Roosterlorn said:You all might think I'm 'nuts' for saying this, but I really do think bulbs get bigger and heavier and more robust over winter.
I'll bet that the real expansion occurs in the very early spring, before (or as) growth of the sprout in the bulb begins. It would be a probable natural phenomenon in the fall for the bulb to expunge some of the water (and reduce its mass) within the bulb that would produce a more concentrated aqueous solution of various substances that ultimately has a lower freezing temperature. (Read: more winter hardy.) Then in preparation for growth in spring, it rehydrates to its fullness. It would also be a probable assumption that a bulb could or would absorb even more water than before in preparation. Spring growth is very fast, and I always marvel at how quickly mass is produced, despite lower temperatures.
