Two of my older (not ancient!) amaryllis are not blooming this year. This may be due to a colder than usual hibernation, and I will no longer let them hibernate.
But one is supposed to give more water and fertilizer when they develop the flower stalk. I fertilized them today without any flower stalk, because at some time they need some extra food.
Question: what would be the very best time to fertilize these two in order to get flowers next winter?
Carol
They may still decide to flower Carol. But feeding early certainly won't
inhibit flowering since the flower bud has already formed if it is going to
- the fact that it is too small to see down in the centre of the base of
the bulb is nothing to do with whether it is there or not. Personally I
feed occasionally from now until the end of summer when I happen to
remember. Commercial growers feed quite heavily from flowering until autumn
kathryn
We are expecting our first frost of the season here tonight (I hope not, I
hope not) and I have to bring my most tender plants back into the greenhouse.
Given my limited time, I won't be able to bring them all in. I know amarylises
are frost tender. However, if I leave them out and just the leaves get nipped,
will that harm the bulb and their chances of flowering next year? The
temperature is predicted to drop to just below freezing.
Mary Ann
Wisdom is knowing the right
thing to do, virtue is doing it.
Well, sooner or later you will bring them all in, will you not? I would rescue them all in a fell swoop!
I have forgotten the odd amaryllis out all winter and that's a non-no! In a greenhouse I have no idea how they will fare. It would be a pity to lose them!
Amaryllis-lover
If the leaves get nipped they tend to rot back into the bulbs. Mine are
coming in along with the citruses. There is a dark leaved one bred in New
Zealand that is supposed to be more frost resistant but the slugs
absolutely love it so its coming in too.
kathryn
Mary Ann wondered
> We are expecting our first frost of the season here tonight (I hope not, I
> hope not) and I have to bring my most tender plants back into the
greenhouse.
> Given my limited time, I won't be able to bring them all in. I know
amarylises
> are frost tender. However, if I leave them out and just the leaves get
nipped,
> will that harm the bulb and their chances of flowering next year? The
> temperature is predicted to drop to just below freezing.
The short time those bulbs would be exposed to the freezing temperatures
should not be a problem. It takes quite long exposure to freezing that
affects the bulbs.
Kimm
Hi, all. My amaryllis bulb, which had 4 gorgeous, huge blooms from the same
stem last year, came right up out of its peat potting soil when I gently
pulled it. No visible roots, no visible budding stems at the top. I wiped
off the decomposing layer at the bottom of the bulb to expose an apparently
healthy new layer.
So, do I let it dry out and repot? Do I need different soil? Do I need a
new bulb??
TIA,
Shari in Shoreline (near Seattle), WA, zone 8
The bulb has to go dormant for several
months. Amaryllis is more my husband's thing
but IIRC about a month after it stops
blooming you quit watering it and let the
greens die back. Than remove from light for
about 4 to 6 months. bring it back out about
8 weeks before you want it to bloom put it
back in soil, start watering it, giving it
light and it should put up a stalk and
eventually a flower.
Because it is dormant the roots would be
small and even look dead
Has anyone on this list ever been successful
at starting amaryllis from seed? We have
gotten germination but the bulbs never get
bigger than a crocus bulb and never flower
even with 6 years of growing.
Lucy Goodman
Boulder Belt Organics
New Paris, OH
Check out the Boulder Belt website:
http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/boulderbeltcsa
"There is no way to peace---peace is the way."
A.J. Muste
Now I know it has to go dormant & be in the dark, but up until recently, I'd
kept the pot out on the kitchen counter & watered only from time to time.
So what do I do now to get it to bloom again?
Shari
From: Lucy Goodman
Subject: Re: amaryllis question
The bulb has to go dormant for several
months. Amaryllis is more my husband's thing
but IIRC about a month after it stops
blooming you quit watering it and let the
greens die back. Than remove from light for
about 4 to 6 months. bring it back out about
8 weeks before you want it to bloom put it
back in soil, start watering it, giving it
light and it should put up a stalk and
eventually a flower.
Because it is dormant the roots would be
small and even look dead
There are a couple of points I think you should clearify:
1- Did it stay in the same soil since it bloomed last year?
2- how often was it watered?
3- has it been outside (if yes for how long and at about what
temperatures)
4- if you gently squeeze the bulb with your index and thumb is it soft?
5- Have you fed the bulb with any fertilizer since it bloomed last year?
6- you said peat soil do you mean soil with some peat in it, or the
opposite or just peat?
Layth
Shari,
If your bulb is still firm it is good, if it gets soft (like when an
onion starts getting bad) it means it is either lost and rotting, or it
is on its way to do that.
If your amaryllis does not have roots (as I think you mentioned) pull
the bulb out of the soil and then place it outside or a cool place
inside where the temperatures get cold
(for Amaryllis to go dormant in needs temperatures below 55 [some say
60] for 8 - 10 WEEKS ) the bulbs can tolerate low temperatures (I think
they can tolerate mid to upper 20's and above, but I heard that some
people lost some varieties at freezing [32] temperatures, so to be safe
protect the bulb from frost)
From what I understood on this list and other resources light is not a
major factor in dormancy so it really does not matter if the bulb gets
sun or not (other than the sun will heat up the bulb and might break
the dormancy I guess)
One important note to make: For your amaryllis to produce a flower
after it's 10 week dormancy it need to have been fed before it's
dormancy. if it has not been fed, you might still get flowers from it,
but it is a rare thing ( or a miss and hit I guess, it would depend on
the size of the bulb, and how much food it stored during its growing
period, I had a couple bulbs that bloomed the next year even-though I
did not feed them).
After the 10 week dormancy, plant the amaryllis in soil (10% perlite,
10% peat-moss, and the rest potting soil [ you could even go with only
potting soil with no problem as long as your pot has a hole at the
bottom]) , then water it once and place in a warm area in the house.
Try not to water again, until you see a leaf or flower stalk starting
to grow. Once that happens water once a week or when the soil gets dry
{no more than once every 3 days I would say).
I hope this works for you, and if you have additional questions I am
sure we can try to help.
Layth
Dave,
I am not really sure, you might be able to tell me later on. If you
read articles about Amaryllis you will find that on the internet and
among the more pronounced websites the dormancy time is as I mentioned
8-10 weeks. Yet on some amaryllis boxes from many companies there is no
real mention of this time, some even write (on care after bloom) that
you should keep watering until leaves dry and then stop watering and
keep indoor!!!! until you see it budding again. I don't think this
would work very well. but who knows!!!
In summery if the bulb did not break dormancy yet (no sign of growth
yet) then you can consider three options:
1- you MIGHT be able to place it in a cold area for another 4-6 weeks
or so and try to see if it will flower. (continuing the dormancy time)
2- Or If it is still dormant then you might want to place it in a cold
area for a new 8-10 weeks. (a safer way I guess)
3- Or you can try growing it now and see if it will flower. (please
tell us if this works if you try it)
but if it broke dormancy my guess is you should just grow it and see.
At the worst it will not flower, yet you will be able to feed it more
and fatten it up for next season, and if my fridge method works you
might be able to make it dormant in a month or so and get it to flower
again. Sorry I could not help much, and maybe there is someone on this
list who has a better answer.
I hope I will be able to answer more question like yours after I
finish my 1 year experiment with 25 Amaryllises. I am trying to answer
question that I had for a long time:
- Can you refrigerate the bulbs for dormancy?
- what is the minimum time needed for dormancy?
- What happens if temperatures rise in the middle of dormancy for 2
days and then go down again does the bulb still flower after the 8-10
weeks or not? (how long does it take to get the bulbs out of dormancy?)
- What kind and amount of fertilizer is best for flowering?
obviously some questions cannot be answered in one year and might take
longer to establish the results.
Dave wonders,
How important is the length of time? The bulb was outside and lightly
nipped by frost. It is firm and good size. We kept it in the
garage-unheated-for nearly a month. Then brought it in the house.
The roots did not look dried out and the soil around them was damp.
Was that long enough? Was it dormant?
What will happen now?
Dave
Laythss . wrote:
Thanks for your help, Layth.
1- Did it stay in the same soil since it bloomed last year?
Yes
2- how often was it watered?
every couple of weeks or so
3- has it been outside (if yes for how long and at about what
temperatures)
No. Inside & on the countertop since last winter when it bloomed. House
was probably in the high 70s most of the summer and for the last few months
it's been high 50s except for when I'm home & then mid 60s
4- if you gently squeeze the bulb with your index and thumb is it soft?
Not soft, but feels like the outer layer is very slightly loose, almost as
if there is a very thin layer of air underneath it
5- Have you fed the bulb with any fertilizer since it bloomed last year?
nope
6- you said peat soil do you mean soil with some peat in it, or the
opposite or just peat?
I think it's just peat. It came in a box with bulb, peat, and pot
It's about 3" in diameter with no apparent roots. I have it under the
counter in a dark, cool cupboard. Should I put it in the fridge for 8-10
weeks? Pot it in the same pot? Fertilize and water (can I use worm compost
tea)?
Thanks much!
Shari
Sorry Shari, I don't think you will get it to bloom this year (at least
I doubt it), the main reason is becuase I don't think it had enough
food, second reason it might not have had cold enough temperatures. If
you want a flower this winter you should buy a new plant, but don't
throw the other one away, if you are willing you might be able to get
it to bloom next year. If you are interested pot it right now in
regular soil (1/3 of the bulb should be above soil) water it once, and
leave it in a warm area of the house (above the fridge might be a good
location) leave it there until you see some sign of growth (leaves
starting to come out) do not water it unless absoulutly necessary (the
soil got too dry/ more than a week passed and no growth). It might take
as long as a month for it to start growing if the temps are cool
(usualy within 1 - 2 weeks it will start growing). Once it starts
growing set the pot next to a sunny window (or somewhere that gets good
amount of southern sun) and feed it with a good fertilizer after 2
weeks or so. If it blooms DO nOT FERTILIZE it that might cause the
bulb to rot., keep on feeding every couple of weeks, and then stop
watering it next summer, and let the leaves completely dry out, then
you can cut them off, and place the pot somewhere cool. It has to be in
temps around the 40s or 50s to go dormant and it needs to stay dormant
for at least 2 months.
I am so sorry about this, and I hope you will not give up on this
precious bulb.
P.S. what you are feeling on the bulb, is only the out layers of the
dry skin. The bulb generally shrinks after it sets a flower, once you
feed the bulb it will grow if not surpass that layer.
Layth
Surprisingly, my amaryllis bulb from last year, which had/has no roots and
has orange stuff on the outer part of the bulb, has started to sprout the
beginnings of leaves. I'd been cautioned here that without it experiencing
a period of cold, it most likely would not bloom again, plus, since it had
no roots, I was out of luck.
But I put it in a pot and watered it last night. Did I do the right thing?
What do y'all think will happen now??!
TIA,
Shari in Shoreline (near Seattle), WA, zone 8/5
Shari,
I am not sure what the question is here! but if you are asking if the
bulb would bloom, as I mentioned before that will depend on two things:
1- did it get it's 8 -10 weeks of dormancy? your last email was in
december, so if you placed it in a cool place since then it should as
long as 2 is true. 2- you fed the bulb last year after it flowered?
By the way sometimes even if you have not fed the amaryllis the year
before but provided it with it's resting period it will flower this
year. (it really depends on the amount of stored food it has)
In any case you did the right thing, you should always plant the bulb
when you see leaves emerging. It will start growing roots as soon as
you pot it. just watch with the watering, let it dry out for a day in
between the waterings. And if you do not see a flower stem emerging in
a month or so start fertilizing it. If it happens and you see it
sending a flower stem after you started fertilizing it, it is better to
stop the fertilization until the flower is done.
Now about the red stuff you have on the outside of the bulb, it is
possibly a disease. I personally do not think it is serious, most of
my bulbs have it, in one degree or another. I believe it eventually
cause the bulb to die, but I have bulbs 5 years old that have it that
are still alive. I would love to hear from other people about this.
the disease is called Fire or Red leaf spot, Red Blotch, or leaf Scorch
" Stagonospora curtisii "
In a message dated 3/11/04 11:16:41 PM Eastern Standard Time,
shari_beth@EARTHLINK.NET writes:
<< What do y'all think will happen now??!
You probably will get only leaves, but that's OK. Treat it right over the
summer and fall and it might bloom for you next year.
Not all of my amaryllis bulbs bloom every year. They are all treated the
same, some re-bloom, some don't.
Mary Ann
In a message dated 3/11/04 11:46:48 PM Eastern Standard Time,
laythss@YAHOO.COM writes:
<< Now about the red stuff you have on the outside of the bulb, it is
possibly a disease. I personally do not think it is serious, most of
my bulbs have it, in one degree or another. I believe it eventually
cause the bulb to die, but I have bulbs 5 years old that have it that
are still alive. I would love to hear from other people about this.
the disease is called Fire or Red leaf spot, Red Blotch, or leaf Scorch
" Stagonospora curtisii " >>
Is it a fungus? Would a milk drench help maybe?
Mary Ann
> But I put it in a pot and watered it last night. Did I do the right thing?
> What do y'all think will happen now??!
I had good luck last year watering with orchid fertiliser. I don't
know what orchid fertiliser, probably the plant equivalent of
cocaine, but everything goes crazy on it.
Having no roots is irrelevant - it will grow them now. Pot it up, keep it
fed, you may be lucky and get a flower this year, you certainly should get
one next year unless it is so unhappy that it goes in for vegetative
reproduction instead in which case you will get lots of small bulbs that
you can pot up and feed and grow on and then give the cold period when they
are big enough to flower. Even if you don't get flower now you will get
lots in the future
kathryn
Amaryllis seem to live perfectly happily with it - some of mine are over 20
years old and came with it
kathryn
ok, i need to delurk on this one. i have had amaryllis for some time and
i don't have much luck in getting them to rebloom each year. they do
send up lots of leaves though, but what i want is a flower. what are the
steps in treating these beautiful plants through the summer and fall so
that they will bloom either for winter or spring? how cold should they
be when dormant? should they be removed from their pots each year?
thank you for any help anyone has,
cindi
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take
but by the moments that take our breath away."
________________________________________________________________
The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
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Let's see, here in warm so. calif. we grow them outside even, so it doesn't
have to get tooo cold for them to go dormant, and it's quite "warm" indoors
in the winter-time. I think with holding some waterr is probably more
important for re-bloom, but I always feel like I'm killing a plant to when I
do that. Have to withold water in the autumn on the cymbidiums, also
need to hibernate your amaryllis for about 2 months every autumn. And this
is much easier to do in an unheated room in Denmark than in Georgia, for
instance!
> During these two months no light, no water, no nothin'. Then you put them
in a warm room in the light and water them once a week (I also repot mine
very often at this point, about the 1st of December or the 1st of January.)
When the flower stalk starts pushing its way up, water twice a week (but
never much water!) and fertilize with something or other (coffee grounds,
for instance!).
> I had one this year that didn't flower, but that was because I was trying
to make them flower without hibernation and it didn't work for me.
Amy, I believe the cold is more important than the withholding of
water. I have noticed that withholding water from my Amyrillis all
throughout the summer and planting them in the fall but they do not
bloom. whereas freg them in september till december makes them bloom.
It is only an observation I had, I am this year doing an experiment
with two bulbs (i should have done it with more, and I might) one with
withholding water from it, and the other not doing that, but only
sticking in in the freg for 10 weeks and see what happens, I will keep
you all posted about what is the discovery.
Also Amy, I think even in souther cal. (I used to live in Santa
Barbara) during the winter months the temperature goes down to the 40 -
50s at night, but you are right that it does not stay like this for a
period of 24 hours (up to the 60s in the day time). I wonder if it is
important that the temperature goes down below the 55 for a certain
amount of time. That would be like stone fruits that require certain
cold hours to produce fruit!!!
Layth
wow, there is alot to getting these guys to rebloom. i haven't done the
cold method, but i have withheld water and kept them in the dark and
still may only get the blooms on one plant. this year i haven't had any
bloom and one even rotted. i did have them outside last summer since it
was a hot one here in the seattle, WA area. they did well, but i watered
them the whole summer, brought them in when the fall rains started again,
stopped watering, and let them lie dormant from september to december
when they started to grow so i began watering again. nothing this year,
but i have hope for next :).
cindi
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take
but by the moments that take our breath away."
________________________________________________________________
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Try this website
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8529.html
Mary Ann
They can blossom as late as April, so it looks as though you are in luck.
Water once a week and not too much, then twice a week when the flower stalk appears. After flowering back to once a week. At least that's what I do and they never rot, even in pure (old) compost.
Carol
Strangely enough mine don't have it, but they go back only to about 1997!
Carol
Let's see, where do you live, Cindi? That is very important, because you need to hibernate your amaryllis for about 2 months every autumn. And this is much easier to do in an unheated room in Denmark than in Georgia, for instance!
During these two months no light, no water, no nothin'. Then you put them in a warm room in the light and water them once a week (I also repot mine very often at this point, about the 1st of December or the 1st of January.) When the flower stalk starts pushing its way up, water twice a week (but never much water!) and fertilize with something or other (coffee grounds, for instance!).
I had one this year that didn't flower, but that was because I was trying to make them flower without hibernation and it didn't work for me.
Carol
> Let's see, here in warm so. calif. we grow them outside even, so it doesn't
> have to get tooo cold for them to go dormant, and it's quite "warm" indoors
> in the winter-time. I think with holding some waterr is probably more
> important for re-bloom, but I always feel like I'm killing a plant to when I
> do that. Have to withold water in the autumn on the cymbidiums, also
For several years now I have dug up my dahlia (now several dahlias!) in late October and I don't water it until it goes out again in May. Never seems to bother it, nor does it bother the amaryllis. Often they begin to shoot their leaves out just before the 2 months are up, as if they know it...
The dahlia shoot too, from early May.
Carol
Are you telling us you put your amaryllis in the icebox? The temperature then would be about 30F if your refrigerators are like the Danish ones (4C). A lot colder than the 55 or so in my cold rooms in winter, but again, quite damp! And if there is light when one opens the door, rather too much light coming in, I would think.
But if it is a place with a warm winter, I would do the same.
September and October are pretty warm here for hibernating amaryllis, but I start then anyway. By late October nights are cold, and then winter starts, more or less.
I know that in Georgia where they grow amaryllis professionally, they just leave them out in the garden. At some point they lose their leaves, even though it is still warm or even hot. Bargylla told me the same thing. I think she dug up the ones I have in about March. I suppose it is more lack of water that makes them go dormant.
I am repotting what I call Bargyla's amaryllis tonight. First at 8 P.M. I biked down to my friend and she had 7 milk cartons and kitchen scraps ready for me. I washed the milk cartons and they are all dry and most of them filled with bark.
In the meantime I carried 5 pots with amaryllis, 5 new large pots and 5 new small pots, plus newspaper and compost upstairs. All this activity goes on in my bathroom. I do all my dishwashing there too, dry my firewood, dry bark, dry wood chips, get washed, do my handwashing of woolen things, etc. A real workshop, and it is warm!
Carol
Good site, Mary Ann. There are several things I do differently, but there are many mansions, etc.
I use compost, then I don't have to fertilize.
Kathryn wrote last year that one could get them to flower by growing them cold, so they didn't go dormant but were cold. Didn't work for me, but this site also mentions that system.
One thing I do do is carry my amaryllis up to the bathroom in December and let them start their growth there. That is because my window sills to the street have Christmas decorations in them. After Christmas and before New Years I like to have a couple-three amaryllis in bloom. After that I gradually bring the rest up to the bathroom so they can replace the first ones when they have finished blossoming.
I never cut off blossoms or blossom stalks. They wither away in a couple of weeks.
Thanks for the reference. I will try to get ahold of the guide itself.
Carol
You haven't said where you live, Cindi! Makes a difference.
Carol
There is a good page called Home Forcing of Amaryllis at
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8529.html which pretty much says
it all.
kathryn
Probably not cool enough cindi. It really isn't hard so long as their rest
is at a low enough temperature - and that isn't a very low one. I'm lucky
because my conservatory goes down low enough in winter so all I have to do
is water and feed in spring, summer and early autumn and leave them alone
or just water through the winter - their natural reflowering time here is
early May. I have never once bothered to dry them off since the time I
forgot one and it got very sad indeed and took years to come back into
flowering
kathryn
We live in a Mediterranean climate zone - little rain in summer, more in
winter and my mother was wont to go outside and water her plants every day
when it wasn't raining. Her amaryllis flowered profusely every year, maybe
it's all in what they get used to ;-D
Carol Jensen wrote:
> At 10:24 12-03-2004, you wrote:
> Now about the red stuff you have on the outside of the bulb, it
> is possibly a disease. I personally do not think it is serious,
> most of my bulbs have it, in one degree or another. I believe it
> eventually cause the bulb to die, but I have bulbs 5 years old
> that have it that are still alive. I would love to hear from
> other people about this. the disease is called Fire or Red leaf
> spot, Red Blotch, or leaf Scorch " Stagonospora curtisii "
> Amaryllis seem to live perfectly happily with it - some of mine are
> over 20 years old and came with it
> kathryn
> Strangely enough mine don't have it, but they go back only to about
> 1997!
> Carol
Hi Folks
I thought it might be interesting to look up this Stagonospora Curtisii
and find out more about it. It appears it is not confined to Amaryllis
(Hippeastrum) but occurs on many other members of the Amaryllis family
including many Narcissus species Daffodila and Jonquils), also
belladonna lilies, Crinums, Agapanthus and Clivia, where it is known
generally as Leaf Scorch.
In each case it seems it causes reddening of the attacked part.
"This disease is most likely to develop in warm humid conditins. THe
fungus is found at the top of the bulb scales and the leaves bcome
infected as they emerge from the bulb."
As far as I can make out the condition is only very rarely
life-threatening and usually no more than unsightly.
For control they suggest removing infected material regularly and
discarding very heavily infected bulbs. If the bulbs are special one
can, apart for removing the infections, also try a copper spray.
Reading the description of the disease it seems to me that the best
things to remove are infected bulb scales before the new leaves start.
Carol
I should say you have been lucky and have never got in an already
infected bulb. Probably in your climate also very few of the other
susceptible plants are grown which helps to cut down on the spores
flying around in the air
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004
Amy Fernandez wrote:
Amy
In NZ they are sometimes grown outdoors successfully in the mild
wintered seaside suburbs of Lower Hutt and no doubt in many places north
of here, but one mention I had of them in the open is that unless they
are kept dry in winter flowering may be poor and sporadic. They
obviously come originally from a climate with a winter both cool and dry
and either situation will certainly help to encourage blooming (but
doubtless both together are surer).
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004
Mary Ann Mikulski wrote:
> Try this website
> http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8529.html
Mary Ann
Very many thanks for this ecellent and comprehensive reference. I have
been intending for some time to try and revive my unfortunate neglected
Amaryllis plants, which not surprisingly have not flowered for some
years, and have for a couple of years been saving advice from many of
our menbers, which I had intended to wade through. However I feel this
is such an excellent and comprehensive summary I will not now need to
bother, but can simply use these instructions.
Yours gratefully
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004
carol,
my city and state were in the middle of my last email, but for
clarification, i am in the seattle, WA area, USA :).
cindi
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take
but by the moments that take our breath away."
________________________________________________________________
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Yes, I did see it eventually! Pretty warm place.
Carol
Last year 4 of the Amaryillis bulbs blossomed very well, two flower stalks
with 4 or 5 blossoms per and one failed to do anything but produce foliage
(and that on has not since the year after my sister gave it to me). During
the summer they were put in the garden in full sun and thrived until the
first frost (and that didn't even kill the leaves) when I moved them into
the garage (dark and cool) until just after Christmas. They were brought
into the house, warmed up, watered and the one that has not blossomed in 4
years has 2 flower stalks with 5 flower buds each, but the other 4, that
blossomed each year since 2001 when I got them, are not only not producing
any blossom but appear to have foliage coming up only from offsets., or at
least from someplace other than the place the stem normally comes from.
Kimm
Well, congratulations on the one that is going to blossom. Perhaps the others are just late. I had six blossom for me and one that did absolutely nothing. Now it is getting leaves, so it may blossom later in March or in April - which would be just great!
Carol
How big of a bulbs are the 4 other ones. out of three amaryllises I
have 3 of them after flowering last november (these three were newly
bought, along with another two) produced 2 flower stalks, and then did
not produce any leaves, instead put out little offshoots that are just
starting to bring out there leaves. From what I read in a book, this
is natural and is what happens when the mother bulb dies. Now why or
at what age, size does the bulb die, I have no idea, and have not yet
found any sources that go into that. It has been 4 months since my
bulb had its last flower and did not produce leaves, the bulb is still
firm, 2 weeks after the bulb had its last flower i saw the first
bulblet and a month later 1 saw the other one, I do no know how many
others are there, since they still did not bring out there leaves
completely out (i can see the tips of the leaves, but not completely).
I will continue watering the bulb and since taking the offshoots for me
is not till next year, I will see if that bulb will produce leaves
(even though I have my doubts). sorry for the bad news but if I
remember right these little offshoots would produce a flower within 3
years if fed and maintained. I wonder if anyone on this list has had
similar observations regarding this matter.
Now about a different subject with amaryllises I have read that you can
propagate the plant by dividing the bulb into wedges, usually done
between aug and november when the bulb has the most stored food. Has
anyone done this before wit sucsess, I am not sure about weather this
should be done while the bulb is still active or when is dormant?? I
believe it was mentioned that with this way of propagation the bulb
will probably produce a flower in as little as two years. Any
comments?
Layth
i had one die. at least it seemed to have died. it didn't do anything
this year, not even leaves. no bulblets either. when i looked at it
from the top, the inside was brown so i dumped it into a compost pile.
the roots looked good though so i am wondering if i should pull it out
and pot it up again. any thoughts? it isn't more than 2 years old.
BTW, i hadn't thought that my part of the world was all that warm. wet,
sure! won't argue that one, but i love the green we have for all that
rain :). i don't leave my amaryllis outside other than during the
summer as i am not sure that they would survive.
cindi, in the seattle, WA area where is it a drizzly day
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take
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No, it may be natural for the bulb to produce leaves after it has flowered (but more natural to do both at the same time), but the mother bulb does NOT die!
I can see no reason that a bulb should die, though perhaps after 50 years or so...
It would look very nice to keep the bulblets in the same pot, if it can have so many. I saw this on the piece by the Dutch bulb farmer, and will try it myself. I get only one at a time except on Bargyla's.
I have had Bargyla's amaryllis bulbs for at least 3 years and they are still very tiny, not at all ready to blossom.
It is strange that the season where you live is November, in Ireland the natural season is April, and in Denmark we like them around Christmas and in January and February.
I gave my two sons red amaryllis for their birthdays around February 1st. Since this is a state-of-the-art family, where everybody has a digital camera, I get pictures of my presents. Last night my younger son sent me a nice one of the second flower stalk.
Carol
Carol
If the roots look good there may be hope. Pare away dead tissue a little at
a time and see if there is anything alive in there. If there is repot it.
Things can get inside amaryllis and eat them from the inside out but if you
catch them before the base plate is killed and when at least some of the
bulb is still alive they may come back again - though it will take a few
years. The bonus is that they will almost certainly multiply if this happens.
Can I urge people who have them outside in the summer to check for slugs
when they bring them in since this is exactly what can happen - a tiny slug
can get in between the plates of the bulb and eat out the growth points. On
several occasions when the mother bulb has appeared to die I've found
slugs, millipedes or other baddies are the culprits.
On the question of leaving them outside for the winter - it depends how
cold it gets in your locality and, more importantly, what the bloodlines of
your particular amaryllis are. The modern amaryllis has ancestry in half a
dozen species of hippeastrum and some are more tender than others. Very few
hippeastrums are hardy north of zones 9 & 10 though the true amaryllis,
amaryllis belladonna, the Jersey Lily, will take quite a lot of frost so
long as the crown is well protected with straw in the winter - it needs
good drainage though, while the lovely little red Scarborough Lily,
actually a vallota, sits happily in pots outside my door the year round.
kathryn
Hi!
My amaryllis is growing leaves and I noticed this morning that they are
sticky on the top. Could this be mites or scale? If so, should I spray them
like I would any other house plant?
Thanks!
Barbara (long time lurker - occasional poster)
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A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
I'd probably try washing it off before spraying, to get a better idea of =
the
culprit if nothing else. I've had scale problems with citrus trees but
never with amaryllis, FWIW.
Esther Czekalski
Barbara
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 7:59 PM
To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Amaryllis question
Hi!
My amaryllis is growing leaves and I noticed this morning that they are
sticky on the top. Could this be mites or scale? If so, should I spray =
them
like I would any other house plant?
Thanks!
Barbara (long time lurker - occasional poster)
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.13/197 - Release Date: 12/9/05
*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
I would try to wash the stuff off w/Safer's soap or just wash them off
before I tried anything stronger in the house. I'm not familiar w/any
particular pests of Amaryllis, but sticky is often aphids.
Debbie home and in a bit of pain w/screws out of foot...and having to be
back in boot and on crutches temporarily...no fun
Barbara
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 7:59 PM
To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Amaryllis question
Hi!
My amaryllis is growing leaves and I noticed this morning that they are
sticky on the top. Could this be mites or scale? If so, should I spray them
like I would any other house plant?
Thanks!
Barbara (long time lurker - occasional poster)
*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for taking the time to answer even though you are not feeling well.
I hope your foot heals soon.
I have washed the leaves with just plain water (will have to look for the
Safer's). I, too, am not familiar with any pests that bother these plants,
but my first thought was aphids or some microscopic bug. I will have to
keep my eye on it.
Barbara
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*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
Hi Esther,
Thanks for the input. I did wash it off and will keep my eye on it. I have
done all kinds of research and have found no mention of any particular
problems with Amaryllis in the house.
Barbara
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Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
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*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
Good luck with it and thanks for your good wishes!
Barbara
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 9:46 PM
To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: Amaryllis question
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for taking the time to answer even though you are not feeling well.
I hope your foot heals soon.
I have washed the leaves with just plain water (will have to look for the
Safer's). I, too, am not familiar with any pests that bother these plants,
but my first thought was aphids or some microscopic bug. I will have to
keep my eye on it.
Barbara
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No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.13/197 - Release Date: 12/9/05
*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
The only problem with amaryllis in the house is that, although it's not =
toxic to animals it can cause stomach irritation and vomiting. My =
little 8 lb poodle mouthed a fallen blossom and couldn't keep food down =
for a few days.
Marion, waiting for the snow - nearly a foot
Thanks for the input. I did wash it off and will keep my eye on it. I =
have
done all kinds of research and have found no mention of any particular =
problems with Amaryllis in the house.
Barbara
At 09:47 AM 12/14/05, you wrote:
> I'd probably try washing it off before spraying, to get a better idea =
of the
> culprit if nothing else. I've had scale problems with citrus trees =
but
> never with amaryllis, FWIW.
> Esther Czekalski
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gardens & Gardening [mailto:GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU] On Behalf Of =
Barbara
> Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 7:59 PM
> To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: Amaryllis question
> Hi!
> My amaryllis is growing leaves and I noticed this morning that they =
are
> sticky on the top. Could this be mites or scale? If so, should I =
spray them
> like I would any other house plant?
> Thanks!
> Barbara (long time lurker - occasional poster)
> --
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.13/197 - Release Date: =
12/9/05
> *********************************************
> A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
> in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
> ~~Henry Mitchell
> *********************************************
> *********************************************
> A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
> in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
> ~~Henry Mitchell
> *********************************************
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.13/197 - Release Date: =
12/9/05
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.13/197 - Release Date: =
12/9/05
*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
Thanks for this info, too. I had no idea. I have a 9 lb Rat Terrier who is
into everything and anything that lands on the floor is hers, so I will
keep my eyes out for falling blossoms. I have one amaryllis in bloom right
now, one budded and closing in on bloom time and the one that is sticky. So
I will have blossoms around for a while.
Barbara
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No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.13/197 - Release Date: 12/9/05
*********************************************
A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even
in winter, and no matter how great the cause.
~~Henry Mitchell
*********************************************
