David, I think you're headed in the wrong direction. Mary Sue has mentioned in the past that she cannot grow Lycoris in the garden, and as I recall she attributes that to summer drought. They grow and bloom yearly here in the east where they get plenty of summer water. Jim Waddick has mentioned seeing wild plants growing at the verges of drainage ditches. Plants of Lycoris aurea in my protected cold frame (kept dry in the summer) grew beautifully during the first year and when checked a few months ago had shriveled to little bulbs. Years ago, we had a severe summer drought; when the plants of Lycoris squamigera came into bloom, the scapes were only about six inches high. You should probably be giving them more water rather than less and making an effort to keep them steadily moist rather than letting them dry out severely. Watering after a dry period probably does not trigger flowering in Lycoris as it seems to in Habranthus. I think the jury is still out on exactly what triggers flowering in Lycoris, but it does not seem to be water after drought. I think they also need summer heat to flower well – that should be no problem for you! Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/