bulb seedling treatment
Diane Whitehead (Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:56:19 PDT)

Jane McGary wrote: [summer dormant bulb seedlings] should be stored
in a shady place
and not allowed to dry out completely, as the tiny bulbs may not
survive desiccation (especially Fritillaria and others without a
tunic).

This sort of information is not usually mentioned in books that
describe how to grow bulbs. Authors may presume that their readers
will buy mature bulbs rather than growing them from seed.

A compilation of seedling information would be very helpful. I try to
remember the rules: For instance: Keep seedlings growing as long as
possible so they can build a bigger bulb. Is this a general rule? I
don't know. It would be helpful to have a list of plants that it
applies to, or perhaps a list of ones it does not apply to, if that
would be a shorter list.

And dormant watering: I find that a real puzzle. Jane wrote about
summer-dormant bulbs. Does it apply to winter dormant ones as well?

Diane Whitehead
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8, cool Mediterranean climate
mild rainy winters, mild dry summers