Is there anyone out there, in 5b or colder zone, i.e. winters that can get at least as cold as -30C, that's planted tulips in containers on a balcony/terrace for spring?

I'd like to compare notes generally and particularly right now, hear about how you're protecting the containers from the freeze/thaw cycle.

I've got a fairly well protected concrete bunker-style balcony.

I've stacked my containers of bulbs in cardboard boxes, with bubble wrap as a base to protect from cold below, some burlap over the box, surrounded the box with leaves, put another layer of cardboard/wood and then a tarp over it all.

I've read, and hope like heck, this will provide enough protection from the freeze-thaw cycle for them to bloom and not be sad mush in the spring....

Am I the only nut trying to do this sort of thing??

Tx Seacat

One thing bulbs hate is to be wet, so I mix a lot of perlite into the potting soil (Pro-Mix) I use. I mix in a little bone meal or bulb food, hang a wick from just below the soil line out a hole on the bottom to help wick excess water out of the pot, and set the pot up on bricks. That's it.

This year I planted tulips, asiatic lilies, la lilies, orienpets and muscari. That was the least of what I usually plant. All kinds of bulbs can be planted this way. I layer mine.

Here's one from last year

Its a bit late to add a wick now I guess but I could add mulch next time I unpack to check moisture level.

We've already had some pretty severe weather but I'll note your comments for next year's effort and just have to hope for the best at this point.

Seacat

We've recently been having some fairly warm weather with nite time lows in the -1 to -5 range but when I check the thermometer out on the balcony, the reading is usually warmer by a degree or two - it seems to be colder down on the ground.

For our U.S. cousins, when Seacat quotes temperatures, they represent, when mentioning minus figures, that's minus from the freezing point....which is 32F.
The true formulae is ...the C. figure X 9/5....+ 32.
Since 9/5 is 1/5 away from twice the figure, we use that and subtract the fifth....or 10%.

To anyone wishing to convert...its simple...take the C..celsius temperature.....double it, (X 2) subtract 10%...which is move the decimal point, and add 32º.

The trick is to remember that 32 is always a plus number.
So if the figure such as minus 30....becomes 60...minus 6....= 54....now subtract 32 from it....that's 32 as a plus #. So - -54 subtract 32 = 22....that's minus 22 C.

Conversely, 10 C....double...= 20...minus 10%..2...= 18..
now add the 32º.....and that becomes 50 F.

There are two numbers in Celsius that can be just turned around....16 C is 61 F.....and 28 C...is 82 F.

Most temperatures are not exact...because in converting you end up sometimes in fractional figures. But, you're never much beyond 1 degree difference.
With numbers ending in 5.,,,and 0......the end result is always true.....30 doubled...= 60...minus 10%...6..= 54...add 32....86 F.

Many newer Canadians, never having to deal with fahrenheit temperatures are confused by people who still convert.
But fahrenheit does give a truer, more concise view of the weather. For most of our late fall and winter and early spring, the whole country is forever in minus temperatures.

This to me, weighs on the syche...always saying minus does leave a sour note in our wishing it to be milder.
Like last winter, it didn't start until mid January...I was golfing on this date last year....shot a respectible 85.

I think eventually the U.S. will join the rest of the world by using the metric system. It does in most scientific and manufacturing processes....only in temperatures does it hang on to the old ways.
And you too can learn to appreciate + numbers.

Josh