By Thorneyside
Berkshire, United Kingdom
I bought a couple of Hymenocallis bulbs a few years ago which have flowered ok but this year I only have leaves although lots of them. It's in a really big pot with a Lophomyrtis which barely grows at all so I think it's reached its height. Should I split them up now or wait till the leaves have died back?
- 29 Jul, 2017
Answers
Thanks for the advice Bamboo and no, it's always been outside.
29 Jul, 2017
Oh right - which variety is it, do you know?
29 Jul, 2017
It looks the same as 3d bit's picture the other day. My photo last year August 4th page 10 of my pics but I don't know anything else, sorry.
29 Jul, 2017
Looks like H. festalis - these are not hardy,so its usual to lift and store over winter, or take the whole pot into a greenhouse out of the cold. Goes to show how mild the winters have been since 2010 that yours is actually still growing, even if its not flowering.
29 Jul, 2017
Yes, I have to agree Bamboo. This year we had a couple of frosts but nothing too bad and the previous couple of years the same. You must be quite similar to me weatherwise living in London. I live at Heathrow which usually comes up as the hottest place when we have a heatwave. I can't take the pot in as it's huge but might think about lifting the bulbs, as you say. Thanks.
30 Jul, 2017
Well I'm not far from Heathrow, I'm in West London and yes, its always the hottest bit of London, nightmare!
30 Jul, 2017
While tidying the large pot where these are I found a label I had written which said Ismene festalis. An alias perhaps?
5 Aug, 2017
A synonym yes - actually, its been renamed, along with a lot of other plants, due to DNA sequencing usually, so now its Hymenocallis, but you'll still find it on Google if you put in Ismene.
5 Aug, 2017
Wait till they're going dormant, then split the bulbs - I assume you take it under shelter for the winter, but if they didn't flower this year, feed them now with a balanced liquid fertiliser weekly, while the leaves are still functioning. As soon as the leaves start going over, stop feeding.
29 Jul, 2017