I live in Morocco and undug some of my bulbs because they don't tend to bloom a lot if I leave the in the soil all year now. They say the bulb needs to be stored for 10 weeks before planting it again. Would 6 weeks also be sufficient. I will have to put the bulbs into a heated aquarium because it is too cold now...But do you think 6 weeks is long enough or should I wait till after X-mas?
Martin
Storage time
Store them and when you see NEW growth plant and water! Then wait!
andidandi
Nov 21, 2007
Just out of curiosity, what are the current temps like where you are? You experience a cold Winter?
It's 17 degrees Celsius or 61 degrees Fahrenheit today. It never gets colder here than 4 degree Celsius. But since we don't have heating, I have a hard time getting Amaryllis started unless I plant the bulbs from the middle to the end of October, i.e. as soon as they become availalble on ebay or the stores in Europe. If planted any later, the bulbs tend not to grow any proper roots and flower just from their own strength stored within the bulb. I can sometimes save a bulb by making chips in March...However, I do want to start some bulbs now in a heated aquarium or another glass container, so I would have flowers at around X-mas...
Martin
If your area gets heavy winter rains, that could be a problem for amaryllis in the ground. From what I read, the winter temps around Fez aren't too cold for the bulbs to live over, in fact many of them might retain their leaves.
If you get heavy winter rains, you had them potted, you could move them to a sunny, sheltered area out of rainfall, and they should do fine. You won't get the increased growth that comes from their being in the ground, but they would appreciate not having their root system disrupted each season and being kept green (for most hybrids) is a good thing.
Otherwise, in the ground in a loose well-drained mix, they might do well inground year-round. You could test a few out next year.
R.
It's true they retain their lives, but I still haven't figured out why they are not so keen on flowering...I had one I left in the pot outside that flowered two years ago, but not last year...I hope to get flowers this spring though...
My mother in California gets winter temps down into the high 30's, but her amaryllis bloom yearly. They do seem to love lots of sun and fertilizer in the summer, and then to be left alone for a while with minimal watering when it gets colder. [Of course, 'cold' is all relative - I was there for Thanksgiving and her daffodils are starting to poke out of the ground...and then of course I returned to Chicago to rake leaves :( But I digress...]