What about cutting the bottom off of 5-15 gallon nursery cans and sinking them into the bed to the rim and planting within those? That's a barrier a good 12-15" underground with an open bottom for drainage. James On Sun, Aug 28, 2022, 3:34 PM Jane McGary via pbs < pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > When I moved to a new home about 11 years ago, I put my formerly potted > bulb collection into raised beds in a "Mediterranean house" (overhead > protection, wire mesh sides). I thought it would be, as John says, > freeing to just enjoy them as if they were in a garden or wild setting. > Having been through this, I can tell you that it is not easy to keep > them identified, because the labels go astray during weeding and cleanup > and added topdressing. Moreover, some of the species die, leaving their > gravestones, and I can't tell which of the labels refers to the one > genus member in that vicinity, although I numbered the bricks supporting > the raised beds and noted the locations of things. Worst of all, certain > plants became quite invasive by both seed and vegetative increase,making > maintenance difficult and choking out smaller items. The most invasive > were California themids (Brodiaea, etc.) and Spanish "hoop petticoat" > Narcissus species. It was also more difficult to manage moisture, > because groundwater came up in some parts of the beds and caused some > rot. About 4 years ago I lifted everything in one of the beds (which are > 40 feet long by 8 feet wide) and moved them to plunged pots. Last summer > I repotted them all, horrible job in intense heat. This summer I've just > finished lifting half of the other bed, a space 20x8 feet, sifting the > soil to remove the invasive species, replanting in a sensible way, and > topping up the soil. Robert Parks in California kindly offered to take > the themids for a public planting. A narcissi mix will appear in the BX. > I hope to have the time and energy to move the other species to the bulb > lawn or shrubbery; have already put Tulipa montana (stoloniferous; some > in BX) into an open raised bed. In the revised bulb-house bed, there are > 2 or 3 rows of plunged pots in the front for small, rare plants, a row > of taller miscellany behind that, a few rows of Calochortus species > behind that, and at the rear some vigorous summer-dormant irises. > > It is not interesting, much less pretty, in August. Exactly one species > (Alstroemeria diluta) is flowering today. In my experience, many kinds > of bulbs do best with direct planting, particularly Calochortus (which > descend more deeply every year, leaving a "neck" as a route to the > surface). Plants with vigorous annual feeder roots, such as many dryland > irises, do best here too, or I sometimes put them in mesh pots which are > plunged. Many tulips make "droppers" to get deeper. Erythroniums also > have structures that pull the bulbs deeper. There are big Fritillaria > species that are not suitable for pots, though they don't seem to "drop." > > So today half the bulb house looks civilized, and the other half (almost > all potted) just needs the straw removed. When the weather cools and > fall rains arrive, I'll water everything, and about 6 weeks later give > it all some soluble fertilizer. The "soil" for direct planting is the > coarsest builder's sand I can find, so artificial feeding is necessary; > the potting soil has some organic content. > > And that is how I spend my retirement years. > > Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA > > On 8/28/2022 3:00 PM, Michael Loos via pbs wrote: > > I think your last statement is telling..."it might be freeing to just not > > worry about such matters any more and enjoy them as they succeed or fail > in > > their new environment." However, I would place them far apart enough to > > separate and identify, when needed. Can you create a pleasant picture > when > > everything is dormant? A rocky terrain with a dry riverbed or > interesting > > view? Does that even matter? > > > > Your other issue may be creating hybrids where you want > > identifiable species. As you said, and I agree with, keeping some in > pots > > and then, most definitely, placing some in the ground - all sound > > judgement. Regardless of beauty, too many plants like to romp a little > too > > vigorously. It does sound like a fun project! > > > > Michael > > Interlaken, NY Z6 or so > > > > On Sun, Aug 28, 2022 at 5:26 PM John Wickham via pbs < > > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > > > >> This idea freaks me out, but I need to consider it...I built a raised > bed > >> for my bulb collection and am ready to plant. A friend recommend that I > >> should plant my bulb collection Free Range instead of in pots. They > would > >> be grouped by type and requirements, but they would be free to wander as > >> they need and especially go as deep as they need. Highly productive > bulbs > >> would still be in pots (I'm looking at you, Moraea polystachya). The > >> collection consists of California and South African bulbs. No > Amaryllids, > >> all on the small side. > >> > >> So as a collector, this is freaking me out a little. I'd lose control > over > >> identification in a dormant state. On the other hand, it might be > freeing > >> to just not worry about such matters any more and enjoy them as they > >> succeed or fail in their new environment. > >> > >> Thoughts? > >> John WickhamLos Angeles, cA > >> _______________________________________________ > >> pbs mailing list > >> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > >> http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > >> Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > >> PBS Forum latest: > >> https://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php/… > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > pbs mailing list > > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > > PBS Forum latest: > https://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php/… > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > PBS Forum latest: > https://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php/… > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> PBS Forum https://…