Amaryllis and Hippeastrums: Butterfly Amaryllis, 0 by raydio

raydio wrote:
If you are referring to H. papilio (the one in the bulb trade) they are truly an evergreen plant and if you have been forcing them into dormancy, that might somehow have affected the blooming cycle. Possible, but not certain that it is the cause of your problem.)

So, that leaves us looking at how you have been growing them otherwise.

Do you feed them regularly when in growth?
They are on the "hungry" side of plants that *need* to be fed to increase in size and prosper. And that means to bloom, too.

And along with that: Do you water regularly so that they never dry completly out? And *never* is the pot sitting in a saucer of water?
Too wet or too dry can mean root damage and worse (Rot if they are kept too wet.)
Ample watering and then allow to become half-dry before watering again. In summer my outdoor amaryllis dry out each day just-about, so I water nearly every day anyhow, but everyday many times this summer during August.


Are they getting plenty of good light?
I have mine outdoors in summer and the get about a half-day of direct sun. In winter, I have them in a south-ish facing window and they get direct sun as much as possible.It would be better all day long in winter here, since the light is so much weaker.

Are they in a good soiless mix, that is rich and free-draining?
H. papilio seem particulary demanding of an "airy" mix.

And is your plant in a clay pot?
Unglazed terra cotta is the only kind of pot I'll use for any other bulb than a seedling. The clay gives off mositure easily and this helps avoid overly damp conditions. But likewise, the moisture-retaining plastic pot helps keep seedlings from drying out too quickly and suffering root damage.

Be sure that they aren't over-potted.
Papilio is said to be one of the few amaryllis that prosper from being quite rootbound, but I don't agree. Too much soil can hold too much moisture for too long......

So, maybe one or more of these might be the issue with your plant not reblooming.

I got two papilios in 2005 and they bloomed that winter and repeated again in 2006. I fully expect them to bloom this winter (and/or possibly this fall as they are known to do.)

Here's a pic of one of my plants (with the green stick-tag) on 12/23 in an 8" pot:
(2 scapes that winter. Only one the previous year. And there are offset coming.)




This message was edited Oct 27, 2007 3:15 PM