For me, they're a bit like Nerines or hippeastrum - that is, only part bury them and leave about half above the ground.

Thereafter they get treated like Hostas - a good serving of compost in autumn but the tips are still clear.

Start with a fairly small pot - maybe four inches across, then pot on as the roots develop. They obviously won't reach full glory in such a small container but they will establish good roots. They seem to me to be a lot like lilies in that they never really go dormant, and take a while to resettle themselves. Make sure the drainage is really good and the growing medium holds water without staying sodden. (Think good leaf mould for the sort of qualities and texture needed.)

They do brilliantly in high rainfall/mist areas (8'+) but get to at least five feet in less favoured areas, so plan for a pot with enough weight to support this size of growth without toppling.

About the only other thought, though it's not likely, is that you've somehow gotten hold of a bulb that's flowered already. It's a matter of once flowered, then die and leave lots of little bulbs to come along.

Well, if you leave half the bulb above ground in zone 6 they would be rotted alright.....from the serious cold!! I have had them in my backyard for several years.....they are planted in decomposed leaves on a significant slope in the woods in deep shade. Water is not the problem if they are in perfect drainage......they come from the monsoon region of India (I used to import many every year for resale from the Darjeeling region where they get monsoons). If they are in clay they are goners, if the area holds signficant water they are goners.....they love the Pacific Northweest of our country so rain is not an issue, but getting them in the right spot and settled in can be tough. Best of luck :o) Dan

bluebonsai/Dan - in your conditions how far into the soil are your Cadiocrinums? And how much leaf cover do they get for the winter?

If yours were in pots and brought in for winter protection - how would you plant? (My 'babies' stay out in small pots until established.)

(I'm fascinated here. Mine grow over clay in a lot of sun but they do get a fairly lavish amount of compost. And a friend grows hers on a stiff yellow clay - with a slope. And a local Open to the Public garden, about another five hundred feet higher with more rain/mist, grows theirs in a fairly open bed but under an ancient Pinus radiata. Dappled/filtered light, annual acidic leaf fall, and matching growth.)