On 6/9/10 10:18 AM, songbird wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:
songbird wrote:

hello all,

i'm trying to rescue a few tulip beds and
will be redoing them from scratch this year,
the bulbs that are already there i would like
to lift and store, but i haven't done much
with actually storing them before (i usually
plant them and leave them in the ground).
...
I don't think lime water is effective as a fungicide. If you
really
had a fungus and not a virus, I would use sulfur.

whups i forgot to mention i'm Zone 5b here (mid
michigan USA). we get some cold snaps in the
winter but rarely below -15F.



and definitely fungus.

some reading has mentioned soaking the bulbs in
a fungicidal solution of some kind, but they have not
mentioned what they used...


Buy some DUSTING sulfur. Don't get granular soil sulfur. Make
sure
it is dust, which can still be used in the soil. Sulfur is a
natural
element, not something manufactured.

right, gotcha there.


Wait until all foliage dies and the bulbs go dormant. Dig them
up and
discard any that are already infected.

if they look sound and healthy i would like to try
keeping them all. i'm not talking about bulb rot
type of fungus (those i would discard). i haven't
had troubles with bulb rot this year that i can tell
(amazing considering how wet it has been).


Put the remaining bulbs -- a few at a time -- in a paper or
plastic
bag with a generous amount of dusting sulfur. Gently shake the
bag to
ensure each bulb is well coated with sulfur.

can i find this at a farmer/grain elevator type place?

You might find it there, but you might have to buy in bulk. I buy only
5-10 lbb at a time. Unlike plants, which I buy only at nurseries, I
sometimes buy sulfur and other supplies at a lumber yard or hardware
store. But any comprehensive nursery should have sulfur.



If you live in a cold-winter climate suitable for tulips,
replant them
immediately. Don't bother storing them. If you live in a
mild-winter
climate, store them in a cool, dark place in slightly moist
peat moss,
which inhibits fungus; then refrigerate them in the vegetable
bin for
about 6-8 weeks just before planting.

cold winter, but too wet in the summer, and i can't
replant them immediately as i'm redoing their gardens
so they need to be out of the way for a bit. in the
past i have replanted immediately and they seem to
do ok, but i think some species like it drier than what
we get. so a few months out of the ground would
do that for sure.

Then store as I indicated for mild-winter areas. Just make sure the
peat moss is slightly damp, not wet.


Whenever you replant them, stir a handful of bone meal into the
bottom
of the planting hole. Stir a half-handful of sulfur into the
rest of
the soil from the hole. Place about an inch of the sulfured
soil
above the bone meal area so that the bulb does not directly
touch the
fertilizer. Plant.

hm, i've avoided bone-meal for quite a while now because of
the disease problems (prion, brain sponge good bye memories).
however, i've been happy with a small layer of sharp sand in
between the bulb and the mixture below.

the mixture below i'm planning on using sharp sand and
some composted cow manure (perhaps 75/25 mix), but
avoiding peat moss entirely as it holds water and i don't
need any water retention. (the whole idea of raising the
beds and redoing them is to get things dryer). in the past
i'd used a mix of sand, clay and peat moss, but that has
turned out poorly (too wet too long and pH is too low).

Sand won't provide phosphorus. Unless you plan to eat the tulips, I
would not worry about mad cow disease. However, you can substitute same
amount of superphosphate for the bone meal. A single dose of either
before planting -- where the roots will find it -- should last several
years. By the way, the handful is per bulb.

Topping the layer of soil that has the bone meal or superphosphate with
some sand is a good alternative to using the sulfured soil. However,
there should be at least a small amount of sulfured soil underneath the
bulbs; they should be completely surrounded with sulfured soil to
prevent fungus. If you soil is already somewhat acidic, use a
quarter-handful per bulb instead of a half-handful. Acidic soil tends
to discourage fungus.

If the soil is retaining too much water, omit adding any clay. Top your
beds with gypsum (powdered soil gypsum, not decorative gypsum rock) and
let the summer rains rinse it into the soil. This will improve drainage.


The bone meal will supply phosphorus, which promotes flowers,
roots,
and new bulbs. The sulfur will be slowly converted into
sulfuric
acid, which will act as a fungicide.

that sounds about like what i was looking for in terms of
the dusting powder. thanks for your reply,


songbird



--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary