Ina in New Zealand wrote: >I have some succulent mix and am wondering if that would be good to >plant the Tecophilaea bulbs in. If the "succulent mix" is mostly sand and grit, it should be suitable. The natural substrate of this species is sand and scree of volcanic origin (i.e., acidic), and the description of the rediscovered wild populations suggested to me that it is a snowmelt plant. I have a lot of them and grew them for many years in a mixture of coarse sand, ground pumice, and a little humus. Now they're in pure coarse volcanic-origin sand and gravel with some loam down below, and they are currently flowering vigorously. I fertilize them regularly during the growing season. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA