John wrote: >I am curious to know Kenneth's recommendations for L. humboldtii, >I have not attempted >to 'push' this one!) I see that McRae says that it is (of the West Coast >dryland spp) 'probably the least fastidious and easiest to manage' but notes >that it wants to be very dry through late summer and autumn. Any comments on >this? For one reason or another, I've never grown mature bulbs of this species. I have grown and lost seedlings, probably because they were kept too dry after they died down. Many people have commented that bulb seedlings attempt to grow both earlier and later than the parent bulbs, and do not stand drying out as small plants. The problem is when to stop trying to keep the seedlings growing, and start treating them like adults. Growing them in pots is one answer. Growing lilies in pots is a problem in a climate where freezing weather can make mush of the bulbs, so I tend to avoid growing very many seedlings in pots. The seedlings I currently have going are growing in an area which will get water all summer, so we'll have to wait and see. I haven't looked recently, but I believe they are already dormant for the summer. If your seedlings are starting to flower at four years old, you are probably doing about as well as can be expected. Sorry I'm not more help. Ken