All i can find out is don't let them dry out, but don't give them too much water. If you do they'll rot in the soil. Over-watering is the big killer but how are we supposed to flipping avoid it? I've got some of my pots outside under an old table but now i wonder if they're getting enough light. This is why i always plant loads of everything 'cos i never believe anything will ever come up!
and you told me to put my bulbs in now for spring... *shakes fist* still at least i can now blame you if my bulbs don't come up rather than my own radioactive thumbs
and you know where you can stick your still blooming sunflowers dontcha? not jealous, not at all grrr!
I am going to post a picture of my "blooms" especially for you. That's blooms plural, OK.
As for the bulbs, you have to plant them between October and December to get them to come up in Spring. I can't stop it pissing down between now and then, but i wish i could. I think yours will be ok because they're in the ground so you won't have the same drainage problems as me. Mine are in containers, that's the problem!
PS: I bet you'd like to see a photo of one of my sunflowers with a bee in it. A real bee, collecting pollen. *rubs it in even more*
Unless there isn't standing water on your tubs (and there shouldn't be even in heavy rainfall as long as you have drainage at the base)you shouldn't have a problem with 'over watering' - bulbs do need a period of cold and wet weather to set their biological clocks and such.
Bulbs don't normally come up in succession as such - check blooming periods when you buy is probably the best bet. You can force bulbs to bloom early (hyacinths for example) in some circumstances though.
Hi, Beebarf. I was hoping i would get some sensible advice and here you are! I've raised the containers off the ground, they have holes in the bottom and i put a layer of small stones in the base to help with drainage. I would've used bigger stones but i couldn't find any. I'm just worried that it will rain for days on end as it is prone to do. Also, if we have a dry spell, do i water them when the soil on top is dried out or just before that happens? And can i keep them outside under a table or something like that? Thanks for your help.
The drainage you've already done will really help and if they do look like becoming water logged, then putting them under the table would do - you don't want to cover them with polythene as it might warm them up too much (relatively speaking).
If the soil dries out, I wouldn't necessarily bother watering them unless it is also warm - bulbs are usually planted far enough down that the soil doesn't dry out.
Hope that helps - I'm not an expert gardener, only have herbs on a windowsill at the moment, but the rest of the family are pretty good and I've learnt a lot from them :o)
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flowers smell nicer than babies anyway
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*shakes fist*
still at least i can now blame you if my bulbs don't come up rather than my own radioactive thumbs
and you know where you can stick your still blooming sunflowers dontcha?
not jealous, not at all
grrr!
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As for the bulbs, you have to plant them between October and December to get them to come up in Spring. I can't stop it pissing down between now and then, but i wish i could. I think yours will be ok because they're in the ground so you won't have the same drainage problems as me. Mine are in containers, that's the problem!
PS: I bet you'd like to see a photo of one of my sunflowers with a bee in it. A real bee, collecting pollen. *rubs it in even more*
Reply
Bulbs don't normally come up in succession as such - check blooming periods when you buy is probably the best bet. You can force bulbs to bloom early (hyacinths for example) in some circumstances though.
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If the soil dries out, I wouldn't necessarily bother watering them unless it is also warm - bulbs are usually planted far enough down that the soil doesn't dry out.
Hope that helps - I'm not an expert gardener, only have herbs on a windowsill at the moment, but the rest of the family are pretty good and I've learnt a lot from them :o)
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