Calostemmas grow naturally here. When I have tried to dig them they are usually quite a long way down - at least 18". I feel this keeps them cool during our long hot summers with occasional rain during that time but it would not penetrate that far down. There is a huge patch which would get the run off from a local road but then there are also odd bulbs on the high side of roads and in the paddocks - I do know these ones are way down deep.Last year we had a drought and when the Calostemmas on the high side of the road flowered they were extra small and not many blooms.This year we had no rain in Jan, 14mls in Feb, 7 in March, 40.5 in April, 26 in May, 74.5 in June, 92.5(2x the amount of last July) in July. I think they will flower well this year. We get about 20" annually. March, April, May is Autumn etc.March can still be fairly hot but the rain would not have reached the bulbs but I am pretty sure that the bulbs start into new growth once the night temperatures start dropp ing.Hope this helps a little. Pat Toolan PO Box 568, Angaston SA 5353 08 85 648 286 > Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 22:48:44 -0700 > From: leo@possi.org > To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > Subject: [pbs] When to water Calostemma > > For those here understanding climates in Australia: When should I start watering > Calostemma purpureum? They grow for me but haven't bloomed. I have been keeping them > inside my house in their containers since they died down last spring. A lot of > discussion in our archives suggests they need good soakings at the end of summer when it > is still hot in order to flower. In the past I haven't watered them until it cooled down > in November, but then recently I read about late summer watering. > > We still have daytime temperatures around 110F / 43C and will be above 100F / 38C during > the day for at least the next two months, through mid or late October. Nights are in the > range 85-90F / 30-32C though they will start cooling in a month or so. We may still get > summer monsoon rain through mid September. > > Thanks, > > Leo Martin > Phoenix Arizona USA > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/