I've got 50 allium bulbs to plant but it's been raining non stop - should I wait for it to dry up a bit before I plant them or do it before it gets any colder?
Just plant them. They shouldn't be going into soggy soil anyway, as they need lighter, freer draining conditions, so if that's the case, either the area they're going into needs amended, or you can put them into pots and leave them somewhere sheltered - against a wall or fence etc.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'm holding off on my bulbs. I hate planting in mud, and the Met Office reckons it'll be more settled for most areas (not you, sorry Fairygirl!) later in the week.
My beds are reasonably well amended but the mud seems unavoidable, and I can't trust myself not to slip and hurt my dodgy pelvis!
I think Wednesday's to be a bit drier here. It's why I have raised beds @CharlotteF
Even then, many bulbs can rot. The beds which are directly in the ground have moisture loving bulbs - Camassias and some of the Narcissus which can cope easily. I only have alliums in the raised beds, or in pots occasionally. They don't always thrive here. Some are more tolerant than others though, so it depends on what they are.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Being on a slope helps me a lot I reckon- with the terracing most of the garden is effectively a raised bed.
Down here with the lack of rainfall we have over summer it often actually takes a while in autumn for the rain to penetrate the clay more than a couple of inches deep. Judging by the depth of water in the tub trugs I left out, I think it probably will have done so by now though 😆
We aren't used to the hot, dry weather we had this year. Record breaking for the west of Scotland. Bl**dy horrific! Our ground [clay] never really dries out, but I had to water occasionally. Unheard of.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The rain stopped here in our dry corner of Suffolk on Saturday. I did some planting yesterday and in the sunniest bed saw that the rain had wet the top two inches only. Dry as a bone underneath. Pah. That doesn't help you much ren.b but if you have sandy soil like we have it may be OK to plant your alliums. If you have clay, like Fairygirl you could investigate to see how soggy it is.
We aren't used to the hot, dry weather we had this year. Record breaking for the west of Scotland. Bl**dy horrific! Our ground [clay] never really dries out, but I had to water occasionally. Unheard of.
I'm with you on that moan, I really hate the heat! 😂
I’m not planting any new bulbs this year, the tubs get waterlogged. Got lots in the garden that will have to do. We hadn’t had that hot summer here, just a few odd weeks, and a few odd days, mostly at the beginning of the year, then very cold, I didn’t plant anything out until mid June, later than usual. We’ve had water in our butts right through and I’d not watered anything. Only watered the beans when they first went in. Few years back we were saving dirty water for plants, must have been before 2015 as dad was rigging up a pump to save the bath water.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
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I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My beds are reasonably well amended but the mud seems unavoidable, and I can't trust myself not to slip and hurt my dodgy pelvis!
Even then, many bulbs can rot. The beds which are directly in the ground have moisture loving bulbs - Camassias and some of the Narcissus which can cope easily. I only have alliums in the raised beds, or in pots occasionally. They don't always thrive here.
Some are more tolerant than others though, so it depends on what they are.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Down here with the lack of rainfall we have over summer it often actually takes a while in autumn for the rain to penetrate the clay more than a couple of inches deep. Judging by the depth of water in the tub trugs I left out, I think it probably will have done so by now though 😆
Our ground [clay] never really dries out, but I had to water occasionally. Unheard of.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We hadn’t had that hot summer here, just a few odd weeks, and a few odd days, mostly at the beginning of the year, then very cold, I didn’t plant anything out until mid June, later than usual.
We’ve had water in our butts right through and I’d not watered anything. Only watered the beans when they first went in.
Few years back we were saving dirty water for plants, must have been before 2015 as dad was rigging up a pump to save the bath water.
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-plant-a-multi-layered-pot-of-bulbs/