Aside from conserving space, keeping plants in cramped quarters is a hedge against overwatering. If you overpot and are very frugal in watering it may not be a problem but most of us have a tendency to overwater. Smaller bulbs that grow in rocky terrain or crevices naturally are suited to pot bound conditions. Ideally, bulbs should not be given a larger container than they actually need-- most plants grow better when their roots can reach the sides of the pot (see below). Frequent repotting-- preferably when the plant is active-- is better than one sudden move to a pot that is a lot larger than the bulb. Usually underpotting is a tolerable constraint; overpotting is much more likely to be lethal. I've noticed that in pots there is a "sweet spot" where a plant is most ideally suited to its situation. This is not right after transplanting, when growth may be slow, nor years later when the roots are really congested. Rather it is when the roots have filled out the pot and can obtain an air:///water/ ratio that they enjoy, with the roots mostly at the sides and bottom of the container. Roots tend to migrate to these areas of the pot to seek air, water movement and warmth. This seems to be universal behavior in containerized plants. Near the center of the container volume these factors are not as ideal, and the larger the pot, the larger will be this central zone with colder, wetter and less aerated conditions. On the other hand, cold climate species may benefit from just such a refuge from heat and drying. There is another "sweet spot" in between watering and drying. When first watered the soil has a high water: air ratio and the plant is not very active. Only after the soil has dried somewhat, allowing air to replace some of the water in the spaces between soil particles, are conditions ideal for growth below the soil (temperature, root hair absorption, etc.) and above ground. This is often visible over one or two days in plants under ideal conditions. Dylan Hannon *"The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add an useful plant to its culture..." --**Thomas Jefferson*