My wife dug up some Arum Lilly plants owing to spreading and overcrowding. But at the bases of the plants are dozens of minute bulbs, each capable, so my wife tells me, of growing into more plants. As the small bulbs become detached when the plants are dug up, we have a couple of large buckets of soil containing a number of tiny bulbs.

We don't want to throw the soil away, but can anyone provide any suggestions how to remove them (hand-picking is too laborious) or kill them off?

Even an old kitchen colander would work.

Here's a photo of one of the smallest bulblets.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/ISO1/P1000096-a.jpg

As you can see, it's just under 1/4" and would slip through a sieve. But it's the earth itself that's the problem; it's damp, 'heavy' and lumpy, and contains small stones. I could try just digging a hole and burying it, but fear that loads of shoots could start appearing next year. Of course, I could then treat the growth with Glyphosate, but it would prove difficult within the confines of a crowded border.

As we're fast approaching winter, it's not possible to spread the soil out and dry it out. Also my wife wants a 'quick solution' for it!

It's not as if there's a ton of the stuff, so maybe the qickest (and easiest) way out would just be to dump it on a local skip.

I agree with pippiemac. Drown them. I have a tiny spring bulb that I bought so long ago I don't remember what it was... but it loves my climate and has multiplied by the zillions.

Every once in awhile I really need to get rid of some, but I'm not willing to loose soil and add to the landfill. No way are they going to compost reliably. So in the fall I dig out what needs to go, dump them in a big old galvanized tub, move it to the working side of the house out of public view, and I walk away. The tub fills with rain water, the bulblets rot, and then sometime when I'm thinking of dealing with the garden in late winter or early spring, I tip the tub on it's side and let it drain for a few days.

Come a nice day all goes either spread anywhere on the garden where it gets churned in a bit with existing soil. One could add to the compost pile but I don't want to deal with the extra weight to move round. There are usually plenty of outer shells of the bulblets left but they disappear with any soil turning.

Doing this then it's cold avoids any smells or bugs since it's all refrigerated. ;)

In situations like these, I am not opposed to using a herbicide. Glyphosate will kill bulbs, but use it carefully, applying only to the foliage as it emerges. Use a paint brush for careful application.

I am problably incorrect in describing them as 'bulblets', which, from memory, are produced above soil level. So what we have could be very tiny tubers in the making.

As for drowning; no, the wife won't stand for containers of 'rubbish' lying around. Like I said, she wants a 'quick solution'!