New Amaryllis bulbs.

I just received these bulbs a couple of days ago. They are A. Hercules, a special from Wayside gardens , Order one and receive second one free. They included instructions, one of which was to put the bulb in shallow water for 12 hours before planting. So these are the bulbs after being in water to just above the basal roots for the 12 hours. I have grown amaryllis many years and have 20 bulbs from past years, most of which have been potted up. Most summers I just put the pots in a semi-shaded area for the summer. This year I decided they should be taken out of their pots and put in soil.

Anyway do most of you soak your amaryllis bulbs as I described above or just plant in soil if you have bought new ones or have older ones to plant for winters bloom. Right now I have only the second bloom stalk showing buds, nothing in bloom from older bulbs.

Donna

Here is the photo of the new bulbs. Donna

I usually soak the roots of large-flowered hybrids for up to 24 hrs. After that, I will trim away any dead root tips and dead roots that I haven't already removed. I will water in after planting.

I put my bulb on top of a glass container that will support the bulb while allowing the roots to hang down in the water. Clear glass allows me to see that the water never touches the basal plate.

R.

raydio, thanks for your answer. I did trim away the dead and rotting roots, before I planted them.

I have always been leery of using the glass potting vases. Do you throw away the bulb after it blooms, or replant in soil.

Donna

Never!

I have never flowered a bulb in water and would never toss one unless it is dead or beyond help.

The soak is just a pre-planting thing for me. After the soak, I pot them up and grow as usual.

Lots of people do flower them in water alone, sometimes planting them after and sometimes (shiver) tossing them.

R.

Here's a pic of a bulb having it's 24 hour soak before planting. It's a "copy" of what I saw in Veronica Read's book. I also do as Raydio does with his bulbs. Hope this helps.