Bulbs In Pots Do Work

If you remember, late last September I put a few daffodil bulbs into 15 cm (6 inch) pots and, after getting them started, buried them 10 cm (4 inches) deep in the space left behind by the dahlias. The bulbs seemed small - too small for the pots - so I didn't expect too much. They're not fantastic. But at least I can remove them early - complete with pot, if necessary - to plant up the beds. This is good. However, they didn't seem to flower any earlier than the rest (as I had hoped), but this might be due to variety (some flower earlier than others).

You might be wondering why I don't remove them now to make room for a dahlia re-plant. Well, I could. But there's no rush. As I have told you before, Mother Nature has a way of catching up. I know the daffs are late, but they're not nearly so late as they were in January. They've caught up brilliantly. Things always do. Getting the best results is more about timing - picking the right moment - than about being first; a bit like the hare and the tortoise in that respect. Last year there was little difference between early and late-planted dahlias (because I had started the dahlias well before planting) In fact, if anything, the late-planted might have done better. You need to understand that the soil hasn't really warmed up properly yet, especially down below. Come May...Now that's a different story...