Forum home› Tools and techniques
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Bulbs and mulching

hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
in Tools and techniques
Hi folks, these may be unrelated issues ... I have a load of bulbs to plant (snowdrops, bluebells, snakes head fritillary, etc) and I also want to spread horse manure on my borders (mostly clay soil, although years ago it was the site of a nursery so I find pockets of different soil). 

My question is ... when should I spread the manure? Does it matter if it touches plant stems, and is it ok for the manure to be above where the bulbs have gone in? Thanks!

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If it's well-rotted it's fine to spread, just keep it off the trunks/bark of trees and shrubs. Herbaceous plants will be fine as they'll be dying down over the next couple of months anyway, and will come up next spring through whatever's left of the mulch, as will the bulbs. If it's fresh manure it'd be better stacked somewhere for the winter and then spread in spring, but then you'd need to be careful not to damage new shoots coming through.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
    JennyJ said:
    If it's well-rotted it's fine to spread, just keep it off the trunks/bark of trees and shrubs. Herbaceous plants will be fine as they'll be dying down over the next couple of months anyway, and will come up next spring through whatever's left of the mulch, as will the bulbs. If it's fresh manure it'd be better stacked somewhere for the winter and then spread in spring, but then you'd need to be careful not to damage new shoots coming through.
    It's pre-rotted, so i will spread it straight on. Thanks!
  • hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
    If i put bulbs in pots too .... would they die if not kept damp? I only ask because it's very windy where i am and pots dry out very quickly.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited September 2023
    I think they're better kept just moist until they start into visible growth, because the roots should start growing before the shoots, then water like any other plant. It won't hurt if the top part of the compost dries out - the roots are further down.  However I don't think being dry for a short time will do permanent damage - bulbs in the ground here, which is well-drained, come back reliably. Probably better a bit dry than waterlogged which can make bulbs rot.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
    JennyJ said:
    I think they're better kept just moist until they start into visible growth, because the roots should start growing before the shoots, then water like any other plant. It won't hurt if the top part of the compost dries out - the roots are further down.  However I don't think being dry for a short time will do permanent damage - bulbs in the ground here, which is well-drained, come back reliably. Probably better a bit dry than waterlogged which can make bulbs rot.
    Thanks. My borders are carnage, so putting bulbs in there would be prone to disaster. In the pots I can "nurse" them until safe to let them loose into the wild.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I usually plant my new bulbs in pots (small to medium depending on the size of the bulbs, maybe 3 or 4 or 5 bulbs to a pot) then plant them out in the spring when they're growing and I can see where the gaps in the borders are. I keep the pots on the shelves of an old mini-greenhouse (no cover on it) which is tucked away between the shed and a fence. Last year a few pots of tete-a-tete daffs that were on the most exposed part of the top shelf were damaged, I think by frost after a soaking, but generally it works well, much cheaper than buying pots of growing bulbs in the spring and more choice of varieties.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
    My pots of bulbs will be against a south facing wall. How do bulbs survive in sub zero temperatures? I can't understand how they don't all die off. The marvels of nature!
Sign In or Register to comment.