Pot size in sand plunge

[mark smyth]

I'm in the mood to make over the sand plunge in the green house. My winter green orchids have been moved from 15cm clay pots to 11cm clay pots. I've now found a source for 9cm which when you see one in the other there isn't much difference

Most of my Narcissus, Galanthus and other bulbs are grown in 15cm clay pots but if I could down size these, to 11cm, I could make better use of the space available and add to the collection. Most of these bulbs are in small numbers of between 1 and maybe 5 per 15cm pot.

Does anyone grow bulbs in 11cm clay pots plunged in sand?

[Maggi Young]

When we used clay pots we had a lot of things in what I remember as being 12cm size - they are the type with a thick deep rim to them so that might account for the 1cm difference if yours are plain-sided. 
Crikey, how many thousands of the darn things must I have scrubbed over the years!!

Don't think you'll have much trouble with them - reasonable size to  keep most bulbs happy. If you can get longer ones for daffs  it might be better but itf the narcissus are real "littlies"  less of an issue.

[mark smyth]

Mine, from Homebase, have the rim around the edge

Only mini daffs in the pots.

Knocking some bulbs out for a wee look, and just like Ian saw in last weeks blog, some are already 'looking' for water despite being bone/dust dry. Somehow some pots are still damp.

Some will be repotted for the first time since my last greenhouse make over in the summer of 2012 so not really that long. Some snowdrops and Narcissus have daughters almost as big as the mother bulb

[Maggi Young]

One of the bulbs Ian showed last week- making tiny growth buds and the littlest root nodules starting, has just burst into flower. Just mind-blowing how fast they can move!

[mark smyth]

  each plunge will have room for 120 11cm clay pots. That's a lot of room for more bulbs!  resist, resist

[Matt T]

each plunge will have room for 120 11cm clay pots.

Can Homebase supply that many?! 

[mark smyth]

My local Homebase only stocks 15 at a time. Homebase in Belfast stocks 50 but by the time I drive there I've wasted £££

[mark smyth]

but checking stock just now ... maybe I'll go to Bangor for a wee drive

[mark smyth]

This is how one plunge looks but with the other two a mess

[Matt T]

This is how one plunge looks

Nice and orderly! I can see you heading over to Bangor soon! 

[mark smyth]

Possibly tomorrow because I'm off. I just changed and added a couple of photos above

[Maggi Young]

I wish you lived here, Mark - we've got loads of pots that size you could have.

[mark smyth]

see you in the morning!

[Maggi Young]

see you in the morning!