*Expert Amarylis question.* Can I plant now???

I bought a couple of amaryllis bulbs of Minerva and Apple Blossom from Home Depot.
I know they are out to force indoors for x-mas, but I want them for outdoors. They are hardy in my zone.
They have new leaves just starting to form out the top of the bulbs.

Question is.....Can I plant them outside now or do I have to wait?

Thanks,
Chris

Yes you can plant them now if they are hardy enough for your zone.

Thanks

I would caution you about planting in the ground just now. I'd really make that "Please don't".

If I were planning what you are, I would most assuredly wait till next season.

Your bulb is probably set to bloom this fall/winter and has already been in storage for some time, who knows how long. It will want to bloom soon and that will most likely be when frosts will destroy the flowers and whatever foliage may appear. I suppose foliage can persist in a *very* warm protected site here in 7b, but I have never heard of or seen any foliage make it through the winter green, even on well-acclimatized established xjohnsoniis.

A new bulb is just too vulnerable all around.The bulbs will just sit in the cool ground, and unless you have them where they can remain quite dry, rot can set in. Moisture + cold spells trouble.

And again, your bulbs have already been through what amounts to a winter rest and are ready for spring--they're somewhere around next May-June--with temps far from what they'll find outdoors this time of year.

The extended dormancy is bad for the bulbs anyway. Just too long a time. The scape may abort in the bulb and it may just die outright, in the ground or under refrigeration indoors.

What I would do, then, is to pot them up now and let them bloom and grow indoors this winter. Then, when the ground outdoors has warmed some next spring-early summer, I'd plant them in the ground. That will give them warmish conditions indoors this winter to grow a new root system and they'll have next summer to further grow, establishing themselves in the ground.

'Appleblossom' is noted as one of the hardier large-flowered hybrids, so it is likely to do well at overwintering. I haven't heard anything about 'Minerva' either way. 'Red Lion' (or some other commonly available all red hybrid) seem to do well here in 7b too.

Do what you will, but I'd personally wait. Between now and next spring, I'd choose and prepare a good site, making sure the soil is enriched and free-draining, and is situated to receive part to full sun. The more protected the site and drier in winter, the better.

R.

PS: I answered not because I consider myself an "expert", just "experienced".

R.

Thank you, Experience with these, are absolutly more than what I have. I will pot them for inside. They will be pretty for x-mas. Now for a few more questions then...

How big of a pot? I think that I sink them just deep enough to keep the new leave tips showing. Should I add sand with the potting soil? How often do I water? How much light? Do I need to feed while they are inside?

Hopefully they will make it till spring when I can plant them outside.

chris

There's lots here at DG on potting and growing amaryllis. Just google and read several of them and you'll get the idea. There's different takes on each of the things you're asking about and everybody seems to have what works for them on top of that.

What I do, is pot a new bulb in an unglazed terra cotta pot that is a little small for the root mass. Not *really* small, but one that doesn't have a lot of extra room in it. Just enough to comfortably accomodate the root mass plus a bit of growing room.

This helps avoid overly wet conditions in the pot which can be problematic, in winter especially, with a new bulb. Hippeastrums can be rather rootbound anyway, as long as they are are watered correctly and fed.

Most of us do the traditional way of planting amaryllis. That is to have 1/3 to 2/3 of the bulb covered in soil. Opinions and techniques vary from person to person and even with the specific cultivar you have. But this works well with the "large-flowered varieties. It allows the bulb of the space in the pot to be occupied by the roots, giving the bulb room to expand unhindered above the sides of the pot, and lets you keep watch on what's happening with the bulb.

By having the soil over the "shoulder" of the bulb, (where the bulb curves inward toward the top or neck) it can offer some support to the bulb till new roots grow to properly anchor it in the soil. Important if your bulb is short on roots and produces a heavy scape.

Also, by having the bulb exposed to some degree, the air contact helps dry off any tissues that may be dying off.

If you get a good profession potting mix, you probably won't need to add sand as long as you have a good, airy, well-draining mix with good organic content. I sometimes try different additives to the commercial mix I use. Sometime I add more element for better drainage if I have a bulb "colony" in a large pot.

Watering can be touch-and-go, depending on your specific conditions. How warm/cold, how much light, how big a pot etc. A common rule of thumb for the large-flowered hybrids is to water in at planting, and not water again till there is foliage growth. Scan some of the many webpages and posts here for personal accounts of watering and tips.

Mostly, once your bulb is green and growing, the care is the same as any other easy-to-grow houseplant. If you have a "knack" with plants, your intuition may guide you most times.

As the plant starts putting up leaves, you can begin watering, on the sparish side, increasing the amount as your plant "takes hold" and grows. I usually allow the medium to go 1/2 dry on an established bulb before watering again. not too wet, not to dry while in growth.

Feeding. I wouldn't feed till the foliage is up a couple inches. The blooming scape will draw what it needs from the food stores in the bulb. With a new bulb, there aren't many good "feeder roots" anyway, so food is just unneeded, wasted and might actually cause some problems. Some mixes have fertilizer in them already. A good organic mix has plenty of nutrition to supply your plants needs for some time without added food.

I don't feed much in winter because the light is so poor here in the house, that I don't want them to grow as much as I would have them do in better light. They tend to be floppy-foliaged anyway, so if I can hold back on any stimulation to "lushness" in winter I do.

Different people feed different ways. Some don't feed at all, allowing their organic mix (usually a personal formulation) to give the bulb what it needs. I use Mir-gro soluble though there are many other good ones on the market and different ratios of N-P-K that all seem to do the job, one way or another. I like the "minors" (trace elements) that a plant uses other than N-P-K.

Once they are in the ground next spring/summer, you can feed them regular with any one of the many fertilizers there are, or you can let them grow in a well-prepared well-draining soil with good organic content. Compost, manure, peat etc. are all good.

Again, just look in this forum, the bulbs forum, houseplants forum, etc. and look on the web for a *wealth* of information and others' experience, and from all that, create your own experience.

Good luck!

R.



This message was edited Oct 3, 2007 2:50 PM

Very, very good information. With this info I think that I can get it to survive till spring, maybe even flower for x-mas.
I have all but given up on indoor houseplants. I dont have the "knack" for the inside stuff, everything dies. I am very proud of myself for the way the outside gardens are growing and all that I have propogated and grown from seed.

I will check into the other threads and google for more info, but I think you have given me some great info from experience and that is why I love DG so much.

Thank You, thank you,
chris

:-)

Don't let Robert (radyio) fool you! He knows more than most about Amaryllis.

Just an added thought... They are hardy here and sold as houseplants (pots, media and all - kits) in the fall.

In the spring, they are sold in meshed bags and ready for the garden - as spring bulbs. Most of the latter are no-names. They just say pink, red & white, red, orange, white, etc.

Have FUN!

Ann

I absolutely believe he knows more than hes letting on, :) and he gave me the exact info I needed.

I bought these in HomeDepot in a box...loose bulbs with a rubberband tag. $3 each and they were about 3 1/2" in diam. They should hopefully be fine outside. Not a huge investment. Just a nice addition,

chris

Chris, they will indeed do well in your garden! I have many in mine as well...I love them! I save some in the pots to bring in for Winter and the others bloom in the garden for me in the late Spring...I just love them all!...and YES, Robert is quite the "expert" here...he is a wonderful source of help!

Here is a picture of one of my outside growers....on May 9, 2007.

That looks awesome, I cant wait till spring. LOL

i was given a voodoo bulb--rather several--i planted them in the ground in about august--they are healthy but just big long leaves--no stem or flowers--one i planted in a pot and i have brought that one indoors now--i didn't know about leaving part of the bulb exposed so my bulbs are covered--as i said they look very healthy but should i have some flowers by now? i do not feed them --is that why? what do you know about voo doo bulbs?

I know to leave the bulb about 1/2 exposed in pots indoors, but how much, if any is exposed when I transplant them in the spring?

I'm in 7b and it can get down in the teens for a day or so.

I cover the shoulders of mine outdoors.....

Outdoors, they can be completely covered. Being deeper will help protect them from freezes, if you're leaving them in permanently. Around town, all that I have seen are well below soil level.

I plant them a bit higher as JanetS does, if I'm going to be lifting them later, just so I can keep watch on their growth.

They really grow better in the soil--it's amazing!

R.

Thanks y'all!

Mine will stay in the house until spring, they are growing nicely. I will surely be back here after the flower dies to ask what to do with it until spring. Even if you tell me now, I will probably forget. LOL. Actually, if someone tells me now, I can just come back and re-read.

I did buy 2 more because I saw the store open the box of them. They were huge!! They had so many babies around the bottoms that there were many laying in the bottom of the box. Some of the bulbs had 8-10" of growth already and some were broken off or bent. They were pure white, I guess from lack of light. Mine have greened up and are putting flower buds out. I was hoping they would be for X-mas but I think they are going to flower long before that. I will take a picture later.

chris

Help! I may have screwed my Apple Blossom up out of pure ignorance. I had it growing in the ground outside for the summer in New Hampshire. I dug it up at the end of October and cut off its foliage down to the bulb. I just planted it outside in my zone 10b garden (full sun). I watered it in when I planted it yesterday. What can I expect and when it would generally bloom in south Florida under those outdoor conditons. Also, is full sun ok for it? Thanks for all the good advice on this thread already!!

DonnieBrook-

You are in New England now? If so, go out and get that bulb. Put it in a pot, and bring it inside. Let it rest for a while. In three weeks start watering again very lightly until you see growth. It will not survive outside in your climate.

If you're in Florida, don't worry about it.

andidandi - I'm in south Florida now. Do you think it will come back and bloom now that it is in the ground? Thanks!

It will be fine in Florida.

Graaaaand! Thanks for your encouragement and for sharing your expertise!!

The flowers were beautiful for Thanksgiving and now I have 2 others getting ready to put on a show for Christmas.
_______________Question.......
What do I do now that the Thanksgiving show has died? The flowers have died and they are growing seed pots. The leaves have only come up an inch or two, not even opened. I dont plan on collecting seed this year. Should I cut them back or just stick them in the garage? Can I cut the flower stalk off and leave them on the windowsill so the leaves will grow out, or will the lack of dormancy affect my spring blooms?

My ultimate goal is to plant them outside in spring, hopefully getting new flowers in spring.

chris

chris~

Cut the flower stalk at and angle just above the neck. The stem will eventually dry up and can be gently removed.

Give your plant as much light as possible.

The "lack of dormancy" won't have any effect on later flowerings.

Whether it sends up scapes in spring depends on a lot of other factors. It might happen, or it might not.

Just take good care of your plant and it will rebloom eventually.

R.

andidandi - you were so right! One of my amaryllis bulbs is all bloom spike, soon to open, and the other has shot up some tall leaves but no bloom spike just yet. They are both enjoying being in the ground outside here in zone 10. Thanks!

ty

Chris...PICTURES PLEASE!!! LOL I have a couple of new ones getting ready to bloom. I bought Dancing Queen for a couple of friends for Christmas and they have buds forming now...

they grow taller than I expected.

This is the one I thought was going to be for Christmas. Opened last night and today. Maybe the shorter one in the top picture will be the Christmas one. LOL

Will look for the other pictures tonight, gotta go pick up my daughter.

chris

Chris - I love how seriously your little "guardian of the amaryllis" takes his responsibility! What an adorable dog!! Nice flower too!!! LOL

Very nice Minerva!

Dont let "Yankee's" innocent face fool you. He is waiting for me to look the other way so he can "mark" it his.

Yes, I think this one is Minerva. I have to pull out the tags and label them individually before I forget which one goes where.

Yankee is just too cute!!

Thanks, we love him to death and he knows it.

Hi All! Remember when I asked if I could plant my amaryllis bulbs outside here in Fla. after digging them up when I left NH? You guys gave me lots of encouragement....and check this out........

Wow, Donnie, wow!

Ah, that zone 10...

R.

Isn't it cool, Radio? The other one has leaves but no bloom spike yet. I think the one without the bloom spike is my Apple Blossom and this one is a red one, but I'm not sure which cultivar name. When they are planted in the ground, will they rebloom on their own. I've never had any planted permanently in the ground. I'll take another shot when this bloom opens. Yahoooo!