setting roots in Autumn gives them the strength and water source to groww flower stalks and foliage in the Spring.

Adam.