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Spring bulbs in pots - do they create offsets?

shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
in Problem solving
I have planted lots of spring bulbs in pots this year and they are beginning to sprout!
Once the foliage is dead and assuming I feed them a couple of times, can I expect any offsets to create more to use elsewhere when I empty them out to store dry in net bags in the garage until autumn repotting?
Would it be better re offsets  to leave them in the soil in the pots?
Includes Narcissus, tulips and species tulips, Chionodoxa, Grape Hyacinth, Crocus and Iris Reticular.
Thank you !
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Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Offsets tend to take quite a while to get to flowering size, around 3 years minimum l would think. I don't think it makes any difference whether they're in pots or not but others may have personal experience. 
    Some information here that you may find useful  :)
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=101#:~:text=Detach the offsets and pot,replanted in the ground immediately.
  • shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
    Thank you for the info. I had read the RHS piece and many others but they never specify when the offset is produced. I suppose if it is while the leaves die down then I may get offsets out of pot grown bulbs as I empty the pot.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Is there a reason you're lifting and storing them?
    Most of those don't need it. Tulips are a little more fussy, and the wee Irises diminish over time, but the others can remain in pots all year round with just some extra food as they die down, and the compost refreshed. 
    They will all generally produce offsets in pots, and you can split them as and when required to prevent congestion, but they'll take time to get to flowering stage, as already said.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
    Just trying to keep down numbers of pots and freeing up for summer bulbs. I have made bulb lasagnes in many cases.  Maybe I could take them out and put them in nursery pots over the summer. 
    I had also assumed that they use up all the 'goodness' in the pots if left in. I know I can feed them but it just felt right to report each year.
  • shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
    I might then just put them as single types in plastic pots and then insert into a clay pot of an appropriate size for the growing season. Splitting every few years?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's a much easier way of dealing with them. You can replace some of the soil/compost they're in each year, and feed a couple of times as they die back  :)
    Tulips, including the species ones, need a drier medium to do well, compared with crocus or grape hyacinths which can cope with much wetter conditions. 
    Good luck with them anyway  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
    Cheers for your advice it's appreciated. I'll see how it goes and perhaps tuck away and offer some protection from our wet summers!
    I think I was guilty of wanting to keep everything compact and tidy and stored away in the garage once the growing season finished. I have lots of net bags awaiting being filled but I think they will be unused now 😂
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I understand that. The big problem with storing is that bulbs can dry out completely, or rot, depending on the conditions, so it can often be easier to keep them potted  :)
    Perhaps you can do a bit of both as an experiment, and see how it goes.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
    You have me thinking now. I reckon this year I might wait for the bulb leaves to dry off (was planning to do this anyway) and then reorganise into plastic while in the green (or technically in the brown) so they can be put into showier pots just as they come into leaf.
    I think another reason I was cautious about leaving in pots was rodent and rain damage. But I'll invest in some mesh and put the bulbs in my (open)  cold frame.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Rain won't bother any of those apart from the tulips, which benefit from a drier site altogether. As long as the medium is free draining, and the pots have good drainage holes, they're all perfectly tough and hardy out in the open, but you could shelter the tulips a bit more.
    The species tulips will cope better than the other types of tulip though. They're delightful, and will multiply if happy, while the other types will diminish over time, like the small Iris.
    Mesh is good for the smaller bulbs, as they're the ones which are more likely to be eaten - bigger bulbs should be buried deep enough to escape squirrels digging them out  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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