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Hertfordshire, United Kingdom Gb

Hi there , nerene lillies! The photo you are looking at could have been taken in 2013 or now 2015 the plants have never flowered and have stayed the same for two and a half years. I know about the right feed for flowers, but no luck. The question is ,should I cut them right back or leave them alone? Regards john p.



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Answers

 

Have you buried the bulbs too deeply? The neck needs to be above ground. They also need full sun and a dry dormancy so do not water once the leaves have died back until the flower buds start to appear. Basically think Mediterranean so you shouldn't be feeding at all.

11 Oct, 2015

 

Yep, best in very dry, light soil - the best ones I've ever seen grew at the foot of a southfacing wall, right up against the wall - they'd spread themselves all along, right in the rain shadow where they got hardly any moisture, and the soil was really light and sandy. Never fed, never watered by the owner either. He gave me some - they're crammed into a pot on the balcony, I throw a bit of water at them occasionally when its hot, otherwise, they have to rely on a bit of rain getting in there, and that's it - they're poking up out of the pot now, very overcrowded, but I can see 10 flowers coming now - not enough, I'll need to split them up next spring...

11 Oct, 2015

 

Also, like all bulbs, this year's leaves are necessary for next year's flowers. Don't remove the leaves until they are completely yellow and brown--ideally not until spring.

13 Oct, 2015

 

Tug, in the UK, the leaves are usually going yellow by now, and usually just before or when flowering starts. They certainly disappear by mid to late autumn. Usually flowers are present with no leaves at all, or just a few withered or withering ones which people remove for aesthetic reasons.

13 Oct, 2015

 

Oops! Differing climates again! Here in the desert, they grow leaves in the winter, immediately after blooming, then they yellow and die in late spring. I forgot the effects of serious winters.

16 Oct, 2015

 

ah, well here, the leaves start growing around late spring, remain through summer, then start shrivelling and yellowing around September time, before the flowers start.

16 Oct, 2015

 

Remarkably adaptable plant!

18 Oct, 2015

 

Yes - I probably wouldn't recognise it where you are because I wouldn't expect it to have leaves after October!

18 Oct, 2015

How do I say thanks?

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