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Sep 29, 2015 9:19 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Debbie
Manitoba, Canada (Zone 3a)
Amaryllis Dog Lover Dragonflies Foliage Fan Hostas Houseplants
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Enjoys or suffers hot summers Daylilies Critters Allowed Annuals
I have 2 varieties of Eucomis, Sparkling Burgundy and another green leaved variety I don't recall the name of. I've had these bulbs for approx 6 -7 years; they have not bloomed for several years now. I grow them in containers and have them outside on my sunny patio for the summer months. Last year after they failed to bloom, I brought them in when frost was imminent and tried growing them under grow lights for some time to see if they would bloom but no luck. I then let them go dormant for the winter. This year I repotted them in larger containers, gave them all new soil, made sure they had lots of sun, etc. but all I got again was leaves. What am I doing wrong?
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Sep 29, 2015 10:06 PM CST
central Illinois
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
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I let them get crowded in the containers they're in, fertilize a few times in summer and overwinter dry in the basement. They've been blooming for years.
Thumb of 2015-09-30/jmorth/a4a3edTo the right and to the left of the Gloriosa tower are Pineapple Lilies.
Nothing that's been done can ever be changed.
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Sep 30, 2015 7:55 AM CST
Name: Neal Linville
Winchester, KY (Zone 6a)
Bulbs Charter ATP Member Cottage Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Irises Roses
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I treat them the same as jmorth describes and also get reliable bloom. I did purchase some last year from 2 vendors (6 bulbs from one, and 1 bulb from the other), and oddly none of them bloomed the first year, but all of them bloomed this year. I grow them where they receive about 1/2 a day of direct sun. I use a soluble fertilizer for blooming plants on them.
"...and don't think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It's quiet, but the roots are down there riotous." Rumi
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Sep 30, 2015 8:14 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Debbie
Manitoba, Canada (Zone 3a)
Amaryllis Dog Lover Dragonflies Foliage Fan Hostas Houseplants
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Enjoys or suffers hot summers Daylilies Critters Allowed Annuals
Thank you for your replies. Other than repotting them this spring I have been caring for them pretty much the same as you both describe. I hope they will bloom for me next year!
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Sep 30, 2015 2:09 PM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
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I only grow the Dwarf Eucomis 'Tiny Piny Opal'

Thumb of 2015-09-30/tarev/d2c189 Thumb of 2015-09-30/tarev/dfdb96
Thumb of 2015-09-30/tarev/50ccfe Thumb of 2015-09-30/tarev/9bf5d5

They grow in that little fabric container. During late Spring to early Summer they are out in full sun, and I start watering actively when I see new leaves sprouting. Then got to water them often to daily, especially when our temps are hitting 90F and higher to triple digits. It always makes it blooms during our hottest period in August. By late Fall, it will die down and will just hide in my garage till next Spring. I have not repotted this either since I got it, knowing that it prefers to grow tight. Oh, and I did add a little compost during Spring.

Maybe you need to adjust watering?
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Oct 7, 2015 1:41 PM CST
Name: Ruud
The Netherlands
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I grow several species. Apart from the more tender E. vanderwerwei I grow them outside with regular feeding (some extra kalium close to winter) until serious night-frost is due. Then I bluntly chop off any green (usually still quite a lot if not all) and store dry in my cellar. Repot in earliest spring (March or so, depends a little if I already see growth returning or not). Most of them, including the Sparkling Burgundy, flower yearly.

You can, however, kill a vandermerwei this way. The small bulbs may completely dry out. So they better overwinter in the pot and then they do flower every year too. I do not have a "Tiny Piny Opal" but the Meise botanical garden has a lot of E. zambasiaca cultivars which are treated much the same as mine vandermerwei: frostfree and not too dry in winter.

Ruud
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Aug 14, 2019 1:37 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Debbie
Manitoba, Canada (Zone 3a)
Amaryllis Dog Lover Dragonflies Foliage Fan Hostas Houseplants
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Enjoys or suffers hot summers Daylilies Critters Allowed Annuals
Update on my non blooming Eucomis that I posted in 2015; doing the happy dance because after all this time they are both coming into bloom! Hurray! Whoever said that gardening was an exercise in patience was certainly correct. Maybe they are responding to my threats of sending them to the compost heap! I don't know why they have been so stubborn. I have given them a lot of fertilizer this year so maybe that was the trick; I don't know. I will post pics once the blooms are visible above the foliage; they are still hiding. nodding
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Sep 8, 2019 6:47 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Debbie
Manitoba, Canada (Zone 3a)
Amaryllis Dog Lover Dragonflies Foliage Fan Hostas Houseplants
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Enjoys or suffers hot summers Daylilies Critters Allowed Annuals
So happy to see Sparkling Burgundy finally blooming after all these years! Hurray!
Thumb of 2019-09-09/DebbieC/3ad001
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Sep 8, 2019 7:01 PM CST
Name: Kristi
east Texas pineywoods (Zone 8a)
Herbs Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Level 2
Hurray! HooRay! That is pretty! Lovey dubby
Believe in yourself even when no one else will. ~ Sasquatch
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Sep 8, 2019 7:07 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Debbie
Manitoba, Canada (Zone 3a)
Amaryllis Dog Lover Dragonflies Foliage Fan Hostas Houseplants
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Enjoys or suffers hot summers Daylilies Critters Allowed Annuals
Thank You! Kristi!
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Sep 9, 2019 9:03 AM CST
Name: Deborah
midstate South Carolina (Zone 8a)
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I agree Drooling I'm sure it was worth the wait.
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