It,s not Christmas until Minerva arrives!

She is my favorite Amaryllis. I've had this bulb for 4 years now and she never fails to put on a show for the holidays! I keep her watered after the flower dies cut off the flower stalk. In the spring after frost danger usually after May 1st I plant the bulb right into the ground in my south facing garden. I keep her watered and fertilize twice a month with miracle grow. Then in September I dig her up put her in a paper grocery bag in a cool dark barn. I let the leaves die naturally. I then pot her up in late October or early November give her a drink of water and watch her come back to life with beautiful blooms for the Christmas season She has even giving me two flower stalks when she is feeling especially generous!

Mine is in bloom NOW! She's outside with the rest of them and surprised me a few weeks ago with the flower bud!

Wow thats awesome! I didn't know they could bloom in August!

Me either! It boomed this past winter so I didn't expect it!

Your bulb must really LOVE you!!

There is something about me or about my growing conditions that Minerva DOES NOT like...lol! I have bought at least 6 bulbs of MInerva and it would bloom alright and then just perform really bad or get sick afterwards. Being one of the older hybrids, one would think that Minerva would be as sturdy as Appleblossom or Red Lion. I always envy other people who can grow Minerva so successfully. It is one variety that I am currently having problems in keeping in the collection. Is anybody having problems with Minerva as I am?

Congratulations on your beautiful Minerva Celticgreenman!

Sorry to here you are having trouble with your Minerva Bulbs Maria, I have found that they can be more difficult than red lion and other cultivars. Try planting your bulb right into the ground in the spring mix about a tablespoon of ground bone meal into the soil, you would be surprised how many roots will grow ! Fertilize twice a week . Also, I found Minerva needs to be slightly cooler when in storage. Because you are in Virginia maybe the bulb needs to go in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or so a day. Don't leave it in the fridge throughtout it's dormant period or it will certainly die. Hope these ideas will help.

FYI mine is planted in potting mix with extra perlite added for excellent drainage.

Maria,

Minerva is one of the easy ones for me. Appleblossom is the easiest. Next to that is Minerva, then Red Lion. H. X Johnsonii, of course, is also a breeze for me, but only in the ground, not in a pot. The Johnsonii in pots tend to struggle or perhaps I just notice this in pots more.

With Minerva, I do like all of my other Tets. I leave them outside (in pots) until the first frost which literally melts most of the leaves. Melted or not, they are brought into my patio and/or porch (enclosed) where temperatures seldom drop below 50 and never below 40 degrees. They will bloom in early spring (mid-March to April, usually). They are not picky about the amount of light, but the more, the better.

As soon as they are finished blooming (and pods are ripened) AND the last chance for frost is over (around Mar. 15 to Apr. 1), they are taken outside. Until taken outside, I water them very little. They get LOTS of rain once outside.

Then the pattern repeats. This fall, I will plant most of them in the ground. I have far too many, and unless there is a all time record low, they should do just fine.

Maria, I'm not sure what you could be doing differently than me. I know that you refrigerate some of your new bulbs. I have never done that. I also tend to 'under fertilize' them.