Today I started lifting my bulbs, beginning with a number of Colchicum species and varieties being grown in the open rather than in the bulb frame. I was sorry to see that three of these -- all purchased last fall from Holland -- were badly afflicted with some type of basal rot. It was annoying to discard these attractive and expensive cultivars. None of the other colchicums grown in the same conditions had basal rot, although some displayed a white threadlike fungus on the old tunics, which I think is harmless since it doesn't seem to invade live tissue. I wonder whether some new pathogen came in with the new corms, or whether they were damaged in handling and shipping? Can some colchicum expert comment, please? In general, the corms grown without any winter protection were notably smaller than when I had grown them in the bulb frames (ran out of room!), and they had not increased nearly so much these past two years. Apparently the extra warmth and lower moisture in the frames gives them just the boost they need. It's also likely that the incessant winter rain leaches out the fertilizer in their soil much faster than does the hand-watering they get in the frames. By the way, I think it's a good idea to wear impermeable gloves when handling a lot of colchicum tissue of any kind, and I did so. I don't need to be poisoned as well as annoyed. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA