Hi Rodger, In addition to Jane McCary's excellent potting mix, I personally would add a few grains of a well balanced, 8-9 months slow release, low nitrogen, NPK fertiliser with trace elements (available from most garden centres) As a rule I add it to most of our mixes, including the Tecophilaea type form and variety violacea, with outstanding results and good sized corms. From seed I usually get them to flower after 3 years. Best wishes, Bill Dijk Tauranga, New Zealand :annual rainfall :1250 mm. Sunshine hours, mean annual : 2350 hours. Temp.mean max.Summer : 25°C. winter:///15°C/. Temp.mean min. Summer :14.5°C. Winter: 5°C. Wet mild Winters with occasional light frost. >> The type form and var. leichtlinii seem to have done well and formed >> a reasonable number of flowering size corms, but var. violcacea >>formed only what you might call "half size" corms. >> > In my experience, violacea is markedly less hardy than the typical T. > cyanocrocus. I don't think there is any important difference between ssp. > cyanocrocus and ssp. leichtlinii; judging from the description of the > rediscovered wild populations, they are just color variants, the latter > having more white in the throat. > > I grow mine in a mix with a lot of pumice (including fines), which is what > they would have in the wild; it provides ample iron and potassium.