Questions re bulbs in pots

[LunaHeather]

I have crocuses and irises in pots on the balcony

In order to do summer plants, I have to take those plants out and plant whatever for summer.

Is it worth keeping the bulbs to replant for next year? If so, I'm guessing they need to be stored somewhere cool and dry?

Thank you.

I'm a lazy bugger and I leave the bulbs in the pots and put summer plants over them. They come up again each year - these are tulip bulbs but I'd imagine the same applies to yours.

I don't think I have space to do that?

If i tried it, then any summer plants would be very shallow. Don't the roots all get tangled in small pots?

I just plant the summer annuals between the irises in my pots, that way the iris leaves get all the time they want before dying down. Then pull the annuals out in autumn, pop in some fresh compost on top and the irises pop up again in February.

They won’t be happy being dug up. They’ll dry out and die. I just plant summer bedding on top then tip the whole pot out in the autumn, remove the bulbs and replant in fresh compost.

I have my tulips in deep pots so there is space above them for summer bedding plants. Perhaps you could get some deeper pots to put them in?

I have a 'plant graveyard' old kitchen sink. You'd be amazed at what pops back up. I'll probably plant my potted bulbs in the flower beds this time though, and see what happens.

@MrsBertBibby

I just plant the summer annuals between the irises in my pots, that way the iris leaves get all the time they want before dying down. Then pull the annuals out in autumn, pop in some fresh compost on top and the irises pop up again in February.

I planted mine quite tightly packed for a good display

Sounds like the cheapest and best option will just be to get new bulbs each year and look out for the £1 offers.

Thanks.

you can take them out of the pots after they've wilted, but they don't come back as strong the next year unless you've let them do a season in the soil (imho). Once the leaves have died off, around autumn, pop them in a brown paper bag and store them in a cool dry place and they'll be fine for a year or two. I just leave mine in the pots and let nature do her thing. You can plant other stuff in the pots and keep the bulbs in, won't hurt the new plants or the bulbs.

I do a mic tire of things.

I have big plastic pots I put in the nice outer pots. Once the bulbs go over they get popped round the back of the house and replaced with the next thing.

I have a big trough I put going over things in and replace. And I also plant less densely to pack more in so lasagna bulb planting.

Depends on the thing.

I find tulips don’t come back reliably (apart from the small species tulip) so I just compost them.

Iris do, daffodils do, anemone do.

@yaboo

you can take them out of the pots after they've wilted, but they don't come back as strong the next year unless you've let them do a season in the soil (imho). Once the leaves have died off, around autumn, pop them in a brown paper bag and store them in a cool dry place and they'll be fine for a year or two. I just leave mine in the pots and let nature do her thing. You can plant other stuff in the pots and keep the bulbs in, won't hurt the new plants or the bulbs.

Thanks, that's probably why there's so much contradictory info