| They won't overwinter outdoors here in Zone 6 - they just rot over the winter. I think it is way too cold for them here, and too wet. I've been growing mine in deep 10" pots. The bulbs are only about 2 or 3 inches in diameter, and they do flower every year, and the bulbs get a little bigger each year, too. When I grew them in smaller pots, the bulbs got smaller every year, and eventually stopped flowering. I bring in the plant before it goes dormant, and keep it green as long as possible (mine are just going dormant now). I'll start them up again in March after I replace some of the soil by giving them some bottom heat, and they usually flower within a month or so. In the past, I've had these bulbs produce offsets, so I must be doing something right. I know that they develop a very thick basal plate that the roots grow from, and that the bulb is somewhat sensitive to being wet and cold during its dormancy, and that it is a good idea to keep some of the roots alive while the plant is dormant, but that's about all I have figured out. I also know I've seen a much bigger type than the one I grow, and I have no idea where to get it. Joe 'still searching' DeRosa |
