storing spring bulbs

[glow777]

Does anyone dig up and store daffs and tulips on a yearly basis - have seen people doing this - if so (other than space) why?

[glow777]

[Tee Gee]

I dont know why? I have thousands and I only lift them when they become over crowded.

When I do lift I store in string or hessian bags after they have fully died back and are quite dry.

I then stick them under the bench or in the garage, I certainly don't fuss them.

Old saying 'if its not broke don't fix it' so if mine are OK I leave good enough alone!

[jo9919]

My spring bulbs have been in containers and I want to use the containers for summer bedding plants, so I'm going to have to lift the bulbs.

They stopped flowering ages ago now and I've left them in the containers waiting for them to die back, but they still have loads of foliage. Do I cut this off or am I being impatient? Will all the foliage eventually die back? Once it has died do I cut it down?

Jo.

[emmy1978]

I will be following with interest!!

[Pesky Wabbit]

I dig mine up each year so that I can plant Dahlias in the spring bed. Works out well 'cause when the dahlias are finished, its time to plant tulips and daffs.

Spring bulbs should be left for a minimum of 6 weeks after flowering before trimming/lifting. This allows the plant to store energy in the bulb for next year. A goof pot ash feed is also beneficial both during flowering and after.

[Eristic]

If you are going to transplant the bulbs either leave them in situ until the foliage has died down or dig them up with the foliage intact and heel them in somewhere until all trace of green has gone. These spring bulbs often fail to give a good show in their second spring if recently planted but they do recover for subsequent years.

Most of the spring bulbs on my allotment are throw-aways from posh gardens, heeled in, dug up sun-dried and stored for the summer, re-planted in autumn. Maybe only one in 5 or 10 will flower but when planted at a rate of 100 or more to a hole the show is worthwhile.

[glow777]

that sounds good - if I can maximise my space by alternating between daffs and dahlias - do they need rotating or can i just use the same bed every year?

[Eristic]

Daffs and Dahlias could go in the same bed each year and if you were to plant the Daffs inlarge bunches leaving a decent space between for the Dahlia there would be no need to dig the bulbs up at all. Just plant the dahlia in the spaces and let the spring foliage die down until it yellows, then clear away. Dahlias can then spread over the space as they grow larger without upsetting anything. A good combination.

[glow777]

as ideas go thats a bloody good one

[emmy1978]

Isn't it? There are loads of plots on my site that have lovely walls of daffs in the spring, and that's a great way of getting your dahlias in.  ;D

[Pesky Wabbit]

As I'm on heavy soil, I have to dig the dahlias up each year, or they'll rot.

The daffs are in 40cm planters to form big drifts, or 2ltr pots for small bunches. When they're finished I just lift the pot/tub and store it at the bottom of the garden, by the shed - ready for the next year without disturbing the roots.

The tulips, also in 2 or 3ltr pots,  I lift & clean the bulbs, and place in a sunny spot, so they bake. I reckon the last longer that way.

I feed the spring stuff with potash in once a month from Feb until the foliage has died - normally end of May.

After lifting, remove weeds, add a good helping of manure and plant dahlias, which were shallow planted in damp compost since April (normally do it at the same time I'm planting spuds - they're all tubers!), and kept frost free.

When dahlias are finished, just lift and store, and weed the bed again before replacing the tubs of bulbs.

Only weed the patch twice a year when replanting/digging, the rest of the time its untouched - fairly low maintenance.