Dear all, I find all the pros and cons of bulb needs very interesting, but like Adam give high credence to provenance or where the bulb originated. Ixiolirion is a plant of Central Asian steppes and would seem tailor made for my growing conditions in the Central American Steppes (U.S. Prairie) . Cold winter, low to moderate rainfall, high temps in summer. limestone soils etc etc. Perhaps the bulbs genetic transposition through Dutch care has made them less agreeable to quasi-native treatments. And perhaps my best bet would be grow them from seed collected in the wild from a habitat more similar to mine than the Dutch bulb fields. And this relates to the subject of lime. I know, I know, I know that prepared soil and soilless mixes are pH adjusted to be neutral (ph 7.0) or nearly so, but (I think) I see better growth when I add a seasoning of pulverized lime/ limestone to each pot and some get a larger helping like peonies and hellebores. Call me crazy to add lime where the water pH is almost 11 (yes, true), but it does seem to help. Best Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +