My suggestion is go with a grittier, more porous medium... I use a medium that works for all plants, and is very close to a bonsai medium. It's mostly inorganic, so there's very little break down or compaction.

I'm sure everyone knows about my preference in mediums... I preach quite often! I only do so because I've had such great results, though.

Anyway... if you decide to go with a bagged mix, at least spend a dollar or two more and get a high quality mix. I'd go for Schultz potting soil, or MiracleGro... just make sure it doesn't contain those moisture gel crystals. Those are death to bulbs.

If you are interested in learning more about soils, there are some really great discussions at the Container Gardening Forum. I've been known to show up and hang out every once in a while! :-)

Great, thanks Jodi

I'm planning to keep my Hippies as you do from now on too and let them bloom when they like and rest when they like.

I'm also going to take someone elses advice and feed them a systemic fertilizer to keep away the big bad fly. Have you gotten brave enough to try that and let yours out for the summer?

So you go on some of the other forums too huh? I've wondered if the other plants have the same kind of following in their forums as the Hippie forum does.

The folks over at the plumeria forum are just as crazy as us here. :]

I've been thinking, Erin... I'm never going to get the type of blooms I want, or as many, if I don't give them some "vacation time" in the sun! I've decided to brave the elements and Mother Nature this spring, and bring many of my bulbs outside. I'll hit them with a light dose of systemic insecticide, and if I can find other ways to protect them, even better. I can't remember who makes it, but there's a systemic feed and insecticide available in granular form... I'd like to read the label more closely, but it's geared toward roses and ornamentals, so it should be ok for bulbs. I think Schultz makes it, but I'm not sure. I have to check.

The first to go outside will be the ones that really need to fatten up, and then I'll choose a bunch more. My more precious bulbs will probably stay in under lights... like my species types and other Amaryllids.

When it comes to other forums here at GW, some are really nice with good people, and some are rather odd with more... how can I put it nicely... I don't want to sound mean, but some folks just seem sort of uppity, I guess. Since I mainly hang here, I'm not too familiar with most of the other people elsewhere, but I do visit the Container Gardening Forum to read the posts by Tapla and a few others. They usually discuss the more scientific approach to gardening, but in easy to grasp terms, and they're always talking about mediums. I've been following quite closely, and I've learned quite a bit. It's changed how I view gardening in pots, and it's also saved me from a lot of rotten bulbs! There's definitely something to be said for the way bonsai mediums work!

With a grittier, larger particled medium, there's a trade off... you must water more often in drier weather or drier conditions, but I'd much rather do that than keep having to do surgery for rotting bulb sections and dead roots! The one thing I've noticed since switching mediums is that the root systems grow a lot faster and better, and when you have healthier roots, you have healthier plants.

I also occasionally visit the Bulbs forum and the Orchid forum to learn, but I always come back here... this is where the nicest people are, in my humble opinion. :-) It feels more like a family, and I like that atmosphere.