I have a bulb that was marked Cybister Amaryllis "La Paz". I've had it for two years. The first year, it set one flower spike.
The instructions I received said that it was an evergreen type, and didn't need a dormancy period.
I didn't give it any dormancy period after the first flowering, and got no flowers the next year. This fall, it looked like it wanted to go dormant, so I let it, and now it's given me two more flowers.
Does this plant need a dormancy period, or is there some other factor I might be missing in its care?
Thanks for any advice,
Marsha.
Dormancy needed or not?
A picture of the blooms.
Some sources say that not allowing dormancy lessens the chance of blooming the following season. There may have been other factors involved with your bulb that resulted in the lack of blooms.
Current thinking is that most of the modern large-flowered hybrids can be kept green year-round, but must be rested at cooler temperatures for a number of weeks in order to bloom. Usually in the range of 45-60 F with 55F being the mean temperature. The forming buds need time to elongate and develop. If you can provide adequate light, you can cut back a bit on the moisture levels and that should be enough over 8-16 weeks, depending.
Truly evergreen types like "Papilio Butterfly" can go virtually bone dry and still hold their foliage, where other types would respond by losing their foliage and going completely dormant. Mine stayed green this winter and both bulbs bloomed this year. Temps were the usual warm winter temps, from 62-72F. They did get some nights in the 40s at the end of last summer, but day temps would warm back up, from 50 to 75--whatever was happening outdoors.
I let mine go dormant since I have such poor winter light and mostly temps a bit warm for a green rest.
As far as the cybisters goes, I let mine go completely dormant and do not water them at all while they are at rest. I made the mistake of letting La Paz stay green and I watered it too soon and a forming bud aborted as a result. The motherbulb had defoliated, but I was trying to keep the offsets green. When I saw that the motherbulb was sending up a scape, I watered the whole pot and the bud soon yellowed and died away. I allowed the lot to do dry and lose whatever foliage it wanted to and moved it to a coolish room to rest for a while.
A couple weeks ago, I moved the pot into the warmer room and put it in a sunny window. Another scape is emerging, but I'm holding off watering until I see foliage starting. I will water scantly and increase as the foliage comes in.
I have 'Chico' too and I have kept it bone dry since fall. I learned form experience that watering this one too soon will only rot the roots, especially on a new bulb. This one is said to rest for as long as 6 months (as will H. cybister the species) and again, I'm not watering till I see green.
So, basically, letting them go completely dormant is prolly the easiest way for most of us, but if you have the set-up, you can do otherwise. Most hybrids do need a rest if not dormancy to rebloom reliably and appreciate being drier even if green. Don't water a green plant below 49F.
R.
Thanks, raydio!
When I get my new printer (the one I currently have is dead) I'm going to print this thread so I can put your info with my bulb books.
This is the reason I love DG...with so many minds, there's usually an answer out there.
Thanks again!
Marsha.
raydio, Thanks for the very complete advice. I have never had trouble getting mine to rebloom, but I never owned any cybisters before this winter. So this was most helpful to read. I cut and pasted your post in my garden diary for future reference. I so enjoy seeing all of the photographs that you post. You have a wonderful collection. I have 8 more with scape's forming now ,so I am trilled. Patti
I too would like to thank raydio, especially for the temperature information, my plants are outside permanently and I've always wondered about the causes of the occasional short or deformed bud stem. Autumn has just started here after a near endless summer of no rain and regular daytime temps over 35 Celsius (yuck!). I'll post some pictures soon but I nead to sort out what I've got first, Jacq.
My cybisters have all been acting funny ... I think I'll try to implement Raydio's proceedures as I do have so few of those that it won't be too much of a hassle to isolate them. Thanks for the continuing, wonderful info Raydio.
geekgranny=alice