Forum home› The potting shed
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

the potting shed

irene26irene26 Posts: 12
in The potting shed
How do I now deal with Spring bulbs grown in  large  plastic pots  which I would like to keep in the pots ready for next year? The roots grew through the drainage holes into the compost the  pots were sitting on. What do I do with these roots? I have given the pots a potash feed

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I take them out of the pots, soil as well and put them in used compost sacks, make some holes in the bottom about 2” up then store out of the way.  They stay there until I want to pot them up next year. 
    That way you can use your pots for summer bedding. 
    Or, if you’re not bothered about that, just give them a gentle pull and store the whole pot somewhere in the shade until the green dies down. You could lift them and store the bulbs or leave them.
     They don’t get lifted and stored when they’re in the open ground. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • irene26irene26 Posts: 12
    Thank you Lyn. I wasn't sure whether  just leaving then to die down naturally would include the roots and whether that would damage the bulbs.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    As it’s only a bit of root in your soil, I think you can gently pull them, it will still leave root, but it’s the green that dies down that’s important, it goes into feeding the bulb again for next year. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    I grow them in pots and have the same problem they sometimes root a bit into the ground.
    I do as Lyn said and gently take them up. There should be enough root for them to still feed in the pots.
    Ours get a sprinkle of BFB and watering. Ones that have just gone over get a splash of a foliar feed, in water to keep them moist which I hope gives them a boost until the BFB takes over.
Sign In or Register to comment.