When to plant and prune Nerine
Nerine flowers from mid September to late October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Nerine is timed from the average frost dates, so its timings shift across the UK. Plot works them out from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early September to late October | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| South Coast and Channel | late August to mid October | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late August to late October | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| South East and Home Counties | early August to early October | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| East Anglia | early August to late September | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early August to late September | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| Wales and West Coast | mid August to early October | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| Northern England | late July to mid September | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | mid July to mid September | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late June to late August | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| Northern Ireland | early August to early October | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early September to late October | mid September to late October | late October to late November |
Growing notes
Depth: unlike most bulbs, nerines are planted shallowly with the neck of the bulb showing above the soil surface, about 10cm apart - burying them deeply is a common cause of failure to flower. Plant dry bulbs as soon as possible after buying them in late summer. Plants often take a year or two to settle before flowering well, and flower best when left congested in a clump on their own.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 10 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 60 cm
- Eventual spread
- 10 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 10 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Feeding
Half-strength phosphorus- and potassium-rich feed from January to April while the leaves are active.
Pruning group
Remove spent flower stems after flowering; leave the strappy leaves, which follow the flowers, in place
Winter protection
Nerine bowdenii is hardy and can be left in the garden all year with no special winter treatment; the frost-tender N. sarniensis needs a minimum of 7C and must be grown under glass or brought inside.
What usually goes wrong
- no flowers for the first year or two
- planted too deeply
- mealybug
- slugs on emerging flower stems
- virus in old stock
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for nerine.