ye CAN | GROW TIGRIDIAS IN MY GARDEN? 
Most certainly you can. Tigridias can be grown in any section of the 
United States and Mexico, and in the southern provinces of Canada. 
Any good garden soil with a reasonable amount of humus will produce 
excellent plants. They require plenty of moisture before, during and 
after blooming. Bulbs are planted four to six inches deep after the soil 
becomes warm. Planting times vary in different sections of the country. 
But be SURE the soil has become warm from spring sunshine. Cold 
eround and too much moisture is sometimes very injurious to Tigridia 
bulbs. 
% SHOULD TIGRIDIA BULBS “RUN OUT”? 
No. If cared for correctly, bulbs should grow and increase each year. 
Moisture MUST be present at all times, and is absolutely necessary 
during the dormant period. Commercial fertilizers with high potash 
and phosphorus content may be used, but must NOT come in contact 
with the bulb. Preferably underneath it. Weak liquid manure applied 
during the blooming season helps to produce larger blossoms. If seed 
pods are removed immediately after flowering, the season of bloom will 
be prolonged, and bulbs will be benefited considerably. 
% WHY DON’T MY BULBS COME UP? 
There may be several reasons for failure to sprout. Cold, damp weather 
alter planting sometimes brings poor results. Gophers or mice some- 
times steal the bulbs, traveling as they do in the mole runs. But the 
real reason may be either poorly stored or inferior bulbs. The par- 
ticular gardener should be very careful to purchase fresh, plump bulbs 
that have been handled correctly during dormancy. Or, if planting his 
own stored bulbs, to store them correctly—buried deeply in damp sand 
OL peat. 
% HOW WILL I KNOW A GOOD BULB WHEN | SEE ONE? 
A bulb to produce bloom the first season should be at least an inch in 
diameter—firm, fresh and plump. Dried, shriveled bulbs WILL NOT 
GIVE SATISFACTORY RESULTS, and often fail to sprout. The 
base of the bulb should not be broken or injured in any way. It should 
be a natural division, with evidence of last season’s roots still upon it. 
If good, fresh bulbs are planted, the chances of success are multiplied, 
and a longer blooming season with larger flowers will be enjoyed. 
% DO I HAVE TO DIG MY BULBS EACH YEAR? 
In mild sections, some gardeners leave bulbs in the ground all winter, 
covering with a suitable mulch. This method, however, is not recom- 
mended, due to ravages of cutworms, wireworms, mice, gophers and 
other pests. To be on the safe side, bulbs should be lifted in the fall, 
carelully stored in moist sand or peat, and divided just before planting 
in the spring. 
