amarcrinum
B Spencer (Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:22:57 PST)

Thank you! I was already beginning to think that I mixed up my
instructions. As you can guess by my surname my husband's folks are from
England. His grandfather was a professional gardener (too bad he died
before he could teach me grafting) and I kept his books. Even with the
quality bagged soil in Canada one never knows if it has been "cooked"
sufficiently to kill the pathogens. I often find pieces of not quite
decomposed wood in "Triple Mix"
If is is indeed basal rot, maybe if the minimum temperature was a bit higher
in the greenhouse this would not have happened. Or I overwatered the bulb at
same point that started the rot and it was too late even though it was not
wet at the time I noticed it. It is hard to be precise in a greenhouse that
is jam packed with overwintering plants. I envy you your zone 8. Not too hot
for daffodils, but not too cold for other bulbs, I think.
Bea Spencer, zone 5

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Whyer
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 7:25 PM
To: Pacific Bulb Society
Subject: Re: [pbs] amarcrinum

This would have been standard practise at one time. The manure suitably
stacked, aged, sieved and mixed with garden soil and sand. Convenient
plastic bags of potting compost have not always been available. ;-)
30 years ago my father (a gardener all his life) used to complain when I
bought him bags of JI compost and it had grit in it. He often sieved it out
before he used it.

Brian Whyer, Buckinghamshire, England, zone ~8-ish