I have a couple of questions about growing Stargazer and Tiger Lilies in Zone 10. I bought some spring-planted Tiger Lily Bulbs online which ended up growing into Stargazer Lilies and I also bought Stargazer Lily Bulbs at my local gardening store but, they are having a bit of trouble sprouting. After my lilies begin to die what should I do with them? I read that in zone 10 you have to refrigerate the bulbs because they need to be cold for a while before planting them again in the spring. So when should I refrigerate them and for how long? Also, what should I put them in when I refrigerate them? My Stargazer Lily Bulbs are spring bulbs and I am planning on purchasing Tiger Lily bulbs again for the fall which will be fall bulbs. Does it matter if half of my bulbs are spring bulbs and the other half are fall bulbs? Do I have to refrigerate them at different times because of my hardiness zone or it doesn't really matter? I am thinking about refrigerating half of my lily bulbs and leaving the other half in the pots that I have them in to see if there will be a difference between them.

Browning glads can be lifted and will cure with no special cut back or treatment as long as they remain dry. That allows the collection of the bulbils or cormlets that glads produce around the mother corm that can be planted by themselves for growing on next year. Some few will even bloom the first year in the nursery row. All should bloom the second year. The mother bulbs get larger every year and can get huge. Glads that are mature as yours do not go dormant for the cold, they go dormant for the dry; so I would not interplant those left in the ground. Personally I would dig them to replant next year, even if that were back into the same bed. To store strip off the cormlets, dry and save them in a paper bag. Bind the stems of the mature plants together and hang in a dry place. Easy Peasy. Shell out the bulbs to be planted next year when planting time comes around, just before you put them back in the ground. In southern California the only condition would be to keep them dry in storage. Up here we dare not let them freeze either, although a nip on the foliage is generally not an issue. In your climate you can replant glads anytime you want; so that would depend on when you want the flowers or you can stagger your planting for a longer blooming season. Keep them well watered from emergence through bloom and then a couple more weeks. Then cut the watering and let them dry themselves out. They can be dug wet or dry though and will dry themselves out with one of the most natural cures of anything we store, just so that they are far enough along to have set and built the size bulb one wants, provided that like for tulips one does not cut the stems back until they have completely dried themselves out after having been dug.

You don't say which succulents you are talking about, and whether you are growing outdoors or indoors. Some succulents such as many Echeveria species actually color up better outdoors in winter, while many of the Aeoniums with colorful foliage lose their color in winter, and regain it in spring as the light intensity increases. Most likely your loss of color is from reduced duration of daylight, especially if they aren't being grown outdoors in full day sun. Other succulents such as Crassula erosula cultivars can be as colorful in winter as summer if they get full sun and are not overwatered. No simple "one solution fits all" for various succulents, it really depends on what you are growing and where/how... I will say that it is difficult to grow many succulents as indoor plants in winter and maintain vivid foliage color without supplemental artificial light.

"Cooling jars When you remove hot jars from a canner, do not retighten their jar lids. Retightening of hot lids may cut through the gasket and cause seal failures. Cool the jars at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Jars may be cooled on racks or towels to minimize heat damage to counters. The food level and liquid volume of raw-packed jars will be noticeably lower after cooling. Air is exhausted during processing and food shrinks. If a jar loses excessive liquid during processing, do not open it to add more liquid. Check for sealed lids as described below. Testing jar seals After cooling jars for 12 to 24 hours, remove the screw bands and test seals with one of the following options: Option 1. Press the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the lid is unsealed. Option 2. Tap the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. If it makes a dull sound, the lid is not sealed. If food is in contact with the underside of the lid, it will also cause a dull sound. If the jar is sealed correctly, it will make a ringing, high-pitched sound. Option 3. Hold the jar at eye level and look across the lid. The lid should be concave (curved down slightly in the center). If center of the lid is either flat or bulging, it may not be sealed." you might want to look at the diagrams accompanying this quotations at the following link: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general/cooling_jars_test_seals.html