Hi !!! I have several bulbs of Lycoris radiata. They were given to me about eight years ago. During that period they have grown leaves and multiplied but they have never bloomed. What must I do to force them to bloom?

I do not know the exact needs of lycoris ideal growth
But I do grow lycoris radiata and few other species here in tropical climates. Here they proliferate slowly, never dormant and never blooms.

In the past in nontropical counyry, I noticed lycoris grown in pots in protected area, which were not exposed much to the different temps of winter cold and summer heat will not die down on summer, and will not blooms in autumn.
So I guess you need to expose them to natural temperature differences to induce flowering. Let them exposed more to summer heat till they die down... then wait for blooms in autumn.
If you grow them in pots. Perhaps try growing on garden.

This is one of my lyc. radiata. They stay in this pot of more than 6 year... don't do much. But I steel keep them... one day would love to experiment; expose them to heat and drought for few month. Then refrigerate to induce flowering... kind of "forcing".

Sorry for a very dark picture... it still too early in morning here.

Thank you Tofi. I do grow them in a pot. And it is in the garden all year round. My Winters are not too cold. With temperatures that seldom go below freezing . Summer may have temperatures of 30 or 34 grades C.It is Summer here and they don't have leaves right now.

So perhaps plant some of them directly in ground will change their habbit.. may be... I do not know for sure, but perhaps great to try if they did not bloom this autumn.
If you do, please report in this thread again.. would love to hear what ever you do to them and how they respond.

You are right Tofi. I must do something. And that is a possibility.

Are your summers dry? Here in US zone 8a, Lycoris bloom with summer rains. They will sulk for a year or so, if you transplant them. Since yours are in pots, do you feed them when they are growing?

Hi Deborah ! Thanks for your answer. I began to fertilize them this year. This is a rainy Summer but not all Summers are the same. I have only seen those blooms in pictures. It is not a common plant here.

In that case, I'd be surprised if they don't bloom soon.They should be of blooming size by now.

Don't forget to water late in summer to wake them up. Also make sure they are not planted too deep.

sallysmom said:Don't forget to water late in summer to wake them up. Also make sure they are not planted too deep.

Thank you Sally !. I'll do that!