Pots with bulbs in - leave or not?

polb

Hi, I planted up several pots with daffs, tulips, grape hyacinths etc. They've now finished flowering and I'm not sure what to do with the bulbs. I was thinking of planting a petunia into each pot as I am short of pots. Do I just leave the bulbs in to come up again next spring and plant at the top of the pots? Or should I remove the bulbs? 

If I do need to remove and store the bulbs, I presume I just put them somewhere dry, and dark until the Later in the year when I can re-plant them?

Thank you!

Dovefromabove

I either leave them in their pots in a quiet corner, transfer them to an old plastic pot and leave them in the same quiet corner,  or take them out of the pots and plant them in the garden to naturalise .... beware of naturalising grape hyacinths tho ... they can get too comfortable and spread and spread ... and spread ...

polb

Ok, so if there is room at the top do you think putting a petunia with a bit more compost would be OK both for the bulbs and the petunia? I've grown a few petunias from seed and these ones grow really big so one per pot is enough. 

Thanks for letting me know about grape hyacinths!!

KeenOnGreen

I put our Tom Thumb Daffodil bulbs in a pot in the shed, but leave all of the foliage on them.  I make sure there is plenty of space in the pot, as lack of ventilation often makes them mouldy and rotten.  I leave them in the shed all Summer, but if your shed gets too hot, then maybe a garage or somewhere cooler would be better.  I have also done this with Dutch Iris and Nectaroscordum sicculum, and all survived, to be potted up again before Winter.

Yviestevie

I've tried leaving them in the pot on their own and overpanting them and I have to say that I'm always disappointed with the display the following year.  Now I take them out and plant them in the garden and buy new bulbs the following year.  I usually get a few years out of them in the garden.  But Dove is right about grape hyacinths, they can become real thugs.

polb

Thanks for your replies  I think I'll take them out of the pot and see if I can store them for next year!