I have asked this question before, but I need to ask it again...
I have two amaryllis (hippeatrum) bulbs which I planted outdoors this summer. I planted them about 10" deep and covered with 2-3" of soil. I have just added 2-3" of shredded maple leaves as mulch and covered the whole thing with a layer of pine needles.
How do you think they will fare this winter? Will they be ok?
Should I cover them with a bale of straw before first frost and leave the bales sitting on the soil through next spring?
In NJ it was pretty simple: you did not plan hippeastrum outdoors, so this will be my first experiment.
Planted Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs outdoors..
Whoa, I think that is way too deep for amaryllis. Usually you leave the "shoulders" of the bulbs exposed. I had a huge clump in Columbia that were just about completely exposed. At first I thought the frost had heaved them then I found out they like it like that.
According to the Plant Delights catalog most amaryllis are reliably hardy in zones 7 - 10. If it makes you feel any better a little pine straw as a mulch won't hurt but you don't want the bulb sitting in dampness or it may rot.
Good luck and welcome to the Carolinas.
Kdj: My amaryllis come back every year. I tried to dig them all up once and there seemed to be just as many the next. Don't even mulch, other than what falls.
They're planted pretty shallow, too.
Deb
KdJ: You can go back and lift them up with a garden fork so the top of the bulb is at ground level. I am like Debin, mine only get what nature provides and they bloom every year. I move them or give them away and they come right back.
Good luck.
I had one that I had accidentally cut in half when digging them last year. I tossed the piece I had cut off into the ivy. Guess what's growing in the ivy now? They seem nearly indestructible!
I agree. Amaryllis are hardy here, they're certainly hardy in Chas!
Charlotte is cooler in the winter but not by enough to make a difference with amaryllis.
Oops! Sorry, I misread. Thought you lived in Charleston.
Barb