I have Amarcrinum in zone 7a outside and provide no additional treatment. They typically bloom from late summer till first frost and I have two different ones with one being a little darker pink. In zone 5 if you grow them in a raised bed with bulb about 10" under and after first frost cover top of plant with a 12"X12" piece of builders wrap (lets air transfer and just a little bit of water get through) and then add about four inches of mulch on top they should do well.Dry soil is a good insulator and wet soil is a very poor insulator. It is the trapped air that keeps bulb from freezing. George Dees Liberty, NC Zone 7a -----Original Message----- From: Fred Biasella <fbiasella@watertownsavings.com> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Fri, Jun 25, 2010 12:53 pm Subject: [pbs] A Tale of Two Amarcrinums Hi Jim, I purchased 3 bulbs of xAmarcrinum "Summer Maid" from White Flower Farm many any years ago and the bulbs have multiplied very well, but I have not tried to lant them outdoors yet. I have mine planted in a large and VERY HEAVY!!!! pot hat I lug outdoors in the spring. Mine bloom very reliably around the end of ugust into September give or take a week or two and their blooming cycle seem o be affected by the amount of water, day length and cooler weather. This particular cv. has very pretty, numerous and fragrant pink blossoms that re well shaped and even, very unlike some of the others I've tried which have ather misshapen and un-even blooms. I too may try to plant (test) a bulb or two n a protected spot this winter...stay tuned. Given the parentage, I think hey'll do fine especially if they're planted deeply and in a sunny spot. Good Luck, red Biasella ambridge (Boston) MA SDA Zone 6b -----Original Message----- rom: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On ehalf Of James Waddick ent: Friday, June 25, 2010 11:39 AM o: Pacific Bulb Society ubject: [pbs] A Tale of Two Amarcrinums Dear Friends, A few years ago, a generous PBS member sent me a bulb of Amarcrinum. It has grown well and expanded in its nursery pot, but I ave not yet been brave enough to try it in the ground. I'd sure ppreciate any experience with hardiness of this hybrid outdoors in one 5/6. Ths fall, I'll pot up one of the suckers and winter it in the reen house along with its parent, but plant the 'pup' outdoors next pring. Still no bloom. Two years ago I saw bulbs of xAmarcrinum at a local garden enter. You know those things hanging on the wall in plastic bags rom some anonymous Dutch wholesaler? Since my original had not loomed, I bought a second for a different test subject. This bulb lso went into a similar size and shape pot and had produced 2 pups efore the end of the first season. It has continued to grow more igorously than my first specimen. I was suspicious. Now it has sent up a flower spike and my fears were confirmed C. x powellii and a not very good one at that. Crinum x powellii is a good hardy Crinum for me, but I not eed more. I plan to donate some to the BX later this year. When should xAmarcrinum actually bloom and will it even do so n a large nursery pot? Together with hardiness comments, maybe I hould just give up on this all together. I need encouragement or dis -.... The best of times, the worst of times........... Best Jim W. -- r. James W. Waddick 871 NW Brostrom Rd. ansas City Missouri 64152-2711 SA h. 816-746-1949 one 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F + _______________________________________________ bs mailing list bs@lists.ibiblio.org ttp://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php ttp://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ ______________________________________________ bs mailing list bs@lists.ibiblio.org ttp://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php ttp://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/