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what exactly should I add to old grow bag compost for bulb planting

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  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    @Songbird-1, yes, they are tough as old boots and difficult to get rid off in the ground.

    @Fairygirl, thanks for that, I had wanted to get I.ret. 'George' but the GC only had Harmony so got that instead as I'm a bit behind with my bulb planting. Whilst looking for plant labels today in my small wooden growhouse, I found some forgotten T n T bulbs and other unlabelled ones - oops.  That's tomorrow's job then.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • I’ve also done the lasagne planting last autumn and I got some really impressive daffodil displays but the tulips which flowered last were not as good. I did pack the pots with as many bulbs as I could, and likely had overdone it (many online sources advise jamming as many as possible into each pot). 

    I, too am going to try growing the bulbs in individual pots this year but my question is, should I plant one or multiple layers of the same bulb in each pot? Supposedly if a pot is large it should be able to take more than one layer? But wouldn’t doing so effectively results in another ‘lasagne’ but of the same type of bulbs? 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You can layer same bulbs @celcius_kkw, within reason. As long as they have enough depth, it's perfectly fine. I've done it frequently  :)
    I probably have some photos somewhere @Lizzie27, and there's another nice dark one called D.S. Djit. I've grown Pauline too which is also a good dark one. I don't like those wishy washy pale ones. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Nice to read about other failed lasagnes! Mine always start so well and then by the tulips they're a mess. I think it's mostly daffs and tulips that really don't work in the same container!  

    Iris reticulata is great for topping most later bulbs though. I've used it with daffs and tulips; it doesn't get in the way, and the spiky foliage persists well through the later bulbs which looks good. The deep purples are my favourite too - I've had purple Hill which was gorgeous: February jewels!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's a pity they diminish over time though @CharlotteF , but they're so pretty for early in the year, and not expensive  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Fairygirl said:
    It's a pity they diminish over time though @CharlotteF , but they're so pretty for early in the year, and not expensive  :)
    Yes, though no worse than tulips really and much cheaper! I popped some in a hanging basket next to the front door and it was so lovely at that grey time of year to have a hit of colour close up. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They're excellent for alpine pans. I used to have mine in one of those, but I don't have any photos. Good in terracotta pots too, or any small pots really.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • @Fairygirl and other learned people ... can I add vermiculite to it for drainage rather than grit as I have a HUGE bag of it ?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes. It's not as good because it's much smaller, but it basically does the same job.

    It's sometimes said that it holds water more than Perlite, but  both of them get used for mixing with compost for seed sowing and cuttings, and it's therefore a different situation. I've never found any real difference when using either of them though.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Late to the party, but I've been disappointed with bulb lasagna planting as well. I think it's because by the time the latest bulbs are flowering, the foliage of the early ones is dying down and looking messy.

    @Jac19 , I don't know whether anyone answered your question about putting granite chippings on top of bulbs. I think they'll be fine. I have iris reticulata types and dwarf daffodils in an area that's covered with slate chippings (some fine, some quite big, up to an inch or two across) and they push through without any problems.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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