Bulbs Related Q & A desk by Heinie

[Heinie]

I was sent a few questions by Syed Adnan and asked him if I can handle them for him on the open forum so other members may also learn from the discussion. I am writing this piece with his approval. The questions were the following in blue font.

1. What is the best potting mix for flowering bulbs, can you share the recipe or composition ?
My answer to this is in a previous post but here is what I do. I use 60% sand, 30% grit (particles of between 2mm and 5mm in size) and 10% compost
2. How to avoid fungus problem in container gardening, many bulbs rot in the past due to this.
Now this is a really good question and I share my experience with you. Fungus is a real problem for us as well. I sometimes use a product called Funginul. There are many fungicides on the market here. For root and bulb rot I use a product by the name of T-Gro which consists of live spores of Thricoderma harzianum. It is available here in 400 gram packets with a shelf life of 12 months. Thricoderma spores germinate and colonize the soil immediately surrounding plant roots, living off the nutrients that all plants exude from their roots. It kills the disease-causing organism Fusarium and other pathogens. I have been reading a lot of complaints about roots and bulbs rotting due to the heat you experience in your country. I believe that I can give you good advice to try over the next few months or on your new bulbs you plant.

I am very positive that your problems are in your watering regime. Never water your plants during the day when it is hot however how sorry you feel for them because you are doing more damage than good for the plant and you create the ideal environment for fungus and other pathogens in this manner. When the roots are warm and you suddenly cool it with water the plant goes into shock and has no immunity towards pathogens. This is the ideal environment for problems. Always water plants early morning or late evening. With your temps I will never water in the evening because the roots and soil may not have cooled down yet.

Now you may understand my logic of the double pot planting of some expensive bulbs like the Paramongaia you noticed.

3. What kind of flowering bulbs can suite my weather conditions ?
With the notes above in point 2 you should feel more comfortable to plant almost any type of bulb in your country. Do yourselves a favour and research Thricoderma harzianum in your country. I believe between the adjustment of your watering management and Thricoderma harzianum addition you will be happy growers.

4. Do you believe fertilizer addition is necessary after a well prepared potting mix. , what method is best for this purpose ?
I am a great believer in food for all living things and plants should be no exception to the rule. I feed every 2 weeks with a high potassium content like Phostrogen for better flowering.

5. How much watering is needed ?
I strictly follow the manufacturers recommendations.

6. You mentioned 60 pots of flowering bulbs are all these different varieties?
It is actually 600 pots with various types of bulbs. If I can just mention Cyrtanthus where I have 12 species it is already at least 12 pots for one genus. Nerine is another genus where I grow about 10 species. Now we have at least 22 pots and I have not started yet so 600 arrives very soon. It comes down to 25 years of collecting bulbs.

I am happy to discuss any questions further. Remember we have not moved off the tip of the Iceberg yet. Plants are fascinating and were given to us to look after.

[Heinie]

izhar,

You are so efficient. Thanks for the category.

[Farhan Ahmed]

Sorry for doing that without your permission. I thought this would help other members find this valuable info and they can also ask more questions from you as you offered.

[Heinie]

Ah, so I must thank you Farhan.

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

Ah, so I must thank you Farhan.

Do not thank each other instead you both accept mine.

[Farhan Ahmed]

I use 60% sand, 30% grit (particles of between 2mm and 5mm in size) and 10% compost

I think despite being novice, the little success that i have had was owed to good soil in my Garden, which is sandy loam.(despite being alkaline) I concur sandy mixture with little proportion of compost/organic matter is the best media. Though in our climate, one drawback of the said mix is high water requirement. if kept moist the said mixture will amaze.

[Syed Adnan]

Dear Heine ,

Thankyou for your detailed reply, seems like we have alignment in most cases, addressing fungus would be a challenge again as this Thricoderma harzianum is not available here, i will try the pot bleaching and boiling water treatment of soil this year, lets se how successful that would be.

I will be reusing last year soil, 50% old + 50% new, i want to know from members how they are re-using their soil ? reusing always bring fungus problems.

[rafique]

I use 60% sand, 30% grit (particles of between 2mm and 5mm in size) and 10% compost

I think despite being novice, the little success that i have had was owed to good soil in my Garden, which is sandy loam.(despite being alkaline) I concur sandy mixture with little proportion of compost/organic matter is the best media. Though in our climate, one drawback of the said mix is high water requirement. if kept moist the said mixture will amaze.

Would this mixture be equally good for all plant other than bulbous plants?

[Farhan Ahmed]

I will be reusing last year soil, 50% old + 50% new, i want to know from members how they are re-using their soil ? reusing always bring fungus problems.

In my opinion.....Answer lies in what happens in nature??. Not all soil is replaced in natural habitats. But topsoil by erosion. Fungus is a top soil phenomenon. I recommend replacing 3-4 inch of top-soil. Secondly watering schedule, initial drainage quality of media and humidity plays an important role. No matter how hard you try, one will have topsoil fungus in monsoon.

Hoeing is a powerful tool.

You can also try microwave or oven method

[Tahir Khan]

Heinie, Thank you very much for this useful post.