Exactly Jane. This is why I repeat, so often, basic principles for growing the plants I have some knowledge of. There will always be new people around who need good advice before being told keep some plant wet because it can take a few millimeters of rain during its dormancy, or baking it, or transplanting before secondary roots have formed... so many tips which are useful but will lead to failure if misunderstood. Leos observations on the climate zones in SouthAfrica are very interesting, and I believe good advice, but in general Summer storing of winter growing bulbs is, in my experience, best done by keeping them cool -( not chilled!) and fairly dry. I did in fact buy another bulb of F bucharica two years later, and it has finally divided after years, I also grow and flower various other Rhinopetalums as well. No thanks to a certain writer... Kevin Pratts book is only fit to be used by those who already know enough not to be misled by it, -and they are the people least in need of such a book! Peter (UK) On Fri, Oct 26, 2012 at 4:41 PM, Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net>wrote: > Peter Taggart wrote. > >His advice was "put it out in the rain .. yes it will take all the water > it > >can get at this time of year!" that was a wet October. The plant was in an > >appropriate soil mix (not that he asked) and the bulb was dead in three > >days. > > As far as I know there is only one "book about Fritillaria," by Kevin > Pratt, and I warn new enthusiasts of the genus that there is a great > deal of misinformation in it. Fortunately, I had been growing these > bulbs for some years before the book appeared, so when I read it I > knew what was wrong with it. Do not put your trust in it. > > Fritillaria bucharica is in fact the easiest species in the > Rhinopetalum section to grow in gardens, but although it flourishes > with a little overhead cover here, our wet Oregon fall-winter-spring > is fatal to it > Jane McGary > Portland, Oregon, USA > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >