hey Evan,
Go with my approach to Coleus. I drown them if I try to "take care of them" so instead I completely ignore them. They get showered when I shower my aroids, & watered randomly when I decide to notice them. I treat them as if the water I am using is expensive & they don't deserve it. HEHE imagine that. Beautiful plants like Coleus not deserving water. The approach seems to be working with them though. During your winter months when you overwinter bulbs, you might try this approach. I do not have the problem, so I have no idea if it would work!
A question about your spruce. Does it shed a lot of needles or material over your plant in the winter? If so I would assume it is providing the bulbs with a dry blanket, & possibly a bit of heat due to decomposition. Also evergreens tend to acidify soil. Not sure if that means anything to your plant.
I added a blog to keep a running thread on my collection. Since I am planning to continue wild collecting new varieties, I think the blog is a smart thing to avoid 6 million threads with random plants to identify! HEHE! Check it out later, & see my coleus too. I'll photograph them later.
