On 9/12/05 16:44, in article
, "birdieb"
wrote:

So it's not because I've been mistreating them? They are potted, not in
the garden. Can I stop this process?


No, it's what they're meant to do. It's natural. The leaves stay on to
feed the bulbs and then they fall off. They 'die back', just as e.g.
daffodils and tulips do. That's why you leave daff and tulip leaves on for
a minimum of 6 weeks after flowering - they're still feeding the bulbs so
that they'll flower next year.
Be sure that if you keep them in pots they can drain freely when you've
watered them and they need little to no water over-winter because there's a
real danger the bulbs will rot if left wet in cold weather. Next year,
raise the pots up on some bricks or some of those little clay feet you can
buy to put under them.
And there *are* no stupid questions, BTW. Anyone here who says they know
everything or have never made a mistake, however great their experience, is
not going to get a visit from Father Christmas!

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)