Summer and Winter pots
 

Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

Summer and Winter pots
 

"pat" wrote in message
m...
Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

Last year, I left all my spring bulbs in their pots (daffs, snowdrops,
tulips, crocus, anemone, etc). All of them are flowering their socks off
right now.

Summer and Winter pots
 

"pat" wrote in message
m...
Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

Put everything in one pot so they flower through the year and then you won't
have to move the pots at all. The stuff which is coming up will help hide
the foliage of the things that are dying down. You could have a few siberian
iris then daffodil then tulip then gladioli and have the whole lot growing
up through low greenery such as variegated ivies to give a bit of
all-year-round interest.

I'm not sure why separate pots would be easier for you unless you're
planning on leaving the 'dead' pots next to the 'live' ones.

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

Summer and Winter pots
 

In article , pat
writes
Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

yes, no problem. Feed the daffs from now until they die down - whether
they flower next year depends on them building up the buds now.

The leaves will have died down by midsummer, so you might be able to use
the same pots for a late summer/autumn display.

For several years I kept going a window box mainly planted with heathers
but in the autumn hardy cyclamen would poke their way through the
heathers, and in spring I'd have miniature daffodils (daffodils 8 inches
or less high don't flop around so much in pots)

And I now have a low maintenance box on the toilet window which has
daffodils in the spring, with an underplanting of mixed succulents to
give a vegetative display for the rest of the year.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Summer and Winter pots
 

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 17:08:55 +0000, Kay Easton
wrote:

Feed the daffs from now until they die down - whether
they flower next year depends on them building up the buds now.

What is the best feed to use in this case?

Pam in Bristol

Summer and Winter pots
 

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 17:08:55 +0000, Kay Easton
wrote:

Feed the daffs from now until they die down - whether
they flower next year depends on them building up the buds now.

What is the best feed to use in this case?

Pam in Bristol

Summer and Winter pots
 

On 19 Mar 2004 07:02:21 -0800, (pat) wrote:

Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

I have done this, more through lack of space.
If you plant the bulbs deep eough you can plant annuals above them and
as they grow up the bulbs will die down.
This way, as Martin says there will be less moving of pots to do.
Just don't forget, as I did once, that the bulbs are there!

Pam in Bristol

Summer and Winter pots
 

On 19 Mar 2004 07:02:21 -0800, (pat) wrote:

Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

I have done this, more through lack of space.
If you plant the bulbs deep eough you can plant annuals above them and
as they grow up the bulbs will die down.
This way, as Martin says there will be less moving of pots to do.
Just don't forget, as I did once, that the bulbs are there!

Pam in Bristol

Summer and Winter pots
 

Subject: Summer and Winter pots
From: Kay Easton
Date: 19/03/2004 22:54 GMT Standard Time
Message-id:

In article , Pam Moore
writes
On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 17:08:55 +0000, Kay Easton
wrote:

Feed the daffs from now until they die down - whether
they flower next year depends on them building up the buds now.

What is the best feed to use in this case?

No idea! I use the long-life pellets for convenience.

I've no idea if it helps, but my gran always used to use tomorite on the basis
if it was good enough for tomatos it was good enough for anything else.

It seemed to work.
--
Rhiannon
http://www.livejournal.com/users/rhiannon_s/
"The trick is to commit crimes so confusing that police feel too stupid to even
write a crime report about them."
Aubrey on remaining at liberty
www.somethingpositive.net

Summer and Winter pots
 

Subject: Summer and Winter pots
From: Kay Easton
Date: 19/03/2004 22:54 GMT Standard Time
Message-id:

In article , Pam Moore
writes
On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 17:08:55 +0000, Kay Easton
wrote:

Feed the daffs from now until they die down - whether
they flower next year depends on them building up the buds now.

What is the best feed to use in this case?

No idea! I use the long-life pellets for convenience.

I've no idea if it helps, but my gran always used to use tomorite on the basis
if it was good enough for tomatos it was good enough for anything else.

It seemed to work.
--
Rhiannon
http://www.livejournal.com/users/rhiannon_s/
"The trick is to commit crimes so confusing that police feel too stupid to even
write a crime report about them."
Aubrey on remaining at liberty
www.somethingpositive.net

Summer and Winter pots
 

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 15:37:26 -0000, Martin Sykes wrote:

"pat" wrote in message
m...
Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

Put everything in one pot so they flower through the year and then you won't
have to move the pots at all. The stuff which is coming up will help hide
the foliage of the things that are dying down. You could have a few siberian
iris then daffodil then tulip then gladioli and have the whole lot growing
up through low greenery such as variegated ivies to give a bit of
all-year-round interest.

I'm not sure why separate pots would be easier for you unless you're
planning on leaving the 'dead' pots next to the 'live' ones.

One drawback to the all-in-one-pot method is that some bulbs
require dry, warm summer rest to do their best. You can't combine
a tulip that demands such treatment with a water-loving plant
like Iris sibirica and expect them to both do their best.

The reverse is also true: many spring-flowering blubs want fairly
copious winter moisture, and summer-flowering ones (e.g.
gladiolus) want dry winter conditions.

Also: There are some experienced bulb growers who are very
disparaging of the practice of overplanting bulbs with
groundcovers. The groundcovers both sap nutrients and prevent the
soil from warming adequately in summer. When the expert speaks,
the amateurs listen.

If the OP can manage two sets of pots, I'd encourage him to do
so. Of course he can experiment with mixed pots and see if the
results are good; I make no claim to infallibility.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
[change "atlantic" to "pacific" and
"invalid" to "net" to reply by email]

Summer and Winter pots
 

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 17:08:55 +0000, Kay Easton wrote:

...Feed the daffs from now until they die down - whether
they flower next year depends on them building up the buds now.

Actually, that's not true. Yes, I know, that's what all the books
say, but my own experience suggests otherwise. I have found that
fertilizer applied at the beginning of September leads to
considerably improved flowering of narcissus the next spring.

I have no idea what the devil the mechanism is, given that the
flower buds in narcissus *are* formed the previous summer. At a
guess, flower buds form easily in summer, but lack of adequate
nutrients causes them to abort during the winter.

So if you forget to feed your daffs now, try a fall feeding.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
[change "atlantic" to "pacific" and
"invalid" to "net" to reply by email]

Summer and Winter pots
 

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 17:08:55 +0000, Kay Easton wrote:

...Feed the daffs from now until they die down - whether
they flower next year depends on them building up the buds now.

Actually, that's not true. Yes, I know, that's what all the books
say, but my own experience suggests otherwise. I have found that
fertilizer applied at the beginning of September leads to
considerably improved flowering of narcissus the next spring.

I have no idea what the devil the mechanism is, given that the
flower buds in narcissus *are* formed the previous summer. At a
guess, flower buds form easily in summer, but lack of adequate
nutrients causes them to abort during the winter.

So if you forget to feed your daffs now, try a fall feeding.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
[change "atlantic" to "pacific" and
"invalid" to "net" to reply by email]

Summer and Winter pots
 

"Martin Sykes" wrote
"pat" wrote
Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

Put everything in one pot so they flower through the year and then you won't
have to move the pots at all. The stuff which is coming up will help hide
the foliage of the things that are dying down. You could have a few siberian
iris then daffodil then tulip then gladioli and have the whole lot growing
up through low greenery such as variegated ivies to give a bit of
all-year-round interest.

I'm not sure why separate pots would be easier for you unless you're
planning on leaving the 'dead' pots next to the 'live' ones.
Martin & Anna Sykes

I tend to disagree here. Bulbs dying down look so dismal - especially in pots !

I'm assuming that Pat has someone to move the pots around ?

I have masses of bulbs in pots, which I hide away behind the dustbins during
summer. They get an occasional watering if its very dry but no other special
treatment. I used to take them up, dry them of and repot, but leaving them in
situ works just as well :~))

Jenny

Summer and Winter pots
 

"Martin Sykes" wrote
"pat" wrote
Due to my and disability, I am considering keeping separate winter
pots (eg for daffs) and different pots for a whole host of summer
bedding. I plan on leaving the daffs to die off in their pots during
the summer months. Would this be OK?

Put everything in one pot so they flower through the year and then you won't
have to move the pots at all. The stuff which is coming up will help hide
the foliage of the things that are dying down. You could have a few siberian
iris then daffodil then tulip then gladioli and have the whole lot growing
up through low greenery such as variegated ivies to give a bit of
all-year-round interest.

I'm not sure why separate pots would be easier for you unless you're
planning on leaving the 'dead' pots next to the 'live' ones.
Martin & Anna Sykes

I tend to disagree here. Bulbs dying down look so dismal - especially in pots !

I'm assuming that Pat has someone to move the pots around ?

I have masses of bulbs in pots, which I hide away behind the dustbins during
summer. They get an occasional watering if its very dry but no other special
treatment. I used to take them up, dry them of and repot, but leaving them in
situ works just as well :~))

Jenny