Hello Norman- I agree with everything Diana has already said, but had a few additional bits. You will be repotting in no time with a one gallon pot and I think you should at least go with a 3 gallon. This plant will take some cramping and will form decent clumps in the ground, but if too cramped without adequate root space, the flowering with suffer, so I would not say that it is the preferred condition like some Zephyranthes, etc. For me, I find it is tolerant of drier conditions than some Hymenocallis, but that is from my Florida perspective of dry which has humidity usually well above 40% and this plant certainly won't be happy if the soil is too dry. Fir bark I would not equate with compost. I would recommend something like a mixture of composted cow manure and medium course sand. Pumice, perlite, and pea gravel could be added but they will probably increase the need to water more often than anything else and are not really necessary. Measuring from the basal plate to the surface, I would probably plant about two inches below the surface with the neck partially buried, but I am not sure what you mean by one inch without a reference point. I know some who plant them even deeper but that is in Zone 7. This plant seems to be quite hardy for me and does very well in the ground here having been hardy down to 17 degrees Fahrenheit though only for a few hours at a time. I find it a moderate producer offsets. Steady & regular. I hope that helps. Alani Davis Tallahassee, Florida Zone 8b (for now) -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Norman Rose Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 3:59 PM To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org Subject: [pbs] Hymenocallis Question Hi All, I will be getting a Hymenocallis maximillini bulb in a few days. I have looked through the archives and searched the web to learn what this plant likes. Here is what I have concluded. Needs rich well drained soil. Keep soil moist. It needs a dry dormant period in the winter. The soil mix I will be using is compost (fir bark) sand, pumice,perlite and pea gravel. Does this soil mix sound good. Also, I wanted to put this in a 1 gallon black plastic pot. Does this bulb like to be crowded? Is 1 inch deep OK for this? I live in San Jose California. I know this variety comes from Mexico and gets more humidity there than we get here on the west coast. Any suggestions to my growing notes would be appreciated. thanks again Norman Rose San Jose California Zone 9 _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php