Hi all, Well, Arnold's links and Dylan's remarks answer my questions. At the very least, I'm letting my Proiphys amboinensis get too cold in winter! I think they got too little water from me this past summer, as well. I suspect I'd do better to grow Proiphys cunninghamii (Brisbane Lily), since it is subtropical in origin. Does anyone know a source for Proiphys cunninghamii? Best wishes, Jim Shields in central Indiana (USA) At 07:27 PM 9/30/2007 -0700, you wrote: >Erin, > >I suspect your bulbs suffered the extremely cruel fate that amaryllids >often suffer when they are prepared for shipment by commercial >concerns-- the bulbs were stripped of their roots. Since they are >perennial roots that build up over time this butchering can set the >plants back 2-3 seasons or longer, even if they flower the first >season from existing flower buds stored in the bulb. They often need >careful attention in the initial stages of re-establishing the root >system. > >I have several P. amboinensis and one just finished flowering (1st >time) and is now producing what look like fertile fruits, like little >glossy green oranges, without hand-pollination. It is truly a tropical >plant and likely would not appreciate low temps much below 55-60 in >winter. It thrives in shade, quite a bit of shade even, and that is >when the membranous leaf blades with their magnificent venation look >best. With proper shading it should be ok in your hot summers; your >warm nights should be ideal. I would call it "slow" since it does not >offset readily but apparently can over time if left undistrurbed. I am >not completely certain of this but it seems to be a "monsoon season" >plant and thus begins growth at the start of summer and looses its >leaves in late fall. So, don't try to coax it into growth in spring >unless it sends out new leaves on its own. > >The bulbs benefit greatly by having free root run (like most >amaryllids) and so you might try starting the bulb/s in fairly small >pots (5" or 6" diam) and once the leaves develop, and the soil >requires extra watering because of all the new roots in a small space, >"plunge" them in a planter or raised bed of loose organic mix for the >summer and remove them to a warmer location in fall/winter. This will >probably generate some trauma to the roots each fall but should bring >better results that confining them to larger containers. They seem to >do better with roots on the moist side in dormancy and generous >watering and fertilizing when growing. An organic, sandy mix suits >them. The top of the bulbs should be just under the surface of the >mix. Good luck! > >Dylan ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA