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London, United Kingdom Gb

Please could any one tell me the best way to deal with bulbs that have flowered faithfully for a few years,some of the pots are broken etc, what type of soil do I need to use, and can I open up all the containers and use fresh soil. Thank you




Answers

 

You can get bulb fibre compost especially for bulbs, although I think a lot of people just use regular compost.

When I empty out my planters, I tend to put the spent compost on my flower beds, minus most of the roots.

22 Sep, 2010

 

Donna, bulb fibre is specifically for indoor bulbs, not suitable for outside ones.

You can use good multi purpose compost, or John Innes No. 2, or a mix of the two. Pot needs good drainage, so turn your bulbs out, clean the pots, or get new ones, make sure the drainage holes are open, fill with compost, replant your bulbs. And then feed them next year as the flowers die back, but while the leaves are still present.

22 Sep, 2010

 

Thanks Bamboo, I didn't know that about the fibre! Why's that then?

22 Sep, 2010

 

When you grow bulbs for flowering indoors, they've been treated - they don't really need soil at all, will grow perfectly well with their roots sitting in water (think hyacinth jars), but if potted for indoors, are usually contained in something that has no drainage holes - bulb fibre is just a sort of fibrous mass with no nutrients which retains water for the roots, without hanging onto too much so that the bulbs rot.

22 Sep, 2010

 

THANKS

23 Sep, 2010

How do I say thanks?

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