On Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:02:37 +0000, Catjane
wrote:


Hi all, I'm new, not just to this forum but to gardening. I've inherited
an interesting garden with the house I'm renting, and am doing my best
to get it into shape and get some veggies on the go.

My question is this: There are a lot of bulbs in the garden, some of
which I dug up and stored in June when I planted some bedding plants
which I'd brought with me from Bristol when I moved. That went fine.

I decided I'd better get my spring bulbs back in now that winter's
(supposedly) on its way, only to discover that the bulbs are sprouting!
I've also notices that those i'd left in the garden are also coming up.
My onions I'd planned to plant in February are also growing shoots.
This isn't normal, is it? What can I do? I've put the bulbs in
regardless, and planted my onions anyway, but I'm not sure if they're
going to survive? Is there anything I can do to help them keep safe til
next year?

Cheers, Cat

Hi and welcome to the newsgroup (which you've got at through the
Garden Banter forum). You've started gardening in a year which has
confounded a lot of experienced gardeners because plants have flowered
and fruited at strange times.

Bulbs you've only just put back in the ground may have started
sprouting because that's what bulbs do. Daffodils, for example,
usually go in the ground around September so bulbs will be sprouting
now if they're not planted. The key is to make sure that the bulbs
feel firm and show no signs of rot or fungus. If they're ok, get them
planted and nature will catch up - just be a bit more careful when
covering them not to break the shoots off.

If your onions are sprouting, get them in now - it's the right time of
year for them.

For bulbs left in the ground, I think the answer has to be wait and
see. As I said, it's been a funny old year. I have tulips poking
anything up to a couple of inches above ground level. I wouldn't worry
about most spring bulbs but I am worrying about tulips - traditionally
these are planted around now so that their shoots don't appear until
well into the new year. I have planted some new ones but am wondering
whether I need to lift the area of old planting and plant deeper.
There's a thing called "tulip fire" that can affect tulips that appear
above ground too early. Maybe I'll just chuck some mulch over them.

But at the end of the day, gardening is all about having a go, doing
it your way and learning. Even experienced gardeners are playing
things by ear a bit at the moment. We don't know what the winter will
bring on top of a lot of new experiences this year. I picked a
strawberry this week. Only one, small but sweet and juicy, growing
from a runner I planted not so long ago. My strawberries usually stop
fruiting in September.

Good luck.


Cheers, Jake
=======================================
URGling in between collecting leaves at
the dryer (east) end of Swansea Bay.