I have some bulbs of some west-coast Liliaceae species such as Fritillaria recurva, F. purdyi, Erythronium californicum, E. citrinum, and others. In the wild, many of these species are found in clay soil near serpentine outcrops, often in shallow soils on rock sills or mountain slopes. In my experience, these soils are typically thoroughly waterlogged (basically clay mud with some gravel in it) in the spring when the plants are active but then become progressively drier as the season goes on, until they eventually become parched in the late summer and stay totally dry for weeks or months before the rains return. My question is, how can I grow these plants effectively in pots? I understand that drainage and the summer dry dormancy are critical for survival, but in the wild they are often in fairly poorly drained soils and are encased in hardened clay during the summer which protects from desiccation. I've had Calochortus bulbs from similar climates desiccate to death in porous soil in pots here in the Seattle summer, and I'd like to avoid losing more to this. Do folks grow these types of bulbs in clay soil in pots? If not, what kind of soil do you use? Do you add serpentine rock to the potting mix? How do you protect against dessication during the summer dormancy? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks, Cody _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@mailman1.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/