Lycoris and Rain
arnold trachtenberg (Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:36:45 PDT)

John:
You have touched on a favorite topic of mine, what triggers a bulb to
put forth a flower at a specific time of year.

Is it the availability of water as in spring rains, drop in temperature
as you have mentioned for lycoris or changes in light intensity or
duration. I have some cyclamen hederifolium flowering that have been
sitting out side on a stone wall. I put my boophone disticha in the
basement under lights for the winter and with out changes in water,
light duration it almost always comes into growth in early March.

I imagine there are chemical triggers that are in place that are
responsible for the flower initiation.

Any thoughts out there?

Arnold