I have found the Dierama discussion fascinating. Thoughts of "why am I not having these problems" are running through my head. Possibly it's the climate here on the south coast of Oregon? Yes, they take a while to bloom, and they don't bloom as well if they don't get what they consider their allotted amount of summer water. This last summer being a case in point. I didn't water as well as I should have in the canyard which is in full sun. The pulcherrimums didn't flower well but the dracomontanums (?) did fine. Fertilizer does help them to flower at an earlier age. I have shipped and will continue to ship them to customers bareroot; so far, I haven't had complaints, but then I always wonder if customers for whatever reason just neglect to tell me (shame on them!). Yes, they're brittle, but not to the point of dying out when I damage them a little. I have noticed that when they become potbound, they don't bloom as well. When I transplant, I use cross-band pots 6" or taller (Anderson) or gallon cans with 3 or more to a container. I hope (as I've been saying for how many years?) to get some planted in my sandy soil this summer. Working full-time and running the nursery kinda' cramps my gardening style... Robin Hansen Zone 9, SW Oregon, USA Major winter storm in progress