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BARR’S GENERAL BULB CATALOGUE, Autumn, 1936. 
PRACTICAL HINTS ON BULB CULTURE. 
Culture for Spring-flowering Bulbs out of Doors. 
Soil and Manures.— In preparing the ground for planting, dig deeply, and if well-rotted 
stable or cow manure is available, or the material from an exhausted hot bed, this may with advan¬ 
tage be dug in 15 to 18 inches deep so as not to be in immediate contact with the bulbs. Fresh 
stable manure should on no account be used. Where cow or well-rotted stable manure is not avail¬ 
able a good compound manure should be used, such as our Phytobroma (which contains, in suitable 
proportions, Steamed Bone Flour, Sulphate of Potash, Superphosphate of Lime, etc.), and be forked 
into the ground before or at planting time at the rate of 3 oz. per square yard; Phytobroma 
is a perfectly safe compound manure, suitable for heavy or light soils, and the best general fertilizer 
for all bulbs, encouraging vigorous root action and subsequent good bloom. 
In February or early March bulb beds should be hoed and given a surface dressing of our Phyto¬ 
broma at the rate of 3 oz. to the square yard. In the case of spring-flowering bulbs which have not 
been lifted we recommend a surface dressing, well hoed in, of Phytobroma in October or November, 
and again in early Spring. These dressings should also be given to Daffodils, etc., naturalised in 
grass ; soil fertility must be maintained if bulbs are to continue to flourish and flower well. Price 
List of Manures will be found on page 84. 
Freshly dug ground should be allowed to stand vacant two or three weeks before planting, or some 
of the bulbs may sink below their proper depth, causing irregularity in growth and flowering. Bulbs 
should only be planted when the ground is in a nice friable state, and never when the soil is wet and 
sticky ; in such circumstances it is better to delay planting until the soil is in a good friable condition. 
Depth to Plant. —Failures with bulbs are most frequently due to their having been planted too 
deeply or too shallow. A good general rule to follow is to cover the bulb with soil once and a half to 
twice its own depth, measuring the bulb from base to shoulder. Thus a daffodil bulb measuring 2 inches 
from base to shoulder should be covered with 3 to 4 inches of soil. The principal exceptions to this rule 
are Erythroniums, Snowdrops and Tulips, which require deeper planting. We give special directions 
for these bulbs in the body of the Catalogue. 
Lifting and Replanting. —When bulbs are lifted they should not, if possible, be replanted 
on the same ground, but in a place where other bulbs or plants have previously been growing : thus, 
where Tulips have been growing last season, plant Daffodils this autumn, and so on. 
Time to Plant. —Daffodils may be planted from middle of August to December, the later 
plantings generally blooming a week or fortnight later than the early plantings. Tulips may be 
planted from October to December; it is not advisable to plant earlier than October. The time of 
planting for other bulbs we give under the heading of each family in the following pages. 
Culture for Spring-flowering Bulbs in Pots or Boxes. 
Time of Potting. —Sept, and October are best months for potting most spring-flowering bulbs. 
The best compost to use is a mixture of two-thirds good fibrous loam (which should be pulled 
to pieces by the hand, and not passed through a sieve) and one-third old decayed leaf soil, with a sprinkling 
of sharp silver sand, adding II lbs. of bonemeal or 1 lb. of Phytobroma to every bushel of soil, which 
mix well together before using. In all cases the soil used should be fresh and sweet; never pot in soil 
that is wet or sticky. Our Peat-Fibre, Shell and Charcoal Mixture (see page 84) may also be used ; it is 
light and clean to handle, and is a suitable medium for growing all kinds of spring-flowering bulbs in 
pots or vases, either for indoor decoration or for cutting. 
Sterilising Soil. —In order to destroy all injurious insect life it is a good plan to sterilise potting 
soil before adding the Phytobroma or bonemeal. Small quantities of soil can be easily sterilised by 
filling a bucket or other receptacle with soil, pouring boiling water over it and covering for half an 
hour to keep in the steam ; then empty the soil out on a dry clean place until it is dry enough for 
use. This will prevent a great deal of after-trouble from worms or insects attacking the bulb roots. 
The pots should be carefully washed and allowed to dry before using ; new pots should be well 
soaked. Never plant in dirty or wet pots. 
Good drainage should be secured by placing three or more pieces of charcoal (in preference 
to broken crocks) over the drainage hole, covering the charcoal or crocks with a little rough fibre from 
the loam. When boxes are used, the slit at bottom of box should be covered with pieces of charcoal, 
and a good layer of rough fibrous loam or leaf soil placed at bottom of box to ensure perfect drainage. 
Depth to Plant.— With exception of Hyacinths and the larger Daffodils, bulbs grown in pots 
should be covered with at least half an inch of soil. 
After potting, give a moderate watering and stand the pots or boxes outside in the open, on 
a firm bottom such as a bed of well-weathered ashes or of gravel to prevent the entrance of worms. 
They should then be surrounded and completely covered with Peat Fibre, or old decayed leaf soil 
(fresh ashes or ashes from gas works are dangerous as being often very poisonous to plant life), the 
top of the pots being 2 inches below the surface of the covering material. This will secure a 
natural and moist condition for the bulbs and encourage root action. While the pots or boxes 
remain buried in this way they will require no watering. 
