I dug into the soil to check on the bulbs, and the callas are just about to poke through the soil, but the acidanthera have not sprouted at all! They are just sitting in the soil like they were when I first planted them. I've heard that they don't do anything until it warms up, but they have a huge southern exposure window, and it is plus 20 celsius in the house..isn't that warm enough? If they don't start growing soon I'm afraid I might lose their blooms to frost. If they don't start poking out until May, will I have blooms by late August?

Ignoring last year when a mouse or something got into my box and ate every last one I have done this for several years and had them re-bloom. I dont even take special care with them - had them in a bucket in the back stairwell or in a bag in the laundry room. I bought a ton more this spring (they are really almost cheap enough to treat as annuals)and dug them a couple of weeks ago and am drying them in the shed where they will stay until temps start dropping below freezing. I think I will not put them in the semi-heated furnace room that apparently has rodents but back in the laundry room.

Since you moistened them, you're committed. Keep them sunny (southern exposure), watered, and fed indoors over the winter, and watch out for spider mites. You may even get some flowers! Give them a month's dry dormant period in the early spring, then plant them out again outside, ideally two weeks before the last frost. They should grow, and possibly bloom again, though that depends partly on how happy you were able to keep them over the winter. Proper storage conditions for Acidanthera and the other corms from Mediterranean climates (Glads, Freesias, etc.) is warm (75-85 deg. F) and dry (20%-30% humidity). Both cool temps and moisture cause the bulbs to sprout, since these are the signals of the beginning of the rainy season in their native habitat. Good luck! Kevin : )

Hi Assume you are refferring to Acidanthera (Gladiolus callianthe) and not Pleione orchids?? Both are commonly called Peacock orchids though the bulb type is actually a member of the Gladiolus family. Both are extremely cold intolerant. yet require long growing season to flower well. i have trouble with the required long hot DRY rest peiod for the bulbs. Got the heat and long but not the dry lol. You could start them indoors and then move them out to extend the growing season. I grow them in pots and move them indoors during summer to avoid the rains gary