On Mon, Dec 26, 2011 at 7:29 PM, Gene Mirro <mirrog@yahoo.com> wrote: > "When we were discussing this topic, Gene Mirro wrote " I grow Dutch > bulbs in a mix of bark, sand, and garden soil, with some lime and bone meal > mixed in. They love it. " > I have grown bulbs in pots like this, I still use a mix like this for lillies, trilliums, Biarums. and others. This sort of potting mix behaves differently to the sandy / gritty loam I usually use for tulips, oncos etc. One problem I sometimes have is if there is a sudden hot spell in early spring, plants without the bark/ organic content in their potting compost, prematurely go dormant from drought. These organic mixes give a different problem - the pots need to be kept cooler to prevent the moisture retentive mix from cooking the bulbs. It works well for reticulata Iris in a north facing frame here. Shading the drier mix to keep it cool and prolong growth is counterproductive for me. Peter (UK)