You only need to let the foliage die completely back and when it easily comes off the bulb you can store them. I put them in a box with vermiculite and store in a cool place. Never loose any and the bulbs are larger each year. You can pull out when they are still green but do wait until fall if possible. I just rinse the soil off and let them dry a bit and then place them in buckets inside until the foliage dries. My friend leaves the babies attached and then plants them in shallow soil for the summer and he had a few bloom and lots of new bulbs for next year. I always toss them out but I might change my ways or else give them to him.

As you know Jim fertilizing seedlings and how is hotly debated. Many don't feed them at all until transplanted to the garden and they do just fine. Others prefer to feed 1/4 strength every time they water or 1/2 strength every 7-10 days. So opinions will vary widely. My approach is bit different in that I prefer to focus on root development rather than top growth during the seedling stage. That is what is vital to the future health and production of the plants - great roots not tons of dark green leaves. So many other factors come into play. How long until transplanting to the garden? Soon - skip feeding. Weeks - feed. Potting mix - ProMix (depending on which one used) may need a mild P&K supplement but I don't feed N, those that use MG mixes with ferts added may not need to feed at all but if they do it sure doesn't need to be N. Size of the container determines how often they need to be watered and governs the nutrient leach rate IF nutrients are there. So those in cell pack or 4" pots will need more frequent feeding that those in 16 oz cups or 6" pots. Those who stage and 'pot-up their seedlings can feed more than those who refuse to do so (despite all its advantages) - even some N as their root development will be better because of the transplanting. Those who grow seedlings on the dry side don't have to feed nearly as much as those who insist on over-watering. Those who bottom water don't have to feed as often as those who top water for obvious reasons. Then there is the type of fertilizer used and the wide variance in performance. Organics vs. synthetics, liquids vs. granular, slow release vs. quick fix types, etc. See what I mean about lots of variables? So can there be a rule of thumb for fertilizing seedlings? No, not IMO. Since I am growing plants for both sale and use in my own garden they all get the same treatment. General guidelines that I follow: ProMix BX, minimal watering and bottom watering only, lots of supplemental lighting even in the GH, low to no N, well diluted P&K supplements weekly IF needed (examine root development first), liquids only, synthetics only (save the organics for the garden where they have a chance to work), go for 6-8 week transplants, not 2 foot tall 12 week old plants, and do staged potting-up. But that's just my opinion and I'm sure many will disagree in whole or in part. Works for me. Dave

oh how you so easily ask a zen gardening question .... and expect a concise answer ... lol i will try it will grow in your soil.. in your sun.. in your garden.. as it will grow ... by using the all encompassing 'over time' .... they are suggesting it might happened.. depending on the variables listed above ... not much help.. eh?? ... lol ... but the proper answer ... is that if it is a true shrub [i dont have time to research this plant and find out if you are using the term specifically or generally, or properly] .. then maintenance pruning.. removing up to 1/3 of the shrub per year ... when it starts getting leggy .... reduces over all height.. and allows you to MAINTAIN the plant in a shape and form that is pleasing to you ... one can not.. plant a shrub for a lifetime.. and expect that it is going to morph into something.. that shrubs just arent meant to be ... and by that i mean pretty, maintenance free and structurally proper ... does that make any sense ..??? i like this example.. i drive thru the countryside... and i see these lilacs .. where 100 years ago there was a farmhouse ... maybe 10 to 20 feet tall .... and 40 feet across ... and then i drive into town .. and i see the same bush at 8 feet tall.. and 8 feet wide ... presuming that 100 years ago.. they didnt have a multitude of cultivars available.. then both plants being the same.. MAINTENANCE is the answer to why one is as big as a house .. and leggy .. and one is a nice compact suburban shrub ... good luck ken

Fraid you've got me confused with someone else re building a barn on the property and living in that while building the house. DH and I bought our land by refinancing the house we then owned in order to pay cash for the land b/c mortgage interest rates on the refinance were MUCH lower than interest rates on a raw land mortgage. We then spent five years paying down the refinanced mortgage before felt financially ready to start building. We finished paying off our mortgage on the first house while we were in the process of building the second. So even tho we weren't able to sell our first house as quickly as we would have liked after moving into the new dream home, we never had to worry about making two mortgage payments at the same time. I was terribly impatient during that entire five years to just "get started" but in fact, the wait gave me plenty of time to educate myself and to design a home that FITS our property and our lifestyle. So, IMHO, you can't start too soon. Yes, prices will change but the relative cost to build various houses will stay about the same. (i.e., if the build price on plan A is twice the build price of plan B today, five years from now, plan A is still going to cost about twice as much to build as plan B.) Instead of obsessing about costs tho, use your time to learn all you can about the pros/cons of various building practices. For example, while it isn't exciting, spend some time learning about various types of foundations and how each type is PROPERLY INSTALLED as well as all the ways a particular type of foundation can be screwed up by someone who doesn't know what they're doing. Then when you're choosing a house plan, you can make an informed decision about what type of foundation you want. Ditto with framing. Learn as much as you can about how a house is framed up and some of the options you have. Terms like "open web joists," "i-beam joists," "California corners," "sole plate," "king stud," "cripple/jack stud," "ridge pole," "purlin," and "load bearing" should become familiar to you as you learn how framing should be done right and all the ways that bad builders can screw it up. Likewise, get a thorough grasp of the concept of "drainage planes" and how flashing, house wraps, claddings, etc. SHOULD be installed in order to contribute to properly functioning drainage planes. Basically, work your way thru every "system" within a house. The more you understand about how a properly designed and built house WORKS, the better off you'll be when dealing with a builder. Or, for that matter, when trying to communicate with your architect. And, of course spend time doing the fun stuff like thinking about how you and your family actually live. What in your current home makes your life easier and what are the little things that just drive you bonkers. Like maybe, you actually love having the sun wake you up in the mornings thru your east facing windows but hate the way everything always seems to wind up stacked on the dining room table b/c there isn't really any other place to drop stuff off as you come in the door. Or you love your big kitchen island but hate the the way your top kitchen drawers are half-an-inch too shallow to hold rolls of waxed paper and tinfoil. Make notes about these things and, when you're designing your new home, incorporate the good things and find ways to fix the annoying things. And of course, spend time finding and saving "inspiration" pictures for the really fun part which is decorating that brand new space! Three years will fly by!