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Post by debbiem on Sept 6, 2007 16:23:12 GMT 1
When you are digging in the garden and you find that a bulb's been cut in two by the spade, is that the end of the bulb or do you then have two bulbs? It's daft that I've always wondered this but have never found out the answer.  |
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Post by owdboggy on Sept 6, 2007 17:04:22 GMT 1
It depends on the kind of bulb it is. Some will grow into more new bulbs by forming babies around the cut basal plate (as long as the body of the bulb does not rot that is). Others will perish. So any bulb which may be propagated by 'twin scaling' like say snowdrops will most likely survive, but ones like crocus probably will not.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Sept 6, 2007 19:10:54 GMT 1
ooh...always wanted to know that...thanks OB  |
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Post by owdboggy on Sept 7, 2007 11:47:05 GMT 1
If it is a large bulb and precious then you could dust the cut surface with Sulphur dust, but generally sadly the big bulbs do tend to rot.
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Post by debbiem on Sept 7, 2007 18:51:02 GMT 1
Wow, thanks OB - I usually just put all the bits back into the ground anyway, none of them are large bulbs. We've got so many bluebells all over the place it's difficult to tell whether the split ones perish or survive as they spring up everywhere anyway. I think next time it happens I should put both bits into a pot to see if anything grows from them. |
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Post by owdboggy on Sept 7, 2007 20:42:27 GMT 1
Not sure anbout bluebells. They are Liliaceae so they have a basal plate from which the roots grow, so they should grow.
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Post by debbiem on Sept 9, 2007 9:08:25 GMT 1
Thanks OB. |
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