Hi, Judy and all, I did not have good luck growing Sternbergia lutea in containers. They survive but they do not bloom in pots for me. Rather, I plant them all outdoors in the ground. They survive, grow, and bloom there! Our soil is over (deep down) limestone bedrock and our water is full of calcium, so I don't know what lime-free soil would do to Sternbergia. I have not done well with other species of Sternbergia either in pots or in the ground. I'd like one that would grow and flower in my raised bed rock garden. Maybe I should try some more S. lutea there. And yes indeed, I certainly do love to run my hands through boxes full of fat, healthy brown bulbs! Regards, Jim Shields in central Indiana (USDA zone 5) At 10:00 AM 9/1/2003 -0400, Judy Glattstein wrote: >There I was at a nursery in Connecticut last Saturday. They had four open >boxes with Crocus ochroleucus, C. sativus, C. zonatus (isn't the clone that >is generally available one that multiplies freely and does not flower?) AND >Sternbergia. All items were 10 for $7.00. Of course I succumbed and picked >out 10 nice fat brown sternbergia bulbs. Don't you adore it when the bulbs >are loose in a bin and you can fondle them and pick out the prettiest? Much >better than pre-packed in bags, and getting less and less common. > >So here's my question - Elizabeth Lawrence in her book "The Little Bulbs" >says it likes limestone. I have a 50 pound bag of crushed oyster shell I got >from the local farm supply place here in New Jersey. Could/ should I use >crushed oyster shell as the drainage material in a potting mix? They'll be >potted and on the floor in my cool (50° Fahrenheit) greenhouse over the >winter. I'd rather keep them cooler, but the only other choice is to keep >them in the attached, unheated garage (38° F. at the coldest) where >sufficient sunlight is problematical. > >Thanks for your sagacious advice. > >Judy in New Jersey, where it is raining. Again. > >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA Member of INTERNATIONAL CLIVIA CO-OP