There's a daylily farm that I make a road trip to every year, that also peddles a variety of perennials. During my visit yesterday, I found that they had surprise lilies (Lycoris squamigera), which have been on my Want List forever. I know it's not the best time to dig them while their leaves are green, but this place is over a hundred miles away, they only sell on-site, and I can only get there once a season.
I got a really great deal on them, they dug them, and I brought them home. Today (I got home very late last night) I planted them in temporary containers, and, not knowing what to do, left the now drooping leaves on them.

How can I ensure that they will survive and grow? Should I have trimmed the leaves off? Let them dry out and plant them in autumn? What can I do to give them the best chance?

Just put them in the ground and water them in, last year had the same concern, neighbor gave a bunch while they were in the green. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, planted them, they did not bloom last year with my other Lycoris, but came up like gang busters this year! I would not cut the leaves off, need the energy back in the cell.

crawgarden said:Just put them in the ground and water them in, last year had the same concern, neighbor gave a bunch while they were in the green. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, planted them, they did not bloom last year with my other Lycoris, but came up like gang busters this year! I would not cut the leaves off, need the energy back in the cell.

Thanks so much! I've had a surprisingly difficult time getting these, and they seem to be great bulbs (five of them are HUGE!), I very much don't want to lose them.

I don't have a lot of experience with bulbs, because something in my neighborhood keeps eating any that I plant; I'm basically winging it here.

Eating the bulbs below ground, or after the plant comes up?

crawgarden said:Eating the bulbs below ground, or after the plant comes up?

Something is digging them up, and then eating them. I have a couple of Asiatic lilies that I keep in containers, off of the ground, because it's the only way I can keep them.
I'm not certain what it is, but I think it's the miserable little chipmunk that has made it his mission in life to keep me from growing peas.

Plant daffodils. Alkaline poison in both leaves and bulbs. Usually left untouched by all critters.

I have some of the pink surprise lilies, and one group has refused to bloom for over a decade, despite growing healthy green leaves that I always leave in place until they dry out. The other groups bloom. I think I have figured out why. I live in what is mapped as Zone 7a (minimum temp. 0°) but colder winters, single beow zero digits, occasionally make us 6b. I planted this non-blooming group on the south-facing side of my house and I think it's in a microclimate there that is considerably warmer, plus these bulbs were probably planted too deep to ever reach a minimum temperature they require to bloom. I just dug them up (I know, wrong time of year) and planned to give the bulbs a brief hardening off/drying period before replanting in a spot out of the microclimate. But also debating whether to wait until fall to replant. Anyone have more suggestions on planting time?