Hi Janine! In what part of the US do you live? Is it getting adequate water/light? What is the setting of your thermostat? Is your house really dry inside?

I have had this happen to me. Sometimes it just takes a little longer for the scape to grow when it's out of season. I will admit that I've had a few that seemed to get stuck, shriveled, and died (just the scape, the bulb was fine)! This time of year, blooms are a bonus. Just give the bulb standard, good care to support the current growth of leaves, and if the bud stalls out, well...you'll likely get more blooms in the spring (this one bud may be out of synch).

I have tried to push a bud along, open up the neck so I was sure it wasn't stuck, etc. In the end, it's going to make it if it was meant to.

Could you post a photo? Is the bud half in/half out (I hate that!)...Know you feel helpless. I've been there!!

Kristi

I think the bud has grown a tad bit. I moved it out of the sunnier location i'd put it in, and maybe it is happier. The heat isn't on right now, and there is no AC. I live in Berkeley, CA, where the climate is relatively mild. It has been unusually warm and there have been a few days where the house got into the 80s. I guess I'll just be patient and hope for the best. However, I do wonder about the soil. These plants have been in the same mix for several years. I feed them, but i wonder if a fresh start would be good for them? J

I would say absolutely to re-potting into a fresh batch of soil... though I might wait until after blooming has finished up.

My normal routine is to leave a bulb in the same mix for no longer than 3 years, and I use a completely different type of medium than most people use. I make my own.

I won't go into that... not everyone agrees with my methods... but I will include a link to some very good information for containerized growing. Link below.

If I were using a regular, commercially made, retail sold, bagged potting soil, I would re-pot every year... or at the very least, top-dress with a little fresh soil.

But I do think I might wait until blooming is finished. For me, in Illinois, spring is the ideal time to re-pot and check for any issues, etc... it might be different for your location and not matter that much... I really don't know.

Give the article in the link a read... even if you decide the methods described within aren't for you, there is still a lot of great information on container growing in general. For me, it's always my "go-to" information when I'm having issues. The man who wrote the article is a highly respected bonsai grower and speaks publicly at various venues regarding the subject of container gardening.

Happy Gardening!

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention XIX