Hello, it is I, your Nerine bowdenii. I hear your frustration, the longing for my spectacular autumn display of pink, spidery blooms. From my perspective, here are the reasons I may be withholding my flowers. It is not out of spite, but a response to my very specific needs not being met.
If I am a new bulb, please understand that I need time to establish my root system and gather enough energy to flower. This can take a season or two. More critically, you may have planted me too deeply. I am a special bulb; my neck and shoulders must remain above the soil surface to feel the sun's warmth. If I am buried, I will dedicate all my energy to pushing leaves through the soil, with nothing left to form a flower spike. A sunken bulb is a non-flowering bulb.
I crave sunlight. To manufacture the sugars required to form my intricate flower buds, I need a minimum of six hours of direct, unfiltered sun each day. If you have placed me in a shady spot or where larger plants now overshadow me, I simply cannot photosynthesize enough. My leaves might look healthy and green, but without ample solar fuel, my reproductive process—flowering—shuts down. It is a matter of energy economics.
My roots despise waterlogged conditions. Soggy, dense soil will cause my bulb to rot, and a rotting bulb does not flower. I require exceptionally well-draining soil, much like my native South African hillsides. Conversely, if I have been in the same place for many years, I may have become too crowded. While I enjoy being a bit pot-bound, eventually my offsets (baby bulbs) compete with the mother bulb for nutrients and space. This intense competition diverts energy away from flower production.
My life cycle is perfectly attuned to the seasons. I flower in the fall, produce leaves through winter and spring, and then need a warm, dry period of rest in the late summer. This dry dormancy is the most common missing element in my care. If you water me heavily throughout the summer, or if I am subjected to excessive rainfall, my bulb remains active and does not receive the crucial rest period it needs to initiate a flower spike. A dry, baking summer is my cue that it is almost time to bloom.
You may be feeding me, but are you feeding me correctly? A fertilizer high in nitrogen will encourage me to produce an abundance of lush, green leaves at the expense of flowers. I require a fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus (the middle number on the package) to promote strong bud development. However, too much fertilizer, especially when I am trying to rest, can also be detrimental and burn my roots.
