Thanks for the multiple suggestions that people have on fertilizing techniques. It's clear there is no single answer but I've already discovered the world of watering cans is a good deal more complex than I knew. I will try both a new Haws can with a fine rose and the standard hand operated sprayer/mister bottle (which I normally use for indoor plants anyway). Between the two it's got to be better than what I did last night with a large stream of water coming out of my existing watering can (and in answer to Brian, yes with a sufficiently large and forceful stream you can disturb any gravel surface). Fortunately it only took one pot before I could see that wasn't going to work. The fruits of my bulb growing efforts so far can be seen at http://macgardens.org/?p=3349. As noted earlier, I credit PBS for those things that I have done right... On Apr 16, 2013, at 3:27 AM, Peter Taggart <petersirises@gmail.com> wrote: > for delicate over head watering with a watering can you need a fine 'rose', > mounted so that the holes face upwards. The top one on this page is > suitable. http://haws.co.uk/products/accessories/… For > individual pots there is a device which acts as a downward facing spout > which is pictured further down the page as "rose and spout sets" > Peter (UK) > > On Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 2:30 AM, John Willis <willis@fred.net> wrote: > >> "Apply a liquid fertilizer, diluted to about half the strength recommended >> by the manufacturer, to the seedlings two or three times during their >> growing season. " >> >> But no one says how to do this. I water the plants with an overhead >> mister/sprinkler combination that has worked really well. But when I tried >> to use a small watering can to apply liquid fertilizer this evening, I >> found it was really disturbing the soil in my nice little 4 inch pots with >> gravel surfaces. Surely there is a better way, but I haven't seen any >> reference to how to do this most effectively. >> >> > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ Gardens get wilder every day... http://www.macgardens.org/