"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in
message ...
On Wed, 18 Dec 2002 21:55:27 +0000 (UTC), Lynda Thornton
wrote:

We've had some cold frosty nights here recently and I wanted to know
whether if I plant my fritillaria bulbs (in soil now, I've given up
trying to put them under the lawn) will they die from cold shock? I
know they flower very early, but they might not like being planted now?

[Presuming that you are referring to Fritillaria meleagris]

Pot them in sand, water *once*, and park the pot somewhere
sheltered from the wind and rain. The bulbs are quite weak now
from being out of the ground too long, and if you put them into
soil many of them may rot. In sand, they have a better chance of
plumping up and coming to life.

If all goes well and they send up leaves in the spring, then feed
them with a *weak* liquid fertilizer a few times -- about 1/4 as
strong as normal. This will help them build up strength; sand
isn't an awfully nutritious growing medium by itself.

When the foliage yellows and dies down (June?), tip out the
contents of the pot and plant out the resuscitated bulbs then and
there.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I agree with the above, I always do mine in potting compost rather than
sand, but I barely any water, then the pots go under the greenhouse bench
and are planted out growing in the spring. experiance with these bulbs is
that it is a waste of time planting direct after buying. so you haven't lost
too much by delaying!

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)