Well, I tend to repot/divide any bulb/plant just before it is ready to start growing again.....either after a semi-dormancy or after a true dormancy, but that goes back to my experience with bonsai........that way the roots are ready to start growing again rather than having them just sit dormant for a few months after being dug up/repotted. Crinum are like cast iron though.....not sure it is possible to hurt one so you will be fine whenever. I have also read a thousand times that Crinum will be set back and not flower after being transplanted.....I have no clue where that fallacy comes from.....I have gotten trades from people of run of the mill hybrids and also imported many species Crinum from South Africa and it is not unusual to have them bloom the first year if they are blooming size.....that either means I'm a lucky guy or the dogma is poo :o) Dan

Thanks, Dan. This is encouraging. In fact, the "milk and wine" are some that I got from my mother-in-law's about 5 yrs ago. They had NO care for over 10 yrs. and still growing and blooming! She lived in the Tx. panhandle. I'm having knee replacement in Dec. and want to get as much done as I can before then. Do I cut the leaves back after digging?

Weldon

Weldon since it freezes in your area you might want to divide them in the spring. Or mulch them really heavily after you divide them. It's not going to be fun dividing those big clumps in that thick stuff ya'll call soil! LOL!!
I've found the bigger the clump the deeper you have to dig.
Tally Ho!

I'm glad the conversation concerns Crinum... something I'd love to grow in the garden, but they are destined to be pot cultured indoors part of the year.

I've got a pot of unnamed Crinum from Florida, and small pot containing young bulbs of Crinum Americanum.

I had the larger bulbs outdoors all summer, and they grew beautiful leaves, but didn't bloom. I didn't expect them to, figuring they needed some time to settle in.

The smaller bulbs sulked on the window sill all summer, not doing much. I just re-potted them into my gritty medium, and they perked right up. They appear to be growing new leaves.

Should I back off on the watering for winter, or treat them like I do my hippeastrum bulbs, letting their growth or rest dictate how I care for them?

This is my first venture into Crinum. I know they'll eventually require rather large pots, but that's ok. I would love to get my hands on some of the dwarf varieties.

beachplant:
Even with digging out some of this "black stuff" and adding compost, you are right. The bulbs still go WAY down
and it is hard to separate ANYTHING from this black sticky
stuff....especially after recent rains. Thanks for the comment of both forums.
Weldon

I agree, if you can wait until spring I would....they will thank you for it because they will be able to settle in and grow new roots right away.

Jodi, my standard Crinum (not species from SA) are just in good ol' potting soil.....nothing special at all.....my species from SA are in much faster draining mix. However, all of mine are allowed to go dormant for the winter....they are not grown over the winter.....there is no need for this!! While there are some evergreen species in nature and almost all will stay evergreen in a warm zone very few need to be evergreen.....in nature even in warm areas (C. amoenum in India, many sp, from Madagascar, etc) most are dormant from a lack of rain. Save room for your Hippis and let the Crinum be dormant....what I have done for many years now here in zone 6 and blooms every year to show for it :o) Dan

Thanks, Dan... I'll slow down on watering, and just let them rest for the winter. I can't wait to see what some of these bulbs will look like when they bloom!

Thanks!