lost corms

[MJ Hatfield]

Ray,
None of my plants/corms were outside over winter. I didn't plant them
out until May. They flowered/leafed out and then quickly (too quickly)
went dormant (or died). I didn't dig them immediately as I thought they
might continue growing underground. 4 weeks of growth (in some cases 6)
just didn't seem like enough.
I think that had I dug them immediately after the top growth died I
would have saved many. They wouldn't have set in the dampness. I will
now do that as the rest go dormant but they act as if they will grow
till fall.
I did put in a raised bed with lots of shreaded oak leaves after reading
Jim's post this spring. That's another reason I was so disappointed in
the results; I thought I had done everything correctly.
Next spring I will simply wait until June to plant the corms outside.
As to the sikokianums, I'm afraid to look. The one that I wintered over
outside looks great but the 2 I planted outside this May probably have
been lost. I will search for them tonight.
MJ Hatfield