Bulbs in pots help please

Post by **p.penn** » 08 Mar 2011, 00:22

Each autumn I plant my spring bulbs in small post and dot the around the garden, and as spring progresses, I get lovely lttle pots of colourful suprises! This year I went a bit mad and planted snowdrops, crocus and small iris, and they are lovely, but some are beginning to end, and I think that is when they store the nutrients for next year (?) so do I just feed them as I would like to leave them in the pots for next year.

Help please!

lizziedoggarden · Post by **lizziedoggarden** » 08 Mar 2011, 10:46

I have lots of bulb pots too Helen, with mine I just carry on feeding till the last ones have finished then when leaves are good and dead I just take them off the surface then put pot away till next time.
Works for me )t'

Post by **jannie** » 08 Mar 2011, 11:21

I feed once a week till they die back then I overplant all my pots with summer bedding ..the leaves of the bulbs have usually died off by the time I'm ready to plant, if not I plant them in between..then when the summer bedding finishes and is taken out I top up the pots with fresh compost and wait for the spring... :-D

lizziedoggarden · Post by **lizziedoggarden** » 08 Mar 2011, 18:17

Good tip Jannie..I shall do that this year )t'

Post by **p.penn** » 08 Mar 2011, 21:15

Jannie, mine are in small flower pots so sadly, no room for anything else! Great idea though!

I buy really old pots when I can find them and plant them with bulbs, although Bailey has broken rather a lot of them this year. {cry}

Post by **Annie** » 08 Mar 2011, 21:21

Helen I have always been under the impression that the dying foliage on bulbs is food enough to bolster the bulb for next year, which is why old daffy leaves shouldnt be cut back or tied up. With this in mind I have in the past just popped my spent bulbs in pots under the hedge for over the summer and then bring them out in the autumn bearing in mind if the bulbs have stored food away and grown they may need to be potted on into something bigger.