Re: bulb pots

Kitty,
If the potting medium is fresh it has exactly the right amount of moisture content for storing the bulbs. They can pick up enough to form good roots, but not rot. Just slightly cool to the touch, no real wet feel. The whole concept was to store the bulbs in less space and let them go on and produce root systems. I begin bringing them back out * based upon when they break dormancy* Some will begin getting potted up individually in late February, place under the greenhouse benches until they show green noses and then come up to the top of the benches. Others will stay in their boxes until sometime in March. Works for us... worked for storing root crops to eat over winter for centuries. 
Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
www.munchkinnursery.com
genebush@munchkinnursery.com
Zone 6/5  Southern Indiana
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net> 
Subject: Re: [CHAT] bulb pots
Gene, that sounds like a very good method. Is the potting medium moistened or dry? I'll print it and save for personal use. The reason for potting now is that these will be for sale in late April. I chose each of these bulbs because they'd be in bloom then or ready to bloom soon after the sale date, except the lilies which I'll be digging soon. Lilies potted in late fall and stored over winter outside are usually up 8 inches to a foot by the end of April, which is presentable enough to sell then. 

Thanks for the reply.  Marge sent me this:
"....how about just lining them up like you always do and covering with hardware cloth or chickenwire...weigh it down with some rocks or bricks and it should keep the critters out...if it's voles, I'd opt for the hardware cloth as the holes are smaller. Critters should not eat any Narcissi or Allium and I'm pretty sure they don't eat Fritillaria; but will love all lilies and I don't know about Ipheion...think I have some in the garden that have not been bothered, but will not swear to the species. So, maybe you only have to worry about those two and not the others at all."
I was concerned about Frits because they are members of the Lily family. Ipheion are Allium family, so not worried about them. 

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "Gene Bush" <genebush@otherside.com> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2007 6:40 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] bulb pots



Kitty,
When we received new bulbs, tubers and rhizomes this time of the year we do not pot them up individually until late winter, early spring. Meanwhile we take boxes, line with a garbage bag and place a layer of potting medium on the bottom. Then we make layers of bulbs so they do not touch, put some more medium in and do the next layer until the box is filled. The box goes into our root cellar for the winter after labeling. Over winter most of the tubers will regain their root systems, be ready to have individual containers. Sure reduces storage over winter. 
   Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
www.munchkinnursery.com
genebush@munchkinnursery.com
Zone 6/5  Southern Indiana
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net> 
Subject: [CHAT] bulb pots
I have a lot of bulbs I want to pot and overwinter for my sale next April. Most years that I've potted bulbs I've had no trouble with rodents. However, one year they went through every lily bulb. It happened the one and only year i wintered them in front of the house rather than the back. I have too many to cage, so I'm considering 2 options, both of which have a moisture drawback 1. in the Florida room which has same temp as outside at night but heats up from the sun during the day and faces southwest. 
2.  under the house which I'm not sure would get cold enough
In both cases the pots would not get the moisture from winter rain and snow that would be normal. Do you think I should just go ahead and store them outside with the 450 pots of perennials I have to overwinter? Narcissi, Allium, Ipheion, Lilium, Fritillaria. 

Thanks for any suggestions.

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index