Hi Ruth,

When I get a new bulb and if the skin is loose then I peal it but if the skin is tight as a drum and the bulb is hard as a rock then I don't peal. If there are any roots, check them out and pull off any that are totally dried up and then set the bulb in a cup or glass of water with just the remaining roots in the water for several hours or overnight if you wish. Don't submerge the bottom or any other part of the bulb except the roots or half of the roots.

Have your potting soil moist but not sopping wet and then plant the bulb with 2/3 or 3/4 of the bulb sitting on top of the soil with just the roots and basal plate and just the very bottom of the bulb beneath the soil. I then water just a little more to settle the soil and then wait. Don't water again until you see signs of growth and even at that time water very sparingly if your soil has dried out. If your bulb refuses to grow and the soil has dried out after a few weeks then just a bit more water to once again try to get the bulb growing. Of course you are going to plant in a pot with drainage holes!! Place in a partially sunny spot or very brightly lit spot and once again, wait!

No fertilizer is necessary until you have several leaves with several inches of growth or you run the risk of burning what roots you do have.

I'd do them all at once as they most likely will have varied blooming times anyway but if you'd like to wait a few weeks between potting up then by all means do so.

Good Luck...Donnaâºâº

My long term experience is "when you have caught one, plant it asap". Then you will obtain the best possible results. I could not resist the temptation and bought five new: A pink, likely Appleblossom (the illustration is not unambiguous) a striped with red edges, a white, an "Elvas" (*YummY* although the Doubles are not my Favorites) and one very beautiful, perfect, white bulb of "Gervase"....

Thanks! That first paragraph was what I wasn't sure about Donna, so thank you for the advice. What if there is a scape/bud on the outside? I assume you take that off when you peel, right? I can't imagine that it will send up a stalk on the outside of the bulb!

NO,NO,NO!!

Don't remove anything that you think might be a scape or a bud!! It's most likely an offset!! âºâºâº

If you're not sure, send a picture to the forum before you remove anything!!

When I obtain a bulb new to me, I peel off the dried husks, get rid of any dead roots, and mix up my own medium to plant it in. I use firbark, perlite, and granite chips to keep drainage sharp and dry time to a minimum. I plant them about 2/3 into the medium, within unglazed clay pots that allow for a few inches of growth on all sides. I feed them a liquid diet mixed weaker than directions call for to maintain constant nutrition, and I check often for needed watering by sticking my fingers deep into the medium for check for moisture.

Over watering and poor drainage are the cause of many plants' demise.. so I am active in my plant care, devoting time and effort.

We have to remember, however, that everyone grows in a different environment, no matter how slight, and adjustments do need to be made. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to plant culture within containers.

There are some very good threads in the Container Gardening Forum with excellent information... if you care to read more on the subject of container growing.

Happy Gardening!

I use a soil less potting mix. Here's a pic of Aphrodite with her possible offset. I thought it was a scape gone wrong!

Yes, that is Aphrodite with her definite offset :-)
Leave the offset alone for a few years until it grows to the size of a golf ball or larger and you can separate it if you'd like but it's not necessary. Don't be afraid when you plant Aphrodite to bury the offset, it will rise to the occasion.

Donnaâºâºâº