Repotting
Rodger Whitlock (Mon, 07 Oct 2013 12:44:57 PDT)
On 6 Oct 2013, at 20:11, John Wickham wrote:
I've always been reluctant to re-pot bulbs when they are in active growth. I
always wait until they are dormant before messing around. I'm am being too
paranoid about this? Is it perfectly fine to pot up seedlings, for example, as
they are growing?
It may help you to understand a detail of plant physiology. Most bulbs are
monocots, not dicots. Monocot roots will not branch if injured, but dicot roots
will. One infers from this that repotting monocots when in active growth is a
little risky, depending on the degree of root disturbance.
In practice this means once a monocot bulb breaks dormancy and begins to grow
roots, it is progressively more sensitive to root disturbance. That said, I
have successfully lifted, divided, and replanted the following when in flower:
Sternbergia
Galanthus
Leucojum and Acis
Another facet of the discussion is related to a remark Christopher Lloyd once
made: while all the books say this or that season is the right time to take
cuttings, in practice if you are offered cuttings outside that season, take
them. In one's own garden, take cuttings when you think about it, even if it's
the wrong season.
An old saying expresses Lloyd's view in many fewer words: "nothing ventured,
nothing gained."
--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate