Regarding bulb fertilizing, I have a naive question. Does regular fertilization shorten bulb or corm life? I worry that this artificial forcing may wear out the bulb. I have grown moraeas in pots for 15+ years and have been dilatory in this regard and although my plants aren't show stoppers, they keep performing with regularity. I have several that have bloomed most every year for 15 years and they are the original bulb/corm. What does PBS think? Thanks Bob Werra --- Rand Nicholson <writserv@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote: > Hi All; > > >From experience, I wholeheartedly agree with what > Ken has said, although I must confess to only a > vague notion as to what a plant is doing with > nutrients and when. Like many of us, much of my > experience comes through, sometimes painstaking, > trial and error, or the kindnesses of others. Having > said that: what do experienced Lachenalia growers do > with their plants regarding culture? > > By the way, this one spends spring, summer and fall > out doors and is well acquainted with frost. I am > certain it could not take a true hard Canadian > frost, but it has survived unexpected hoar frosts > without major damage, retaining a significant > portion of its leaves. It still has two from last > year, splitting up the middle as the bulb expands. > > Although any notes were lost in my rather hurried > move last March, for some reason I keep thinking > that this bulb was on a South African schedule and > one of the reasons that I lost the other bulbs was > through my efforts to "switch" them to a North > American season - something which it looks like I > have achieved (if, indeed, that is what I was > attempting to do). > > Rand > > > > >Hi, members > > Fertilizing any plant is a complicated > matter--your soil, its pH, > >what minerals are present, the mineral needs of the > particular plant you > >are growing, moisture levels in the soil, > temperature, the stage of growth > >of the plant, etc. all interacting. > > > >> No foliage, no fertilizer. I have applied any > good organic > >>fertilizer just when the new leaves start to nose > out of the ground. > > > > If what you are doing works, continue. But > remember when > >fertilizing bulbs, you are feeding the bulb, and > the effect will be shown > >in next year's plant, with only minor effects on > this year's plant. All > >the minerals for this year's plant are already in > the bulb. There are > >numerous studies of which minerals are taken up by > bulbs, and at > >what times. It is very easy to be mislead, because > the mineral levels > >in the upper leaves of an easter lily for instance, > will be different than > >the mineral levels in the lower, older leaves on > the same stems. And, > >as the season draws to a close, minerals are > translocated out of the > >leaves down to the bulb. An excess of one mineral > may cause another > >needed mineral to become unavailable, and this can > change with the pH. > > Different species or hybrids, even in the > genus Lilium for instance, > >use minerals at different times, and "one size fits > all" does not apply. > >Species which grow their roots at a different > season than their foliage, > >have nutrient needs at a time you may not expect. > > When using organic fertilizers, it should > be remembered that > >their nutrient content is released more slowly, as > the fertilizer is > >decomposed by soil microorganisms, so applying the > fertilizer needs > >to be done far enough in advance that the > decomposition can be > >accomplished before the minerals are needed by the > plant.....then you > >need to be sure it won't be taken up by some other > plant or otherwise > >tied up, before the targeted plant can use it. > > What I'm really saying is, I can tell you > what works for me, but > >it may not work for you, growing the same plant > under other conditions, > >and you may be just polluting the ground to apply a > fertilizer when the > >plant can't use it. Comments from elsewhere need > to be regarded as > >a guide, not a "cookbook" that can be blindly > followed. > > > >Ken > >_______________________________________________ > >pbs mailing list > >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >