Compost for bulbs

[annew]

It has just been brought to my attention that the growing instructions on my website http://www.dryad-home.co.uk/pages/growing%20info.html are out of date. I've now updated it, but here is the relevant part:
The compost I use is usually a mixture of two parts John Innes No2 (Singleton's is unsurpassed if you can get it), two parts perlite, one part leaf mould. A slow-release general fertiliser is applied at the recommended rate before the pile is thoroughly mixed.
The layer of very coarse sand around the bulbs is important. I’ve also been trickling fungicide over the sand layer before topping up with compost using the belt-and-braces approach.
Do NOT use vermiculite – I find it stays too wet, and does not aerate the mix as perlite does. The problem with perlite is that when you tip the used compost onto the garden, it looks like an explosion in a polystyrene factory.

[Gerdk]

Anne,
Thank you very much for these most useful instructions - would you please let me know
which fungicide do you apply and sorry - what is the 'belt-and-braces approach'?

Gerd

[johnralphcarpenter]

The compost I use is usually a mixture of two parts John Innes No2 (Singleton's is unsurpassed if you can get it),

Just received a pallet load! No grit in your mixture then?

[Paul Cumbleton]

It may be worth a reminder of a previous discussion about Keith Singleton John Innes compost here: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=3532.0
I would think for the kind of bulbs you mainly grow Anne that it would be very suitable. But we found that its very high organic content led to rotting of bulbs such as the Rhinopetalum group of Fritillarias i.e. those kinds of bulbs that are especially sensitive to moisture levels and need perfect drainage in a compost that doesn't hold too much water. We gave up using it for most bulbs - with a few exceptions such as the more moisture-loving Fritillaria camschatcensis which did very well in it.

Paul

[John85]

Anne,
Perlite is not available in my area.Only vermiculite.
What about replacing it by grit?Have you ever tried it,how much, and what was the result?

[Harald-Alex.]

It has just been brought to my attention that the growing instructions on my website http://www.dryad-home.co.uk/pages/growing%20info.html are out of date. I've now updated it, but here is the relevant part:
The compost I use is usually a mixture of two parts John Innes No2 (Singleton's is unsurpassed if you can get it), two parts perlite, one part leaf mould. A slow-release general fertiliser is applied at the recommended rate before the pile is thoroughly mixed.
The layer of very coarse sand around the bulbs is important. I’ve also been trickling fungicide over the sand layer before topping up with compost using the belt-and-braces approach.
Do NOT use vermiculite – I find it stays too wet, and does not aerate the mix as perlite does. The problem with perlite is that when you tip the used compost onto the garden, it looks like an explosion in a polystyrene factory.

Thank You, Anne, for Your tipps to improve soil for Galanthus, especially the differences of Perlite and Vermiculite! I use since several years the organic soil-improver: Leonardit from the Roesl-Compost-Companie Regensburg. This is a black material fron a special young brown coal, which improves the capacity of waterholding and nutrients in soils and activates the activity of soil-fauna. I use ca 2 kg/m2 in open grounds or  5 % in soils for pots. The results are good, as You can see in the added foto from bulbs of my G. elwesii seedlings, middle and right in comparision to common G. nivalis. Greetings from Germany Harald

[annew]

It may be worth a reminder of a previous discussion about Keith Singleton John Innes compost here: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=3532.0
I would think for the kind of bulbs you mainly grow Anne that it would be very suitable. But we found that its very high organic content led to rotting of bulbs such as the Rhinopetalum group of Fritillarias i.e. those kinds of bulbs that are especially sensitive to moisture levels and need perfect drainage in a compost that doesn't hold too much water. We gave up using it for most bulbs - with a few exceptions such as the more moisture-loving Fritillaria camschatcensis which did very well in it.

Paul

Interesting to note that. I put in extra perlite for some things that need extra drainage. It is worth noting that most of my bulbs are either in clay pots or baskets plunged in sand which will wick away any extra moisture.
I used to use grit a long time ago but could not find a source of suitable grit locally, also it was very heavy for me to move about. Many growers use it very successfully.

[annew]

Anne,
Thank you very much for these most useful instructions - would you please let me know
which fungicide do you apply and sorry - what is the 'belt-and-braces approach'?

Gerd

Haha! 'Belt and braces' - a Yorkshire saying. If you have a belt and also braces (two ways to keep your trousers up) then you have a backup in case one fails.
The fungicide I use is Fungus Clear Ultra
Regards,
Anne

[annew]

Harald-Alex - your soil improver looks to have very impressive results.

[Harald-Alex.]

Harald-Alex - your soil improver looks to have very impressive results.

Hallo Anne, if I get an adress, I´ll send You a probe of Leonardit, that You can test it!
Greetings from Germany - Harald

[Gerdk]

Interesting to note that. I put in extra perlite for some things that need extra drainage. It is worth noting that most of my bulbs are either in clay pots or baskets plunged in sand which will wick away any extra moisture.
I used to use grit a long time ago but could not find a source of suitable grit locally, also it was very heavy for me to move about. Many growers use it very successfully.

Haha! 'Belt and braces' - a Yorkshire saying. If you have a belt and also braces (two ways to keep your trousers up) then you have a backup in case one fails.
The fungicide I use is Fungus Clear Ultra
Regards,
Anne

Thank you Anne! The saying is quite understandable - my translator puzzled me.

Gerd

[Harald-Alex.]

Harald-Alex - your soil improver looks to have very impressive results.

Hallo Anne, I´ll send You a probe of the soil-improver "Leonardit" (plus certificat), that You can test it. Leonardit is a special active coal product, younger than brown coal with a high capacity for holding nutrients and water and contains many humin-materials. I use it since several years for snowdrops, but also for planting shrubs and trees very sucessful. Have a good sunday
Harald

[annew]

Thank you - Harald-Alex! I cannot find a source for it in the UK though.

[ArnoldT]

Anne:

Found this one.

https://aphaeas-agri.com/humintech-products-uk-ireland/

[annew]

Thanks, Arnold - it looks interesting.