You'll want a medium that drains quickly and quite but not quite completely. Bulbs rot easily, so something to keep the soil from becoming saturated for extended period is good w/o cutting off air flow through the soil. A medium based on a very large fraction of coarse ingredients will work very well for bulbs. I have always used the gritty mix with excellent results for spring bulbs. I would often arrange several types of bulbs in the same container at different but suitable depths for the species being planted, which often gave me blooms for up to a month. The bulbs can often later be removed from the medium & dried for next years display. One of the pivotal issues is making sure drainage is appropriate so bulbs don't rot. I realize that was redundant, but it's important.

Al

Thanks for the reply tapla! I know there are many posts about the gritty mix so I have some reading, and ingredient gathering to do. Do you think that the freeze/thaw cycle will be much of an issue? Is there a way that I can minimize the effects?

Hi

I occasionally go crazy and try to grow winter bulbs in s. florida lol As you would imagine the various types require different degrees and lengths of chill. So I must rely on completely artificial means to provide the needed conditions . In your zone you won't have to rely on the fridge lol There is a site called "Pacific Bulbs " which lists dozens of different types and what there needs are as well as alternative methods Most require consistant lows for so many weeks months.BUT will not tolerate hard freeze

Obviously the larger the container the more resisistant to freeze as well as thaw cycles .

I usually buy pre chilled bulbs as I want them in flower at christmas time

You will be following a natural cycle. Do you intend to get them to reflower the next year ?? Anyway go to that site will give you all kinds of info for your particular situation and method. Good luck gary

Yes I was going to see if I could get at least two seasons out of them. I think I will try to insulate the pot if it gets too cold.

R - bulbs like tulips, hyacinth, daffodils ..... need to go through a process called vernalization, which is required if the bulb is to bloom after the process. Some bulbs will come to you having already completed the process - some won't. Ideally, the bulbs would be potted and arranged in the pot at an appropriate depth in the late fall, then kept at temps lower than 42* but above the freezing mark. I've had very good luck with potting up the bulbs in the fall, then simply leaving the pot resting on the garage floor through the winter. I usually toss a little snow on the soil 2 or 3 times during winter so the soil doesn't dry out completely. I then bring the bulbs in sometime after January's end, or set them out during warm spells in the spring so they can bloom ahead of their counterparts in the ground.

Bone meal is essentially insoluble/inert in containers, so there is no need to add it. You can mix a little granular fertilizer into the soil when you pot the bulbs, but that better serves the next generation of blooms, rather than those already itching for a chance to show their stuff.

"Insulating" the pot only serves a purpose if you're using the insulation to trap an extraneous source of heat. If you put a gallon of water in the freezer next to a Dixie cup of water, they both reach the same temperature in the end - one just reaches it faster. Also, if you put 1 Dixie cup in the freezer w/o protection and another inside of an insulated cooler, they both reach the same temperatures, eventually.

If your pot sits on the ground, insulation can help marginally IF the bottom isn't insulated. Then, geothermal heat from the earth can be conducted through the pot's bottom into the root mass where it's trapped by the insulation. You can see, in this example, it would be a good idea to insulate the top of the soil/pot as well. or most of the advantage is lost. Just remember that you can 'trap' heat from the ground or sidewalls of a heated building, but you shouldn't inhibit the pot's ability to gain that heat by placing insulation between the pot and source of heat.

Al

Thanks Tapla! That was really useful info about insulation. I hadn't thought about it quite that way before. My balcony has a very large glass door so maybe if I pot very close to the door near the indoor radiator and tape plastic/bubble wrap around it to create a sort of tent that would work. You also answered some questions about bulb fertilizer I didn't even know I had. To clarify my 2 seasons comment I know that tulips only bloom in the spring but I would like to use the same bulbs for at least two years.

I got to try the gritty mix for bulbs in containers this fall. I could then have a container display of bulbs.I got to also try that mixed bulbs idea too.

My usual routine so far had been to dig the plastic pots in all the locations in the yard where I want the spring bulbs and cover it with shredded leaves. After they are done I remove the pots to make space for annuals. The pots are then stored out of sight behind a shed till fall. I repot the bulbs with tons of the same leaf compost from the year before and bark and dig them back in the ground. Often, I would get some new baby bulbs for more pots.

I started bulbs in my garage in NY. The pots would freeze but not as hard as outdoors. I never added fertilizer. I actually started many in just pea gravel in pretty pots and larger planters with mostly Styrofoam and a small layer of potting soil on top for looks. Many would be in full bloom around Christmas and New Years.

I did not bury the bulbs but sat them on top of the gravel or soil. I'd cover the pots and planters with layers of newspapers. I would check the pots after a few months and at the first sign of sprouting, I'd remove the newspaper. After the bulbs grew about 6-8" I'd bring them into the warmth of the house.

I always had a beautiful display of daffodils, tulips, narcissus around the holidays. It was a lovely way to get through the darkness and cold of winter.

Jane

Unfortunately I only have my balcony :) But I think I can still make this work. I am hoping for spring blooms since that is what I most associate bulbs with. I will post an update with pictures once I have everything set up.

Hi

I think you'll have good results with you method .As long as they don't warm too early or get below zero for extended periods. They will flower at the usual times .I've always had trouble with night time temps being too warm even during winter so I always flowered in winter to avoid that . The cooler the temps the longer the flowers will last .

BTW If you want them to repeat the next year you'll have to provide a lot of sun until the leaves die down naturally in the fall Good luck gary