I continue to water my Nerine sarniensis only slight'y, during the summer. Actually, it might better be said that I run the hose overthem two or three time during the summer. Hardly an expert, I did research a little bit by reading some horticultural research papers a few years ago from Acta horticulturae and switched my routine based on what commercial growers we're discovering about these Amaryllid's which included the fact that they form staged flower buds two or three years in advance, deep inside the bulb, and that they actually have quite active root growth in the summer, contrary to the belief that they want to 'go dormant', the roots seem to grow more in this time, and I think that my bulbs actually become more turgid when provided some rain water during the hot summer, rather than allowing the pots to dry out. Last year, Mary Sue posted this fabulous article by Mr. Sloan, and it was very helpful. Since I have had a bit of luck with the Nerine sarniensis crosses I have, I will share briefly, what I do. Soil - Pro Mix ( a commercial peat/Perlite based potting mix) and Gravel 50/50 is the ratio. Lately, for gravel, I have been using a product called Espoma Soil Perfector, which I love for alpines and other South African bulbs. Pots - 6 inch square plastic pots I begin watering around September 1, or the first weekend that we in New England receive a Canadian cold front, signaling the end of summer. I await for buds, which will show by the end of the month, and by mid-October, many will be in peak bloom. I do fertilize, but carefully, and only about once a month with only rain water, or I move the pots outside to enjoy the late summer and early autumn thunderstorms. After that, until blooming, they get a weak 10.10.10 at first, and later in the year, from February - May, with a 0.0.10, or a 0.6.10. These are the analysis of some organic fertilizers for Orchids or Tomatoes, or root-boost/Bloom products, really, it's just a little of whatever I can get which is low in Nitrogen. I try to stay away from salt and soluable treatments. The foliage dies around late May for me, and I used to move the pots up onto a wire bench, where summer temps can reach 110 degrees F, ( like this year) but just recently moved them onto a slightly damp sand bed, where the cyclamen spend the winter, It is slightly damp, and then, I splash them slightly. The roots seem to like to delve deeper, into the damp sand bed, perhaps looking for water, so I treat these Nerine in the same way one would treat Cyclamen graecum, who are sharing this space....which also seem to need water during the summer dormancy, something I learned from John Lonsdale when I complained that my C. graecum never seemed to survive the summer in the greenhouse, dry. I have resisted repoting these pots on, from the 6" square plastic, and I could use some advice. Four years ago, I repotted most of my Nerine up a few sizes, on from the 3 inch clay pots which I used to grow them in ( as advised by Sir Peter Smithers). One year I tried 6 inch plastic pots, and used simply Pro Mix potting soil, and kept a few dozen plants in a plunge bed which was kept damp, and the result were so promising, that the following year, I converted most of my collection over. Now, my collection is not large, only about 70 pots, but these 6 inch pots are not bulging, and many have four or five mature bulbs in them. Part of me want to pot them up into larger pots, since I do have one in a 12 inch pan, and it has magnificent foliage, but rarely blooms. I may break up some and repot them individually again, and then I may keep some pot-bound. If anyone has any advice, please let me know. My flowering rate did improve with the addition of a little water in the summer, to nearly 80% last year. But who knows, this year, I have been lazy, and it has been hotter than usual, so many bulbs are actually smaller. But I did start splashing some water this week, so we shall see! Perhaps the biggest risk will be the heating costs for this coming winter. I just had my gas tank filled for the greenhouse, and it is nearly twice what it cost to fill in March! Matt Mattus Worcester, Massachusetts USA Zone 5B-ish On 7/11/08 12:59 PM, "Clayton3120" <Clayton3120@cablespeed.com> wrote: > AH, > This is a great topic. I, also water my Nerines in the summer, lightly. > Certainly, no fertilizer, but grow all Nerines in clay pots, so they do NOT > stay wet. Works for me. > Clayton > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/