Amaryllis Pink Floyd

does anybody know why this one is so pricey? I remember when Papillio was selling for $25 but it has gone down in price. Yet, PF continues to be kinda high. how come?

I've not found this one to be any more expensive than others. It's absolutely beautiful and worth every penny!

Supply & demand, I guess! As a trumpet amaryllis, maybe it's just one of those "specialty" items, or maybe it propagates less readily... And you're right -- it's still significantly more expensive than most amaryllis, at least on the sites I've checked... Kniphofia, if you have a relatively inexpensive source, let us in on it!

I bought 'Pink Floyd' at my local plantshop for $8.99, which is the price of all their bulbs save for 'Limona' (coff-coff). The PF bulb is on the small side, 7.5 inches circ. and has a small offset. This one of the smaller-bulbed varieties and will not grow huge like many of the "regular" hybrids. A relatively small bulb can produce multiple scapes.

By contrast, 'Royal Velvet', at my local shop, was 13" circ. and was the average for their large-flowered bulbs.

'Pink Floyd' is a good multiplier, so you'll soon have an increase from your investment, whatever you pay for it.

And this brings up a possible reason for a higher price for one. When I got 'Supreme Garden' http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/666899/ it was a clump of bulbs, not a single bulb. Since PF is a similar "clumper", if it is sold as a clump (the main bulb surrounded by offsets) the higher price would be justified.
You might be able to find this out from the seller.

Just a note: I have read that 'Pink Floyd' can be a little difficult to start, being a bit prone to rotting of kept too moist and/or cool. Use a well-drained mix, perhaps adding a bit more perlite and/or vermiculite to your normal mix if it seems a bit peaty.

Robert.

Edited to add: I just went surfing to check about 'Pink Floyd' and saw that the one pictured at Easy to Grow Bulbs, isn't right. The description is correct as to the look of the flower, but the flower is wrong. Read the description, then look at the flower. Where is the white center stripe? The flower shape is wrong, too. PF has a smallish, trumpety shape, with pointed tepals. The pictured flower is some other large-flowered cultivar. I have to wonder whether they are selling the true PF or the hybrid in the picture.



This message was edited Nov 21, 2006 12:53 AM

Thanks for the tips, Robert!

Here's a nice picture of 'Pink Floyd'

http://fortyfour.typepad.com/bookishgardener/pink_floyd.jpg

R.

Ebay has several vendors selling PF at the moment, I think that's where I got my bulb from.

Here's a photo.

I bought one last year, it wasn't expensive but it did not bloom. It spent all summer out in the sun, plenty of fertilizer. Seems to be a slow grower. Maybe this year....

Tom

Tommy~

Others have commented on the sometimes weak constitution of 'Pink Floyd'. Some of the new cybister hybrids are likewise a little "delicate". Just hang in there!

I had trouble getting 'Chico' (a cybister) started last year. It was prone to root and basal rot. I discovered it is better to keep it virtually dry and to not expect any root growth till well after flowering. When the new foliage started up, so did the roots.

I'm assuming your is still potted up (?) . If so, your PF already has some good roots and rotting won't be as much a problem as with a new bulb, but I'd wait till after flowering to do much watering especially if it has lost the foliage and is resting.

Robert.

Yup it's still potted but "resting" at the moment. Waiting for it to awaken...

Thanks for the info!

Tom

thanks everybody. I would like to get PF someday if the price is $8 or less and plant it on its own. don't like the idea of putting a trumpet-like one with the conventionally shaped ones. I did get me a lovely pink this weekend, Milady, a pastel pink.