Last year we went out of town for a week at about this time, and by the time I got back I couldn't find a lot of the Daffodils. Once they start yellowing, those leaves go fast. I always think I'm going to know where they are, but some sort of bulb amnesia sets in and I rarely can find the bulbs without the foliage. I'm on top of it this year, as soon as the foliage flopped and started yellowing, I started digging them. I've always been afraid of digging them before the foliage was finished, and have often missed them. I've been experimenting with them, and have found once the leaves are laying down and starting to yellow, it's safe to remove them. From that point they disappear very quickly.

The same bulb location amnesia hits me in the fall too (since I'm terrible about not labeling or marking spots), so this year I'm saving myself some trouble, and going ahead and replanting the bulbs. Now I can see the foliage, and know where I have blank spots to fill. I'm thankful I had the presence of mind to make notes while Daffs were blooming as to where I needed early color and which spots looked bare.

Most of these I've been dividing just had their 4th spring here, and have they ever increased! What started as 10 bulbs of 'Tahiti', are now 38 double nosed bulbs! Little 'Tete a tete' have gone nuts, each bulb has become a clump of 6-8 mature bulbs.

Neal I have some Bulbs to share...Where can I post them?

I don't have to trade them...But if someone has somehing in return then we can share shipping by exchange. but I can do for Postage also.

14 (total) Gladiolus 'Windsong' and 'Easter Joy'

4 are Windsong
10 are Easter Joy

Kim, I think a thread in the summer bulbs forum would be a good place.

I've always just planted my daffs and left them. Is your purpose in dividing simply to get more spread around, or do you think they do better being divided?

Oh, I had the bright idea to plant a bunch of Daffs in the lawn, and what a pain it was to mow around those leaves! There are hay fields surrounding the lawn, so I may stick some out there to naturalize, but these in the lawn had to go (even though it was really pretty in spring). There are a few in garden beds that I just wanted to spread out into other areas too. Some varieties do seem to bloom better when divided every few years, I find this especially true with 'Mt. Hood'. They had been blooming beautifully till this spring (the 4 year they've been here). Lots of thick foliage, but very few blooms this spring.

Some varieties never appear to require division, and will keep blooming happily regardless, like those little N.pseudonarcissus. If you have thick clumps that seem to need division, but you're not up to digging them up, I've found a quick fix way to revive them. Just take a garden fork and insert it into the clump in a few spots, and work it back and forth a bit. That loosens up the tight clusters of bulbs and seems to make them think they've got more room to grow. A few bulbs are most likely destroyed that way, but once they've gotten thick enough to need that treatment, you're not likely to notice any missing. A few times I've ran into a forgotten clump while planting something else, and started noticing that they had more blooms the next spring, that's how I stumbled upon this lazy method of reviving thick clumps.

Thanks! I'll keep an eye on the different clumps and see which ones seem to decline, I know some do, and divvy those up. I'll even try the lazy method.

Neal, Thanks for the heads up. Last fall it seems I either couldn't find what I wanted to move or forgot all about them. This will be much easier.

Evan, that is my problem too- can't find them or forget them if there isn't any foliage present. Last year I'd planned do dig these from the lawn, and we took a trip the first week of June unexpectedly. When we left the foliage was just starting to flop and yellow on the tips, but when we returned I couldn't find them! Once they start going, they go fast. It was hot and humid here while we were on our trip last year, so that probably sped things up. Same this year, we're having temps in the upper 80s and low 90s this week, and it's been really muggy.

Neil, I have a question; off topic, off thread, forum and cubit for that matter. Hope you can help.
Last year I planted a few shrubby Euphorbia - Polychroma ‘Bonfire’ and dulcis Chameleon. They settled in well in full sun, increasing nicely. Hoping to promote more growth I cut off the bloom stalks (4 plants total). We then had 2 weeks of steady rain, 10 days with no rain and on/off rain for the last week (plus 1 tornado, only storm winds here). The plants have all been languishing with verrry little new growth and the loss of some of the old leaves.

Any advice?

Thanks,

Evan, maybe I can answer that. Euphorbia absolutely does not like wet. I bet when it dries up there you will see new growth.

Evan, I was going to venture to guess, and Polly said exactly what I was thinking. I had some Euphorbias that only lasted a couple of years, I think because of our humidity.

Thanks Polly and Neal. The over-watering makes sense. I was worried that they don't like being cut back. I'm sorry to hear that your humidity is too much for them as so many of those with nicer foliage form and color are cold hardier in your zone. I'm more limited in z5b. Tried blackbird and it didn't over-winter with no snow cover. It is a beautiful plant though which I would recommend if climate allows.

Someone on DG was talking about Blackbeard not doing well. No idea what zone. I don't have that one.

Has that thread about trading been started yet, if so, I'm in.

I'm looking for advice on the best time to divide Crocosmia. I've got Lucifer and Emberglow which even has a few blooms left. Both have green leaves well into fall and only loose them after frost.

While digging them is best done in fall, I wouldn't recommend replanting them in fall. I think your best bet would be to store them over winter in a dry spot and replant in spring. The reason I'd do it that way is because it seems winter hardiness is diminished when marginally hardy bulbs are planted in fall and haven't had time to root and establish before cold weather sets in. I planted some Crocosmia from pots in late summer one time and they didn't return the next spring. That may have had something to do with them being in airy, porous potting media that allowed too much cold air around the corms.

Thanks Neal. If memory serves they started to show leaves late April or early May. Would prior to this be appropriate for planting?

I just remembered and checked an old email. I received some Crocosmia bulbs a couple of years ago and planted them around April 18 with good results. Thanks for helping avert a potential disaster.

I agree with Neal (as always). I just wanted to say Lucifer is hardy enough in your area to divide and replant now. I sent out quite a few bulbs last fall to various places, some colder than you are, and they all were fine. Any one other than Lucifer I would not replant now.

Evan, considering that Crocosmia are closely related to Glads, I don't think it's a big concern how early you get them planted in spring. I'm thinking about how you can stagger the bloom time of Glads by planting some every couple of weeks till mid June, and how the corms stay healthy and viable when planting is delayed. Well, having said that, I guess it is always a good idea to get them in the ground before they start sprouting, those tender sprouts can be easily broken off.

Polly, that's good to know about Lucifer's hardiness.

Thanks as always. My lit. says to plant 2-3" deep but I recall reading that the "bulbs" dig themselves deeper year to year. Maybe increase deeper? I was wondering if deeper planting will reduce "flopping over", love tech terms. If not I can cage them to help with this.