My L aurea has the neck of the bulb perhaps 2 inches below soil surface. I have to worry about frost...but I don't think you do. I wouldn't expect them to bloom for a few years.
Plant in sun.

Thanks Barron, Full sun it is.

It would be great to have the neck protruding. Wouldn't accidently dig into them. Years ago planted the hot pink Lycoris deeper as advised. Maybe that was for cold winter zones? They did take a few years to bloom.

sounds like the sale bulbs were very young bulbs, going by the size you describe. nothing wrong with that, even that young, they should be putting foliage for you now but may take 1-3 yrs to bloom.

I'm patient. And just figured out the pink 'lycoris' I have are really nerine. Patient but sometimes obtuse.

I have yellow lycoris (commonly called spider lilies). They come up and bloom later in fall than the red spider lilies. The yellow blooms open about the time the reds' foliage emerges. The foliage follows the blooms, of course, and they stand all fall and winter, going dormant in late spring. My bulbs are planted with the entire bulb underground. I don't think you need to worry over much. Lycoris are so adaptable that they will pull themselves down to the proper depth, even in clay soil.