Leo, Thanks for your response. My original thought was to continue to grow the pot outside until about the middle of Oct and then bring it into cold storage for the winter. It appears that if it blooms it will be much later than I originally thought. It's the 4th of Aug and no sign of anything yet. I will probably bring it in a little earlier and continue to grow it indoors throughout the winter and see what happens. Also, thanks for pointing me to Jim Waddick's article on Lycoris sp. Jim, this is a great reference article. I will definitely be looking to source some bulbs. Thanks, Brad. -----Original Message----- From: pbs [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Leo A. Martin Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2014 3:58 PM To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org Subject: Re: [pbs] Lycoris squamigera & Amaryllis belladonna Brad wrote > ...Ontario, Canada. Zone 5b..... I planted four Amaryllis belladonna > bulbs in a large pot in May..... The intent is to bring the pot into > my cold storage once fall comes. By cold, it will average +/- 40 F and > may slip to 32 F a couple of times. (This has worked well for me with > Oxalis sp.) I am anxiously waiting for something (anything) to emerge > from this pot. Am I on the right track? Do you mean you are going to grow them in cold storage under supplemental lighting? Or are you going to try and store them cool all winter and grow them in the spring? This plant is an obligate winter-grower that goes dormant with hot and dry weather, blooms in late summer, makes leaves in the fall as temperatures cool down, is in leaf throughout its expected cool, mild and rainy (not snowy) winter, and goes dormant again when it gets hot in the spring. It will not be dormant in cold storage - it will try and grow, no matter what you do. It considers 40F to be an ideal growing temperature. It is dormant during hot and dry weather. It is from a Mediterranean climate, and people in Continental climates don't seem to be able to grow it at all, with the exception perhaps of Jim Waddick. > ...I had never considered Lycoris sp. for planting directly in the > garden. Has anyone ever planted these in the garden in Zone 5 or 6? L. squamigera is supposed to be the hardiest and it is supposed to grow to zone 5a. It is from a typical Continental climate with moderate humid rainy summers and cold winters. Of note, Jim Waddick has produced a document available on our Wiki that covers cold-hardiness of various Lycoris species. It sounds as though Brad should try some. http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/…. pdf Leo Martin Phoenix Arizona USA