Nerine Bowdenii

I bought a Nerine Bowdenii a couple of years ago ,planted it and let it get on with it ,:thumb: i did look out for it and remember seeing a few leaves, this year nothing, until, yesterday i found this long thin looking flower shoot a bit weak and feeble but i think thats what it is ,
I think perhaps i planted it to deep, should i leave it alone or after flowering lift it and replant shallower. :cnfs:

 

This is such a lovely looking plant Pam, my mum has one and have devided it several times so lots of lush pink in her garden!

It is one bulb that needs to be planted half out of the soil to get it to flower. Plant it at any depth and it will only produce leaves until, after a few years of growth, the bulb reaches the surface and then it will flower

I had a quick look as I thought I remember my mum saying its one of the few that you plant with the top out.

It probably does need to be removed and replanted but I am not sure in what month it would be best to do it in though

 

Time to divide plants: February to March

I would imagine thats the best to replant - if its ok to dig up and divide then

 

Too delicate and fiddly for my liking. I prefer bulbs that you plant, ignore until Spring, appreciate them and then ignore again until the following year! I understand Nerines need more attention than that...and they still take a couple of years to establish.

They are beautiful though

 

A lovely flower for Autumn,as you say plant shallow and best in groups.

 

Nice show there Roders.
Never managed to establish it my self as the few hot spots that I have, always seem to get planted with something thats summer flowering.:D

But yours are looking very good:gnthb:

 

They look wonderful Roders. :flwsml:

 

Stunning Roders .... reminds me of my mums I think they look absolutely amazing lining a pathway! Wonderful colour this time of year when so much is past its best

 

Try Kaffir Lily Sam, much easier to grow and bloom in lovely shades of red and pink right about now. Although not as dramatic looking as Nerines I will admit.

Roders, great display. Still too fiddly for me though!

 

Oh I love lillies too Another one to add for next year :wink:

 

There gorgeous Roders ..

 

Despite their delicate appearance Nerines are hardy and should flower from now until early November at least - they're great as cut flowers. Give them a good drink now, but don't overwater them otherwise they'll just give you loads of leaf next year. The buds are pretty uninspiring, green 'sticks' with - if you're lucky - a small bulge at the top, but give them time.

As for the lack of flowers - years ago my Gran was given some bulbs by a relative who worked on the Sandringham estate ... his advice? For a start, they hate disturbance and can take up to 5 or 6 years to re-establish in new surroundings - mainly because they flower best in very dense clumps. Just plant them, leave them alone and let them multiply until they get really overcrowded. As yours are only 'a couple of years' old, you probably won't get many flowers just yet, but each year they'll give you a bigger and better display. My clump (offspring of offspring of the Sandringham bulbs) have been in for 4 years and are just beginning to come into their own ... now, where did I leave my copy of 'The Impatient Gardener' :lollol:

 

So your Gran has royal Nerines?

Can I borrow your copy of 'The Impatient Gardener', when you find it?

 

So adding all the advice together and dividing i get,

Leave it alone, doesn`t like being disturbed.:skp:

I will scrape some of the soil off the top to expose the top of the bulb, its probably forced its way up anyway.

As it is flowering now perhaps it can only get better, i will leave it till spring, :rotfl:

I may have a beautiful display like Roders in 5/6 years :lollol:

 

I would say go with what ever Roders says ... his display is outstanding