Successful Guide To Growing Tropical Plants - Crinum Lily

This week's topic of 'Successful Guide To Growing
Tropical Plants' is the Crinum lily.

The Crinum is a member of the large Amaryllidaceae
family.

The word 'Crinum' originates from the Greek word
Krinon which means 'white lily'.

There are believed to be about 180 species of Crinum
globally with Africa recording the most species.

The Crinum lily grows from bulbs with long sword-like leaves.
The flower stalk arising laterally is leafless, and
produces one or multiple flowers.

Several years ago I received five Crinum bulbs from
a friend in late fall.

After I researched the growing conditions for Crinum,
I decided to plant three bulbs in one 10-inch pot
and the remaining two bulbs in separate 8-inch pots.
I placed the pots on the periphery of one of my indoor
light gardens.

During the winter the bulbs grew abundant foliage,
but did not flower. I thought that by spring they would
be potbound which encourages Crinum to bloom
when grown in pots.

This was still not the case.

May arrived and still there were no blooms. I decided
to spoil the Crinum with some extra bone meal.
Each single bulb in the 8 inch pot got 1 handful
of bone meal, and the pot with the three bulbs
received 3 handfuls....one for each bulb.

In addition, I fertilized them with a 10-50-10 fertilizer
every time I watered them and added the same
fertilizer to my seaweed solution when foliar feeding.

To make a long story short....the Crinum bulbs in the

10 inch pot were in bloom a few weeks later with one

bulb from the triple bulb planted pot producing 8 flower

stalks during the summer.

The 2 bulbs planted into two separate 8 inch pots took
several months longer to produce flowers.


Following is a summary for Crinum care.....

1. Plant your Crinum lily, depending on variety, in smaller
pots than you would other plants of the same size.
This way they are potbound and bloom faster.

2. Be generous with bone meal - 1 handful per bulb.

3. Fertilize your Crinum regularly with a fertilizer high
in Phosphorus....10-50-10.

4. Use the same type of high Phosphorus fertilizer
when foliar feeding your Crinum.

5. Grow your Crinum in full sun or under grow lights.


This spring I had to transplant the three bulbs as
their root system cracked the pot.

They are now each in individual 10 inch pots.
They haven't flowered this summer, but I know
they will as soon as they are totally potbound.

I'm going to update you on their progress and email
you pictures as soon as they bloom.

Next, for your FREE gift, Grow Your Own Tropical Garden, which includes many useful tips on how to grow tropical plants in any climate, visit Tropical Indoor Plants.