I also follow Ian's schedule for watering, but to be clear, both Ian, and I, water generally around the first week of September, but schedules adjust to start watering when night time temperatures are cooler, generally around the last week of August through early September. Here, in central Massachusetts, we started getting chilly nights in the 50's last weekend, so I started watering my winter growing bulbs that have been placed in their plunges, waiting for their first "autumn" rains. Outside bulbs get no special treatment. This only applies to bulbs grown under protection, which, I believe is what Ian Young also refers to when he talks about his first watering. Now, to further clarify, this treatment is applied only to those bulbs that are tender, the fall and winter blooming bulbs in the greenhouse, the alpine house and bulb beds. For me, this means the Nerine sarniensis hybrids and Lachenalia in the glass house, the winter blooming Oxalis, the Tecophilea, Romulea, Velthiemia, and basically all of the winter blooming South African bulbs. Also in the greenhouse, it is the time that I start watering the pots of Narcissus romieuxii, albidus and the other fall and winter blooming tender narcissus as well as all of the pots of Cyclamen species, ( C. cilicium, C. mirabile, C. intaminatum, C.coum and, well, we grow most of them). All of these were repotted in August and have been awaiting their first "rain" generally around September 1. I traditionally have started watering on labor day here in the US which is around the first week of September. If it is still hot, I wait a week or too. I prefer not to wait longer since many of the bulbs are already starting to root, which I believe is triggered by temperature and a sort-of internal clock, more than by day length. Last week I was still repotting some oxalis species which I was late repotting, and they all we're starting to root, even though I had not begun watering yet. Of course, the first watering is just a signal watering, I soak the plunge material (sand) and then wait as long as a month before I water again. I simple water well, until the plunge is dripping, then wait until I see growth. I would advise that growers of these bulbs wait until they start to get cooler evening temperatures before starting the growing cycle. Matt Mattus Worcester, Massachusetts USA USDA Zone 5b