I brought them in off of my porch about two weeks ago. I am not sure whether I need to keep them watered, and just leave them to their own and they will bloom, or if I need to cut the leaves and keep them dry for a period of time, in order for them to bloom. Should I fertilize them?
The leaves as you can see are quite green and healthy on most of them, some are beginning to yellow a bit.
Any help?
Thanks!
Janet
Hiya Janet. don't know, wish I could help you. what kind are they? johnsonii? seems like you could have left them inground, but, I'm not qualified to say w/ absolute certainty. Seems like whenever I've read about this, they say, unwatered, stored in dark, dry place til last threat of frost.
didn't you send me some johnsonii? They are beautiful and planted inground. Think of you when I see 'em. If it wasn't you, you're getting my thoughts for free! lol
Yes I think I did send you some...lol These were never planted inground they were on the porch...I just can't decide if I should keep them as is and just water etc. or make them go into dormancy and then bloom when I want them to bloom....if that is a possibility.
I think I am just lazy and want someone else to help make my mind up and just get on with it...lol
They are all nice named Amaryllis, Hippies...lol Some are singles and some are doubles, I don't even remember the names until they bloom...I label them and somehow the labels get ripped off or watered on and I just wait till they bloom to
"remember" the names...lol
I would suggest that you cut the leaves off, keep the roots intact, and replant them in pots for indoor blooms. We use Miracle-Gro for potting, but you can use any soil that doesn't harden around the bulb, and it should include fertilizer so that you don't over-fertilize. Place about 2 inches of soil at the base of the pot, then insert your bulb and place soil around it, leaving about one half or one third of the bulb exposed. Your pot should only allow for one half to one inch distance from your bulb. Water at the time of repotting, and check at least once a week. When your soil feels like it's nearly dry, it's time to water again. Hope this helps.
Thanks, they are all in individual pots....so I may cut the leaves and add some new soil to the top three or so inches...and begin watering them again. I appreciate your help.
I like to water in plastic cups from the bottom-it has kept many from rotting over the years. Just my 2 cents.
Thank Kathy.....can you tell me more about that, please? I love hearing the different ways we do things here!!
I would try to water without getting the bulb wet from the top but the bulbs would get soft spots and red spots. Now I buy these clear round tray things that go under pots and fill them with water once a week. The bulbs are a lot happier.
Oh, I see. Thanks!
Then Boojum (Kathy), Do you dump the water after a period of time?
Jeanette
The water evaporates after 5 or so days here. After a week the cups are bone dry. I keep them in a north light window near the radiators. They like to be warm on bottom I've read.
I keep my amaryllis growing all year round. Being in frigid zone 5 this mean taking it inside when temps are going to drop below 40. They bloom nicely two, sometimes three times a year. They are coming in bloom now, they will bloom again around early June and then again maybe in September. I feed every nine months. I've never dried them out in the dark and rested them over the winter. Basically I'm lazy and they just seemed to want to keep on growing. So I let 'em. I water through when the soil shrinks from the sides of the pot, keep them in a south window and repot every two to three years.
great info! Thanks!
I might have missed it, but how many do you have in there? Are they minis?
Jeanette
No they are not minis I have well over thirty....every year I seem to catch the "bug" and order more and now I have quite a few. LOL I am going to try and avoid "bug" better in the future...but I also have about fifty little ones that I am growing from seed, so maybe they will keep me busy..lol
Janet, do you have any of your seedlings blooming yet??? That would be so interesting. How long does it take for them to bloom from seeds?
Jeqanette
2-3 yrs. I have some seeds of lemon lime that will be yr 3 this spring. I'm so excited about prospect of blooms.
You just started them from the purchased produce?? Pretty cool Vossner.
Jeanette
I lost fifty or more during the winter last year, so these are the new babies from my seed pods last December 2007 and Jan 2008...so it will be a while before they bloom, I do have two that made it through the Winter last year and are still growing, so I am hopeful in a year or two to have some of them in bloom. It may also depend on the variety, I truly have no idea..lol But it is fun starting them from seed and watching the bulb grow! Nery, I am excited about you having one that may bloom soon as well! OF COURSE we will want to see pictures of that!
My DH just laughs at me, I have some now that are forming seed pods, and I pointed them out to him the other evening.....my pregnant Hippies....LOL
the seeds were from 9kitty. I'm really excited.
So to get the seeds you obviously have to have more than one blooming at the same time. Then you are hand pollinating, and how long do you leave the dead bloom on the plant??? Tell me what to do.
One more question. I have my sister's Lima that I bought her for Christmas here in my kitchen and it has 2 flower stalks on it. No flowers, or buds, yet. Can I use pollen from each stalk to create fertilized seeds??
I know I would just get Limas but that is ok. Fun trying this. Maybe I will save some pollen and take it over to her house. I think her other one, can't think of the name (butterfly type) anyway, it should be blooming now. Maybe I will pollinate it.
I did that several years ago with her red brug.
Jeanette
I personally don't know, I've never tried. I just remember that Susan tried her hand at pollinating several of hers and I was fortunate to get some seeds from her. I do know mine is LL x LL. maybe she'll come here and comment.
What is LL & LL?? Oh, Lemon Lime. I hope she will post 'cause I am very curious.
Oh, the other one was Papillo. So, maybe I will cross Papillo and Lima. Both Cybristas or however it is spelled.
Jeanette
The first and only hybridizing I've ever done were hippeastrums. The seedlings are in two 8" pots now and are 3 years old. I don't think they will bloom this year-I've just gotten satisfied watching their foliage get bigger and bigger. I can't remember which ones I crossed (very unlike me not to write labels) but my vague memory is H. striatum and H. Carina. I hand pollinated one flower then took off all the pollen so it wouldn't self pollinate. I waited to see if it "took" and sure enough a seedpod grew. I left it on and one day it started splitting open with all those papery black seeds. Then I planted them shallow and kept them moist till they germinated. It was fun but keeping them moist was a challenge. But what joy when they sprouted. Some day I will post flowers but I'm being very patient.
You can pollenate with pollen from one flower to itself...does that make sense...lol you can use the pollen from the flower to pollenate "itself"....lol that is hard to explain....but of course you can use different crosses as well...and yes it is fun! Some of mine have had very large pods and others not so large....but they are easy to grow and sprout in water easily too. I just use a little hydrogen peroxide in the water and they sprout well, once they are about an inch tall I plant them.
Here I am. LOL
Yes, I love to pollinate my amaryllis. I use a q-tip and get it all covered with pollen and go to each stamen and cover them with pollen. I have tried to cross them, but I have been just self pollinating this year.
I did lemon lime X lemon lime. I am excited that you have some growing from my seeds!! I planted several seeds and didn't even mark what I planted, that's how good I am. I only have one tiny little plant that made it. It doesn't seem to get any bigger, but doesn't look unhealthy either. sigh
Right now I have seed pods on my orange sovereign and Red Peacock (which I don't think is Red Peacock but Red Lion) I have had several mislabeled bulbs this year.
I got tons of seeds last year, they are still sitting in the dishes I put them in. I understand now that they probably won't be any good after all this time. :( This year when these get ripe, I will post and you all can ask for some and I will get them sent out right away. OK?
I can't seem to get my old bulbs to ever rebloom, so I am just collecting bulbs. They grow leaves, but do not bloom again. I have no idea what I am doing wrong.
Susan
=^..^=
Oh my gosh Susan, that is terrible. That certainly doesn't bode well for me. This is my first year and if you can't do it how am I going to??
Jeanette
I seem to be getting a high percentage of rebloom here. They are outside in pots in the part-shade all summer. I water once a week if they are dry from lack of rain. This year they got tons of rain and one rotted. But they are budding more, so they may have liked all that rain, who knows. In Oct and November they go into a cool basement space after I've cut the foliage. (I don't do this for species ones though-I just bring them into the house and treat them like houseplants, watering once a week.) On Dec. 1 I brought them inside to my north window and began watering with houseplant liquid fertilizer from the bottom and I have lots of buds now. Susan, if you are growing outside none of this is going to help but maybe it will help you, Jeanette. I've had some of mine for 5 years and they bloom mostly every year. And I keep experimenting (like treating the species different,etc.) I may try repotting them one year, too.
hiya Susan. I found this link about non-blooming hippies. http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/AmaryllisBloom.html
I don't specifically fertilize mine. I just throw some alfalfa pellets in the area and they may get indirect benefit. FIL in Okla can't get hippies to rebloom either.
Great info. Is it too hot for cool dormancy in OK??
