To you, our summer dormancy might look like neglect or even death. Our leaves yellow, wither, and retreat completely into the earth, leaving behind what appears to be a barren patch of soil. But please understand, this is not an ending; it is our ancient, evolved survival strategy. We hail from regions with a distinct Mediterranean or summer-dry seasonal pattern. Our growth cycle is the inverse of many bulbs you know. We flower in the brilliant, crisp light of autumn, after which we produce leaves that gather energy through the winter and spring. When the intense heat and dry conditions of summer arrive, we retreat. This dormancy is our way of conserving every ounce of energy and moisture within our bulb, safely tucked away underground, waiting for the favorable conditions of fall to signal our spectacular reawakening.
This is the most critical aspect of your care for us during the summer. Our bulbs must remain completely dry. Any significant moisture while we are dormant, especially when combined with summer heat, will cause us to rot. This is a death sentence. In our native habitats, the summer sun bakes the earth hard, creating a protective, arid shell over us. You must replicate this. Once our foliage has yellowed and died back naturally, cease watering entirely. If we are planted in the ground in a suitable climate (like USDA zones 8-10), simply ensure the soil has excellent drainage and avoid any supplemental summer irrigation. If we are in containers, move our pots to a dry, warm, and sheltered location, such as under a porch eave, in a garage, or a garden shed where rain cannot reach us.
We do not simply sleep until a specific calendar date. Our internal clocks are tuned to environmental cues. The combination of cooling temperatures and the first deep, soaking rains of late summer or early autumn is what stirs us from our slumber. This is the signal that the difficult season has passed and it is time to grow again. You can mimic this natural trigger. In late summer, as the nights begin to cool, you can reintroduce water to our soil. A good, thorough watering is the alarm clock we need. This moisture, absorbed by our roots, prompts the first sign of new life: the emergence of a flower stalk, often before any leaves appear. This is our grand autumn performance beginning.
We generally prefer to be left undisturbed. If you garden in a region where winter wet is manageable and our planting site is well-drained, we are happiest staying in the ground year-round. However, if your winters are exceptionally cold and wet (generally USDA zones 7 and below), you may need to lift us. After our foliage has died back, carefully dig up our bulbs, brush off any loose soil, and store us in a single layer in a box filled with dry peat moss or vermiculite. Place this box in a warm, dry, and well-ventilated location for the summer. This protects us from rotting in cold, soggy soil that is utterly foreign to our needs.
