Hi John and all, John Bryan noted that we have ignored soil testing in this discussion. Soil tests are appropriate for bulbs grown in the ground. Many of us, however, probably use very lean mixes that have only limited capacity to hold nutrients. I learned to grow bulbs in a very lean mix indeed, and as a result I treat their culture as virtually hydroponic. Every watering and liquid feeding is done so as to flush the pots well. Soil analysis probably doesn't count for much under this type of culture. Someone mentioned that not a lot has been put into the literature on, for instance, nutritional requirements of rare species. However, there is an extensive literature, summarized in two very valuable books, on nutritional needs of commercial bulbs like Lilium, Tulipa, and Narcissus. These are "The Growth of Bulbs" by A.R. Rees, Academic Press (1972) and "The Physiology of Flower Bulbs" by A. de Hertogh and M. Le Nard, Elsevier (1993). The data is out there for most bulb groups. The general principles are likely applicable to most of their relatives. Jim Shields in central Indiana (USA) ************************************************* 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