What to do with bulbs

Wayside gardens sent me amyrillis bulbs that were supposed to be sent in the fall. is there anyway i can keep them till then without planting them now? I live in MA and fall and wwinter is really when i want the color and beauty. They told me I could end the bulbs back, but I don't want to do that.

It is doubtful that they would keep until the fall. Though some small remnant might possibly survive such a long dormancy, it would likely be such a tiny thing that it would take several seasons to return to blooming size.

I would plant them now, no question.

R.

That's strange... They were supposed to send me amaryllis bulbs (Evergreen) this spring and said they would be sent in fall. What varieties did you get Maureen?

I agree with Raydio...plant them now. They would be too dried out by fall.

I will get you the names, don't have them with me. so i should plant directly in ground? Do i leve part of the bulb exposed? After they've bloomed what do I do and how and when can I get them to bloom again? i have never had any luck with refloweringa fter the first time.
I hate wayside gardens.

mariava
they are hippeastrum hercules and amaryllis bolero. what's the diff bet. hippeastrum and amyrillis?

Hi Maureen,
I would pot them and grow them indoors. You could probably get away with planting them in ground now, though there is still the danger of frost - you may want to cover them at night when the temp goes way down. I live on the Cape, but keep all of mine potted in my greenhouse.
If you do plant them in ground, let them grow, grow, grow until fall and then dig them up before the first frost. Let them rest in a cool, dark, dry space for about two months - make sure not to let the bulbs roots dry out totally - as I've done this before and the entire bulb dried out. Just a fine mist of water once a month is good. After their rest, plant them in pots, place them in a warm, sunny window and give only the slightest drink of water. This will wake them up - and hopefully they will send up a flower scape. if you over water too much at first, this will encourage leaves to grow instead of flowers.
Hope this helps :-)
John

Your plants are gorgeous, John and your esponse very helpful. Would it be better to plant in pots? If I do plant them outside do I cover them completely or leave partly exposed as one would in a pot. What do you fertilize your plants with and when?
Thanks,
Maureen

Potting them in pots tends to keep them a bit more protected from little rodents and other critters that like them :-) If you plant them outside, you'll have to ask someone else how deep to leave the neck exposed or if you need to at all - as I;m not sure. I've use a diluted Miracle Grow, but only after they've bloomed. I also have red wiggler worms that make a great vermicompost that I give to everything in the greenhouse. Hope this helps.

I am going to put them in pots and hope for the best about reblooming. Just curious, why do you set the pots on their sides during their dorment period?

Some people do set them on the sides during the dormant period, I personally don't. I;m not sure what the reason is for doing that, maybe has something to do with the roots not drying out totally or something??? Shrug :-)

Maybe to help keep them dry or it makes them dry out faster?