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I've had a thing for these since trying to force them for a nursery almost 40yrs ago.

This clump was at least 10 yrs old and had never done a thing. We were redoing a spot in our landscape a month ago so I dug it up and sat it aside trying to decide with to do with it.

Two weeks later, still bare-root on a bench, there were signs of flower buds.

Currently sitting in a pot without any media, in the greenhouse it's saying, how do I look now!

(Don't mind the mess, the inverted tub covers my solar battery, the bin is sifted pumice and the the buckets are fertilizer concentrates that I dilute as needed.)

Yikes, mine are really dry. I will give them some water today and hope for the best.

Peter

Quote from: Uli on August 23, 2023, 03:07:23 PMRegardless if potted up or not, all seedlings which start into new growth get their first dose of a balanced fertilizer low in nitrogen.

Uli

Thanks, this leads me to my second question: Waking up. 

Triggers (horses of course), cooling temperatures, shorting days and rain fall correct?

Do you encourage this by watering them in the fall (its now almost September)? I am moving them outside from the protected dry area in my greenhouse but our "Indian summer" in CA is really just getting started.

I did some searching on the site but didn't find what I was looking for.

Last season I received an envelope "all the rest" full of seed packets.

Being enthusiastic I sowed almost all of them.

Most are dormant and many are winter growers so the season might be starting soon and I want to know if I should transplant some and send others to the bulb exchange.

I recall reading that its best to let them go another year.

Suggestions?

Picked up this little cutie at Peacock Horticultural Nursery in Sebastopol. The pattern is variable but present in both plants. Tubers I think..

Hi All, 
thanks for the comments and suggestions. 

I don't like gardening in the ground, it hurts my busted up back and my career has been teaching how to grow greenhouse and landscape plants in containers (and food in water).

I am also looking for a way to add beauty to the landscape and avoid having to move plants around every season.

Maybe I am naive that I can grow winter bulbs in place and have them go dormant while still being attractive.
I may add a removal top (cold frame style) and a shelf above it so I have have some other plants looking nice during the summer.

I am not worried about the weight of a free standing box. I have lots of 1 -1/2" square tubing and decent welding skills to build a raised bed. (Painted with rust encapsulating paint.) 

I still have to run this past the boss though the backyard is sort of mine.   
I have built a backyard aquaponics system, a 9x12' greenhouse out of square tubing and double walled acrylic, wicking beds for veggies among other enhancements.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I will continue my planning with the goal of having a beautiful area where I can place summer dormant bulbs (and maybe a few alpines) without having to worry about having to move them around seasonally.

I will not have any issue with weight, I have lots of 1-1/2" square steel tubing laying around to build the subfloor and legs. It might rust but not in my lifetime and its easy enough to apply rust encapsulator and weld-thru primer prior to welding it together.

I also have a fair amount of cedar siding that is left over from our recent home repair of the 60 year old south wall.

I can keep the area dry overhead though we don't get much rain here during the summer or into our hot fall season.

I wonder how my sifted pumice would work? I usually sift out the "sand" stuff and toss it, keeping the other 3 sizes sorted for various seeding or planting.

I will also need prior approval from my spouse, we have limited area and I am always encroaching on her horticultural interests 

I have been looking for a great way to keep my growing collection in a single space to have good sunlight in the winter/early spring and hot but protected summer temperatures.

Have read a few of you have these sorts of beds and having seen the beautiful Alpine beds at the Royal BG Edinburgh and Wisley I think this might be an option.

I have come across some 2x12 fir boards that I can use to make some nice raised beds (waist height for viewing and I don't bend very well anymore). I know they will rot reasonably quickly so I think I will want to add a liner.

I have built several aquaponic systems and ponds so I know how to make them water proof but I am now thinking about drainage.

I'll need lots of holes, and bulkhead fittings are a bit expensive, so I think maybe creating a series of sloped areas like a shower base might direct the water out quickly. Maybe use some of the tile set material under the liner.

Water does not move well from sand to gravel so that is not really a good option, and I have never used sand in a pond so I am not sure how to keep it in the base without it falling or clogging.

I can make it pretty deep so maybe the sand to gravel and perch layer will not be an issue.

Any suggestions or comments?

Peter

Thats it thanks!

not a geophyte right?

Peter

Quite tall, 4-6' maybe, clumping, may be a bit of a spreader.

Beautiful foliage for sure.

Fits into the tropical theme of the landscape.

Seed pods if anyone is interested.

These are not in my garden. I saw them at the Bonny Doon Ecological Preserve yesterday.

Quote from: Uli on June 11, 2023, 04:03:17 AMI agree with the others. There is no general treatment for winter growing seedlings during their first summer. What I do is to group the pots together which need the same treatment. All in shade. Those pots where the seedlings go completely dormant are moved to the dormant group and those which remain at least partly green are kept moist. However, even the fully dormant pots get a small amount of water every four weeks or so. Small bulbs my dry up to death if kept brutally dry for many months, especially in a hot climate. It has also happened to me that seedling bulbs have rotted with too much water during dormancy but this is the exception. I have lost more to drought. All this is a matter of constant learning and close observation.
Uli
Great information, thank you all, 
I have been doing exactly this, those that seem to be constantly green get some water and light fertilizer when they seem dry and those having gone dormant are in my dry area propagation box. I will add some water to them occasionally with this tip, thanks

Do I understand this correctly, that I should keep them growing all summer? I am guessing the bulbs need to grow to withstand a summer dry period in a pot. 

I think I found this recommendation in one of the old Bulb Garden that were just recently posted. 

I am sure there is no simple answer as different species need different treatments. I had some go tan then brown really quickly while others are still green (growing?)

Peter

Quote from: Robert_Parks on June 05, 2023, 05:10:01 PM

Quote from: MarcR on June 02, 2023, 11:52:39 PMOne solution that might work for everyone is to check your markers every 6 mos and replace as needed.  Dynotape plastic labels attached to wooden or metal stakes with small screws (the glue is not reliable) seem to be long lasting.

Growing in pots and lifting almost everything every year lets me keep labels renewed.

It doesn't help when the crows come in and have a fiesta of throwing labels around, or going for the gusto and tossing 2-4 inch pots all over the back patio and playing with the plants thus uprooted.

I can relate to that with squirrels though they just know stuff over. 

I've been trying to train crows to trade peanuts for trinkets, but they are not willing to give me anything back.
 
I did see a video where someone taught a crow to stack pots by size for a treat. Maybe they can at least clean up after their feast!

Beautiful plant. Congrats on keeping the pests away.