Rain Lilies

[Jeron Chamberlain]

I put these Zephyranthes grandiflora

under the sprinklers on a Saturday and they were in bloom on Wednesday.  Of course they were done blooming within a week of starting into growth.  I will have miscellaneous flowers to look forward to the rest of the summer.  Thanks to @Luminita for the bulbs.

[Luminita]

You are welcome! Mine are also blooming everytime I water my gardens, even though we are in a long draught at the moment! These zephyrantes are quite prolific, and I keep having more and more of them!
Enjoy!
Luminita

[Rdevries]

Zephyranthes jonesii

[Rdevries]

Zephyranthes smalii, hardy in ground year round here in Southern Kentucky

[Rdevries]

Zephyranthes citrinum

[Rdevries]

Zephyranthes fluvialis

[Rdevries]

Zephyranthes reginea. Open butter yellow, Turns almost white second day. Little to no rosea on reverse

[Diane Whitehead]

It is difficult to see any differences among your yellow ones.  How can you distinguish them?

[Rdevries]

Size, color, name they came under, comparison to Odgens book, petal orientation etc  

[Luminita]

The yellow ones look nice as well, I don't have any. I do however have a few white ones, they don't bloom as much as the pink, but are just as nice to look at. I'll have to try to get a few yellow ones too. 
Thank you Rimmer for the picts.
Luminita

[MLoos]

I've had these for about 5 years now.  It seems it always takes me a few years to really the hang of growing something, regardless of how much I read about it.  Flower number 5 opened after this was taken.

Zephryanthes 'Big Dude', one of the laBuffarosa lineage, I think it was selected by the old Yucca Do nursery.  The flowers are really quite a bit larger than many of the others, like 'Lily Pies' and 'Cookie Cutter Moon'.  All are taken in for the winter, kept bone dry, and placed back outside in the spring.  Everything gets a good 6 months of active growth before drying off for the winter.  i poke around and refresh soil in the spring, at minimum top dress the first inch or two.

And yes, bulb files are treacherous.  

Michael
Interlaken NY Zone 6-ish

[Rdevries]

Michael you might want to keep the rainlilies somewhat hydrated for most of the winter and let them dry off in later winter to early spring. Consider the weather patterns where these grow in nature. My rain lilies seem to keep lots of leaves all winter. Losing them in spring early summer and making new leaves in mid to later summer 

[MLoos]

I've got to correct a comment I made earlier.  Z. 'Big Dude' is a Tony Avent selection of LaBuffarosa.  I was checking the Wiki and found the history.  It seems I've been checking the archive a lot recently...

Rimmer - unfortunately, I don't have an option on the seasonal timing for most my plants.  I wish I did.  I'm sure your suggestions would make my plants thrive, but my lights are already full.  I already have SO MANY lights running over the winter, I think it actually likely helps my emotional state!  With the exception of Strumaria, most of the bulbous plants I grow are limited to being strictly summer growers.  The Strumaria are small enough to keep under the lights and only take up one full shelf.   I have one or two struggling Haemanthus and a few other winter growing genera under the lights, but for the greater part, I shut down the season around November.  Many plants go onto shelves and stored until spring.  I have to be rather heartless.  Usually the caudiciforms and other succulents are just fine.  Some struggle and I try to be careful with them.  Big pots, like the Crinum and Eucomis go in the cellar and get revived in spring.

Now folks reading this may think, "How many lights?  Is there really no more room?"  There are 20- 4 foot fixtures, 2 -300 watt LED and one 1000 watt LED.  I actually need more lights as it is... or a greenhouse... I'm working on that.  I've been moving towards LED with all the 4 foot fixtures by rewiring the old lines to accept the new tubes.  It has been helping considerably with the ability to offer more light without added expense.  But I digress...

Is anyone growing the more unusual Zephyranthes?  I believe there are quite good doubles available and unique colors.  I'd love to hear about it and see pictures!

[Rdevries]

I also use lights and grow most of my bulbs in a garage when it is cold. The rain lilies go on the floor under a flow table (used for big pots) stacked on bulb crates with no lights over them, only light they get falls from nearby lights on wire shelves. So they don't need much light in winter when they are still in leaf. 

I hope your circuits can handle all the lights.  

[MLoos]

Well, that IS intriguing!  I will have to try a little longer growing season with them and keep them closer (likely not under) the lights.  It's always interesting to find out how others are growing plants.  

I've been fortunate to collect a few light carts when people divested, constructed a few, and modified bakers racks.  They all suddenly become a room full.  I do wish for a greenhouse.