amarcrinum
J.E. Shields (Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:44:43 PST)

I don't doubt that experienced gardeners can grow arid climate semi-tender
bulbs in potting mixtures containing composted natural organic
materials. It's just alot harder.

It's rather easier to grow dry-climate bulbs in a very lean, gritty
mix. It's easier NOT to over-water that way.

Furthermore, these arid-land bulbs are not usually adapted to resisting
infection by bacteria and fungi that grow in moist situations. Growing the
bulbs in mixtures with lots of complex organic materials which microbes can
metabolize directly but plants cannot use until they have been digested by
said microbes can lead to problems.

Organic composts in potting mixes promote growth of microbes, including
potentially pathogenic microbes. Use at your own risk, and don't say I
didn't warn you.

Jim Shields

At 12:25 AM 2/21/2013 +0000, you wrote:

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

________________________________
From: B Spencer <bea.spencer@sympatico.ca>
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, 21 February 2013, 0:09
Subject: Re: [pbs] amarcrinum

Well, I said I was inexperienced with this sort of bulbs. That is what an
old English book on bulbs said. Manure was dehydrated, from a bag and
supposedly composted. It did not smell. I can have the real thing if you
want. Lots of horses around. I would not even consider it though except on
the veggie garden and only after being exposed to the elements and worked
over by the neighborhood dogs (mine is contained by an invisible fence. I
joined the society hoping to learn from experts like you. What you people
know is intimidating.

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*************************************************
Jim Shields USDA Zone 5
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Lat. 40° 02.8' N, Long. 086° 06.6' W