Arnold wrote: Could it be that roots are leaving the pot because what they are looking >for in the pot just isn't there? I don't think this is necessarily true, especially with bulbs. Many bulbs form annual "contractile" roots that, as they mature, contract to pull the bulb deeper into the soil. When you lift the dormant bulbs, you can see the remnants of these thickened, accordion-folded roots, now reduced to a dry husk. Roots that come out the drain holes of pots may be of this type. In fact, one danger of growing bulbs in pots is that, if not lifted often enough, they will be pulled down into the drain hole and plug it up, resulting in no drainage, rot, or having to break the pot to free the bulb. This last is an argument for using plastic mesh pots instead of solid pots in a plunge situation -- though I still rely mostly on terracotta. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA