I'd love to see a seperate forum for Hippeastrums AKA "Amaryllis" and I think there's enough interest in the genus for us to have one. I go to "that other place" just to check out their Hippeastum-Amaryllis forum, but I think that if we had one at Dave's it would ROCK!
If you'd like Dave to start a new forum for Hippeastrum-Amaryllis, speak out now. The more the merrier!
Robert.
I would love it! There is so little information available, and I want to know MORE!
Thanks!
I'd love to see one as well. It would certainly help to focus the questions since people who don't garden often get them as gifts and have no idea what to do with them.
A new forum sounds great! - Just want to let everyone know who loves the amaryllis - they have red lion and Minerva on sale at all our local wallmarts for 2.99 - HUGE BOXES FILLED and many of them are already sprouting...because of the halloween overload of things all the boxes i have seen have been hidden in the back of garden sections...happy hunting!
Abbie
i'd love to have a Hippeastrum forum. GW has one but it's not as active as I believe this one would be.
Count me in! It should have it's own forum....PLEASE!
Tom
Well what can one say? Why not!!!!!
Hipps are very popular, and I see many people posting them.
What I would really love to happen is to draw in someone - more than one - person who can supply species seed/bulbs.
wallaby~
As you point out in mentioning the species, there are so many more Hippis to enjoy beyond the myriad hybrids which are the mainstay of "the industry". Some of the hybrids are very easy to grow successfully and some represent a big challenge to the adventurous gardener.
I too am interested in the species and think that if there was more exposure to their sometimes simple /sometimes exotic beauty, more people would be growing them and the seeds and offsets not as difficult or expensive to add to a collection.
Perhaps a special Dave's forum would promote the large-flowered hybrids, rarely seen species, as well as unique home-produced hybrids. The free sharing personal experiences would help anyone seeking a better understanding of the genus gain.
I think having the Hippis seperated into its own forum concentrates and focuses our interest and that has to be a good thing. I think it's worth a shot. Hopefully, we'll see more and more folks express their interest.
I know there are lots of people with pix and experiences to share who may be reluctant to start a thread in the bulbs forum who might feel its OK in an Amaryllis forum. I never tire of seeing people's flowers, plants, seedlings, garden pots and so on. I want to hear what they have to say. So if a seperate forum would make a little space for that, I'm for it.
I think I may be rambling.......
Robert.
Gee Robert it's good to see someone else accusing themselves of rambling!
I always get accused of rambling even when I don't think I am!
I share your sentiments, encouragement and sharing in specialising, precisely my thoughts on this and other subjects.
I would love to see a new forum. I am over here looking for information on lighting for mine now. Do you use grow lights? Mine are already geting leggy looking! I do have blooms but they need something. Fertilize maybe? Anyone every swap extra bulbs?
Teresa in KY
Legginess is always a problem for those of us with only windowsills in which to grow our Hippis indoors.
Hopefully there will be some DGers with experience to share on the different types of lights available, high pressure sodium, fluorescent tubes and so on. I'd love to have the nice new lights that are available from hydroponics suppliers, but the added expense to the power bill is a bit much right now.
Some of the HPs will supply a 6x6 foot area with good light at an approximate cost of $35 a month at 16 hrs a day. Of course other types of lights will vary and total daily usage will vary the cost of power, as will your cost per KWH.
I try not to fertilize much in the winter as I have very low light levels and the fertilizer pushes more growth and it is soft and floppy, due to the low light anyway. I stake the foliage to help keep it form bending and falling all over.
I think swapping bulbs would be a great thing to do, as well as seed-sharing and pollen swapping too!
Don't have anything as yet, but will have some bulbs toward spring when I repot.
Robert.
I love amaryllis, but I think it's wonderful to find threads about them right here on the bulb forum.... gives us something to do on this forum during the winter months!
I know there's been a lot of enthusiasm for new forums lately, but (as Wallaby already knows, LOL) I am not a fan of splintering existing forums into a zillion new ones. I would much prefer to browse the bulbs forum and find wonderful threads on gladiolous, amaryllis, species tulips, daffodils, etc rather than clicking on half a dozen different forums... I'm already "watching" nearly 40 forums, and if I double or triple that number with all the new forums, then I know I will miss an awful lot.
I don't think this is such an active forum that the amaryllis stuff gets lost here, rather I think putting all the bulb topics together makes it more likely for people to come across the information. I can't imagine that people would hesitate to start a thread on amaryllis over here in the bulb forum (especially in winter when there are clearly other thread on amaryllis) but would be more likely to post new threads in a amaryllis-only forum. Perhaps what we really need is a better search engine so we can find threads with "amaryllis" in the subject line... or a "sticky" at the top for links to good amaryllis culture threads on the bulb forum as well as links to other amaryllis information.
I guess my answer to "why not??" have a new forum is... why fix it, if it ain't broke? It's not so much a question of whether or not Amaryllis "deserve" their own forum... Is there any reason why amaryllis shouldn't be part of the bulbs forum?
I'm sorry, I know I've gone over into an area of discussion that would be more appropriate on the DG forum.
Well, one reason that Hippeastrums might be seperated out of the Bulbs forum is that they are one of the few bulbs that are mostly grown indoors. Their culture is different form the bulb of other bulbs.
Name me some other bulbs which are taken indoors for the wimter. (And I know you deep-south people are sooooo lucky to not have to even take a Jade Plant inside for the winter).
This one characteristic makes Hippis different form most other bulbs.
I don't mind if there isn't a splinter group of Hippis only. Que sera , sera.
I find it easier and more to my personal taste, to follow thread updates rather than forum updates. I would checkj a 'Hippeastrums" update way before I would check a "Bulbs" update. I may not have time to wade through all the different bulbs threads at any one time, but could always manage to find a moment to check a favorite bulb......
Robert.
I agree with Robert. There are many forums that overlap with others. To name a few: Dahlias, Ginger, Datura, Brugs, Plumerias, Orchid Cactus, Container Gardening, House Plants, Tropical and the list goes on and on....
The Amaryllis/Hippeastrum is not just a bulb. It is a tropical bulb (well maybe, subtropical) that has very different cultural requirements than most bulbs. It does not require forcing. It does not require chill hours. It can survive frost, and can be grown in my gardens.
But within the Hippeastrum family, there are some species that have very different cultural requirements. Like daylilies, there are diploids and tetraploids. If pollinated, they produce seeds that can be viable for more than a few months if stored correctly. But treatment and storage is key.
I guess what I am saying is that this is not your typical garden bulb, and there are so many unknowns due to lack of proper and available documentation.
Yes, GW has a special forum for it, but it is a pain to upload images and post them.
Yes, it is difficult to draw the line as to when to separate the topics and when not to separate them, but Amaryllis/Hippeastrum is different enough from other bulbs that I hope there will be a separate forum for them.
You see, there are lots of bulbs that do not do well in my gardens due to lack of chill hours and too much winter rain. I would rather not weed through all of those to find the few that interests me, and Amaryllis is one that definitely does. I own many varieties yet still know so very little about them.
Thanks for listening...
I would love to see a forum for Hippeastrums, count me in. I'm so excited about planting all the new varieties I've bought this year...!
Sue
Could you give me a link to where you buy your bulbs?
Thanks
I've bought most of my bulbs at local garden centers, and several on ebay.
I would also like to see an Amaryllis forum.
Has this idea died? With all the recent postings I think there's more than enough interest out there for a separate forum.
I cant say I am particularly enamoured of the idea of a seperate forum. But then I am not a really serious Hippeastrum/Amaryllis grower. There are already about 25 very specific forums and it seems the list keeps growing and growing. I may be interested in all of those things but I dont have time to check all those individual forums. And it almost seems to be a time specific thing - in other words it is really only in the past few weeks when our bulbs are about to flower that there have been so many posts. Similar to the 'Christmas Cactus' threads at this time of year.( Although at least all the Amaryllis end up in bulbs whereas there are Schlumb(CC) threads on at least 3 different forums. Wish they would all be in one place that is the most appropiate (i.e. Cactus and Succulents) But that is off topic - apologies.)
Fancyvan,
I adore my Christmas Cactus, too! They are faithful bloomers for me.
The problem that I have with Hippeastrum being in the same forum as Bulbs, is that I can't grow many of the bulbs that require long chill hours. Some Daffodils grow here, but not all. Paperwhites grow in the ground as well as several others, but Hippeastrum are special. They are also grown as a houseplant, and yes, they are seasonal, but there are those of us that are trying to hybridize them. We want to learn more, and we wade through many different bulb subjects to find a thread on Amaryllis.
There are also many questions about this industry that have remained unanswered. Some bulb flowers look identical, but are being sold by different names. I sometimes wonder if that has to do with a patent running out of time, and the name still being registered. Some of us care about names. Some of us do not. Right now, I am not only trying to figure that out, but I am also trying to figure out which are diploid, which are tetraploid, triploid, sterile, etc.
Call it the mood of the moment, and an effort in progress. I would love to see the threads separated.
I still vote a YES to a separate forum.
I think it a fitting time to bump this up the list.
(K)
Edited to add:
Please add your support here to make it count:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/674738/
This message was edited Dec 19, 2006 12:47 AM
Need you ask? LOL YES!!!!
Janet! How pretty! I was "proud" of myself for only buying 2 this year.....LOL.....
Mostly because I had already blown my budget and indoor space several times over on other bulbs and C&S
I have them all separately picture on another thread...but I am really enjoying them!! I won't buy that many next time...but it has been fun watching them bloom for the first time!!
I too think we have plenty of specific plant forums, HOWEVER, if there can be a forum on Gladiolus, Cannas, Gingers, Caudiciforms (I had to look that one up!) then there might as well be a Hippeastrum forum as they are certainly just as popular. Mind you, the forum would go pretty quiet in summer but then, so does the rhododendron and rock garden forums in winter. I am not biased in my supporting a Hippeastrum forum as I only have 3!
I am surprised that there is not already a seperate forum.
I agree that are many fora that could be condensed as there are others that could be separated out. As far as quiet, look on the home page from time to time, specifically at those on the bottom of the list, and see how quiet they get at anytime of the year.
I am always up for discussions re: Hippeastrums and other Amaryllids (Crinums being a fave). There are a lot of people who grow from seeds and that is a year-round event as is keeping a bulb after the seasonal flower show. Questions can arise at any time. I don't know that because a forum is quieter in, what to many amaryllis growers, is the "off-season", is a reason not to have it.
I think that a lot of people read posts and don't respond for any number of reasons. Some people read and benefit from the posts and just don't say thank-you or otherwise acknowledge having done so. so only Dave's would be able to say what the ratio of views to posts is.
At Dave's there are quite a few non-gardening fora that might be placed under a "page2" kind of set-up. That would cut down on the length of the single page list as it is now......just an idea.........say, on the homepage you pick page one or page two, and the homepage is clear for lots of other kinds of basic info pertaining to the site. Like a bigger "at random" pic that one wouldn't even have to click on to view.....maybe a weekly article on something......etc., etc., and so on.
Robert.
(Removed the part about DGers taking a look at the totals of views per thread. That isn't available at here.)
This message was edited Dec 19, 2006 3:10 PM
I think the idea of Hippeastrums and other tropical-subtropical Amaryllids would make the forum less specific and increase the activity year-round....Sprekelia, Crinum, Haemanthus, Eucharis, Hymenocallis, Amaryllis, Hippeastrum, etc.....now THAT could work!
I have a newbie type question: When I look at amaryllis blooming in the pics above, I notice that there looks to be only the bloom stalk. Do you cut off the foliage for some reason or are the amaryllis that are grown indoors just like that?? I've never grown one inside.
Usually the bloom stalk comes up before the leaves...that is why you don't see many leaves in the pictures...
Janet - I see... thank you! I guess I'm use to mine just being outside and the leaves always being there. I do have one inside for the first time this year :-) It's called Vera. Just got it and planted it the other day :-) Can't wait to see the bloom!
JanetS can tell you if they're all new bulbs or not....but if you look closely at the pic, you will see many of them have new leaves emerging just at the bulb.
When you get a dormant bulb the foliage has been cut off before it was cool-stored by the bulb company. When planted and put under warm conditions a bloom scape (the stalk with flower buds) will emerge and bloom with the foliage following at some point, many-times as the bloom scape emerges. Sometimes both foliage and scape emerge simultaneously. Sometimes the plant will bloom and foliage will not emerge till some weeks (or even months) later.
If you keep your bulbs green, the next time they bloom they will have a good number of mature leaves, as might be seen in your zone outdoors. A few of the species will naturally lose all foliage in the fall and may bloom in the winter or spring before the foliage re-emerges. If your second season bulb is left in the pot and stored dry indoors in the cool, it may lose all the foliage or not, depending on conditions, such as being in the dark or under too low light. Some people allow their bulbs to dry out in the fall and then they will cut off the foliage for their winter rest indoors. Then what happens is about the same as with a new bulb as to the combination (or not) of blooms and leaves.
robert.
And she did.
Hi Janet.
Hi Robert, you are right, most all of mine had the scapes first...because they are new bulbs and I am sure were cut back before shipping...some of them I think maybe three or four of them do have the leaves already and one or two actually have the leaves and no scapes yet...
Actually, I really like having amaryllis/hyppeastrum as part of the bulb forum because of the seasonality of the topic... in the winter, which would otherwise be a very slow season on this forum, we turn to discussing and sharing our amaryllis... works for me! :-)
I like that the current Bulb forum is for subscribers only. I'm not crazy about all these new forums that are open to everyone. I don't know why the $15 a year makes me feel more secure in my sharing of pictures, etc.
It seems to me I saw a mention somewhere in the DG forum that the policy is to make new forums open to everyone *initially*, to drum up interest as it were, and that some of the new forums would eventually be switched to "subscriber only" status.... but I'm not clear on how/when/if that switch occurs in reality.
While it is true that Hippeastrum are seasonal and most cannot grow them in the gardens, it is also true that most bulbs and flowering plants are 'seasonal'. The advantage of Hippeastrum is that they can bloom in the house at a time of the year when others are not blooming. They are also among the first to bloom in my garden or in the protected areas that I provide for them.
Janet and Robert,
Every year, I purchase new ones (not all are new varieties) just so that I can have blooms during the winter. The new ones bloom earlier and depending on when I get them, when I pot them and which variety, I will get almost continual blooms until the protected, older ones start to bloom. Most of the older ones lose their leaves. That's primarily because I take them inside after it is first frost or near frost. By the time they have been outside in pots for 9 months, it doesn't hurt them at all to remove the older leaves. Then I wait a few months for new leaves and or buds to reveal themselves. I don't let them totally dry out. I don't try to force them. I don't chill them on purpose. I simply let them do their thing and follow the clues that they give me. When I see green growth, I start to water more often.
Some varieties will send up green leaves a lot faster than the buds grow. That's okay. Again, I let them do as they want. It is not uncommon with my older ones that I see the green leaves emerging before the flower buds. Usually, though, with the new ones, the bud comes before the leaves. Just know that it is okay if that is not the case. Ie., I don't panic when I see leaves emerging before the bud. This does not necessarily mean that the bulb will not bloom this year.
Janet, I looked up your city. You are near Apharetta, GA. I spent a lot of time at a huge facility when I was a software consultant for Digital Equipment Corporation. It is beautiful country, and you actually get real snow sometimes!
There are many new trends being set by the market, and so little information available. Miniatures are fascinating, species are awesome, and the new hybrids beng introduced should open a lot of discussion. I am learning and will be for some time. I do hope that there will be a separate forum or subforum.
