Gastil, I agree wholeheartedly with Leo about storing bulbs undisturbed in the soil. Unless there is reason for inspection-- suspected pests, disease, propagation (division) needs, etc., then leave them be until late summer or fall. I once unpotted all my lachenalias and put them in packets, shaded and away from heat, only to find that by planting time root mealy had spread through most of them-- which would not have been so easy for them if they had stayed in their protective soil mantle. Usually my bulbs stay in the same pot/soil for several years and I don't need the extra work of repotting annually. The mix is very sandy with lots of pumice, maybe 10-15% organic matter, so it lasts a long time before needing replacement. All the winter growers get covered with shade cloth through the summer to keep them cooler. Cheers, Dylan Hannon On 28 June 2012 08:51, Gastil <marygastil@yahoo.com> wrote: > How are winter-growing bulbs best stored in summer? All top growth is dry > now and Im about to begin digging up or un-potting corms and bulbs. Some I > am digging up just to photograph them. Others need to be spread out from > too-thick clumps. Is it ideal to re-plant or re-pot as soon as possible and > leave in dry soil until autumn? Or is it better to store them in a > cardboard box filled with wood shavings, vermiculite, or some other packing > material, or without packing material? I have an over-abundant supply of > wood shavings. (My husband makes furniture.) I read in 'Buried Treasure' > how bulbs are stored in a shed but I wonder if that was only to keep them > dry or away from critters. There is little chance of any rain here (just > dew) and I keep critters out with wire mesh. Summer temperatures here are > mild, rarely above 85 F. Not too humid nor too dry. If left in the ground, > is a mulch recommended? Is it better to leave the dry leaves and stalks on > the > surface for insulation or better to clear those away? I would like to > hear others' experience with summer storage. > > > - Gastil > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > -- "*Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all.*" ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton