Dear Ashley,
EXCELLENT Job!! Most likely you have an Apple Blossom, but it could be a surprise, so be sure and post photos when it's bloomed. Looks very happy!

Only advice would be to expose a little more bulb above the soil, roughly 1/3. Others will chime in on different media and how important that is, but you've done a great job and should be rewarded with beautiful blooms soon.
:-)
Kristi

Wow - looks like a great healthy plant, Ashley! I know you must feel great "saving" this poor bulb and letting it bloom successfully.
Alana

What a good job you have done! Isn't it fascinating to watch these bulbs grow especially for the first time! Looks like you've got some nice fat flowers coming.... hope you get an Apple Blossom!
Donna

Congratulations on your first Hippeastrum! I've never seen such white leaves on a bulb, those where jammed under the cardboard? Luckily all of them are healthy green now. Just remember not to overwater, since the plant hasn't developed much roots jet.

For the other one, you've got to be more careful still with the water. When the flowering bud has fully stretched out of the bulb, then it's time to water again.

You'll see that the bulbs will need much more water once the leaves are fully developed and the days get longer.
But all in all Hippeastrum are really easy to care for.

I concur... you have an Apple Blossom, most likely! A beautiful variety! Good job!

Keep us informed... we want to see the open blooms! :-)

Thanks everyone!

Krisi, so I need to expose the bulb itself, not just where the stem is growing from correct?

Here is a photo of it this morning! :D
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Betonklotz, what is the difference between an amaryllis and a hippeastrum? The sign for the bulb did say Amaryllis and I think I do remember it saying Apple Blosom, but i could be wrong! :)

I've attached a photo of the other "mini star amaryllis" (not sure if that is the real name). It was in bad condition but I got it anyway. I can see bright green coming through the dried dead foliage. I hope it will make it! :) Any advice? I know that the soil is too high on it, so I will remove some. The soil is wet to the touch, does that mean it it too wet and will rot the bulb?
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Thanks for the compliements and help! :)

Ashley

You have most likely two Hippeastrum. Amaryllis is another close related plant genus but the name is better known mostly used for selling plants that are in fact Hippeastrum. Just check the wikipedia pages for these two.

Soil that's wet might cause problem on a bulb that hasn't got leaves developed to a sufficient degree jet. If it's just moist, I'd leave it like it is. But the medium you used seems to hold water in for a longer time. If that is so, I'd recommend to change it before your bulb turns mushy. If you're repotting, peel off the dead layers of the bulb and check if it's ok.

You're right, "Mini star amaryllis" isn't a real cultivar name. There a a lot of smaller flowering Hippeastrum with star-like shaped petals or star-markings on the petals that come into question ... we'd have to wait until it has flowered!

Several years ago, I felt sorry for an Apple Blossom in a box in some store and bought it. I buried the bulb at the edge of my front porch behind the drip line. It has bloomed every year for three or four years, and has an offset which should be big enough to bloom this year. I set other potted amaryllis around it and it gets fertilizer from their drainage.

Jim, where are you located in Zone 8? I'm interested in trying to keep some bulbs outside year round and I know it's borderline here in Raleigh - though urban legend says it can be done!
Alana

Carl is correct... the bulbs we commonly know as Amaryllis are, in fact, Hippeastrum bulbs. They originate in South America. We see them sold right around Christmas time, when they are forced for our holiday enjoyment.

A true Amaryllis is in a genus of its own... Amaryllis Belladonna. More commonly known as Naked Ladies, these bulbs originate in South Africa.

Neither are hardy in the northern zones, but Hippeastrum can be successfully, and quite easily, grown as a container plant. Amaryllis Belladonna does much better as a garden plant in the southern zones, and because it doesn't like to be disturbed once settled in, growing this bulb in a container is more difficult.

Not to confuse you further, but the bulbs we know as Naked Ladies in the northern zones are actually Lycoris Squamigera. They look very similar to Amaryllis Belladonna, but have the advantage of being hardy to around zone 5.

Different growers subscribe to different ways of growing Hippeastrum bulbs... the lucky ones live in areas where they can be grown directly in the garden... but us northern gardeners, even though forced to containerize them, each have our different methods for success.

Some will grow them as houseplants, allowing them to rest and bloom on their own natural schedule, while others force a dormancy to have blooms at different times throughout the year.

We each subscribe to different soils and different fertilizer programs, as well. As you read through the forum postings, you'll see the many different ways in which we each make the best of our climates and growing environments, and how we each give our bulbs the care they need to thrive.

I, myself, allow my bulbs to tell me what they need. Through careful observation, I know when my bulbs want less water because they're resting, and when they need more water because they've begun active growth. I feed on a low-dose, constant basis... and I use an inorganic, bonsai-like medium in which to grow them. I try to pot them all in unglazed clay so the roots can "breathe", and so any accumulated salts can more easily leach out through the porous walls. I never force a dormancy, but instead, have early spring blooms... which is their natural bloom cycle.

Hippeastrum bulbs are very forgiving... to a point. They hate "wet feet", and prefer to dry out in between waterings... and they don't usually survive a hard freeze.

They like lots of sunshine, careful watering, a good feeding program, and they require a rest after a summer of good growth to recharge.

When I first purchase a bulb, I peel away any dried, dead layers, check the bulb for any rotting areas or soft spots, dust it lightly with an anti-fungal powder as a preventative measure, and I pot the bulb in a very free-draining medium with at least 1/2 to 2/3 of the bulb above soil level. I water it in to settle the medium, then wait for growth to appear before watering again. From then on, I am careful to water only when the medium is dry.

I hope this helps... everyone here is extremely helpful and generous, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Apple Blossom is a beautiful variety... I think you'll be pleased!

Alana, I think if you plant the bulbs in a protected area, such as the south side of a building, or close to a heated building, they should be fine. A good, thick layer of mulch every fall should ensure garden success. Although, with the goofy weather lately... who really knows? :-)

I'm not sure what I've done wrong....not enough water? took soil out to expose the bulb a bit and distured the flowering prosses? Oh darn...it was looking so healthy! Now some of the foliage up close to the blooms are turning brown and the flower is not looking good....

Please help! My newly opening flower looks like a wilting flower..:(
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I still have 3 blooms to get bigger and open, can I save these?

Thanks for the help and advice!
Ashley

"Now some of the foliage up close to the blooms are turning brown and the flower is not looking good...."
Foliage up close to the flower? Do you mean the bracts that covered the flower buds? That's just normal that they die. If the leaves that rise directly from the bulb go brown you'd have to worry. Also, what's wrong with the flower? It just seems to me that it's not fully opened, so relax!

Not it's obvious that you've got an Apple Blossom, congratulations.

Ashley,

Your Amaryllis (botanically known as Hippeastrum) is doing fine! By tomorrow you'll be wonder why you were worried! 'Apple Blossom' is a large bloom and it takes it a couple of days to open fully and then a few more days for the pollen to "color up and become fluffy and for the pistol to also mature and curve upward.

She's gonna be Be-u-ti-ful!

I forgot to thank you Jodik for all the great advice! So Thank you!! :D

betonklotz and rebecca, thank you so much for explaining whats going on. Oh I am so grateful!! :D :D Now that I know this is to be expected I do feel a little silly, I seemed to have over reacted but this is a precious plant for me and a learning experience so I really do appreciate the help. :D

Oh! I'm so so excited to see what she will look like! My worries are gone and now its just anticipation! :D

I'll keep posting my progress! Oh! I saw a little more green today trying to break out of the dried layers (leaves that tried to grow but the store wasn't taking care of their bulbs) Should I try to peel them away as one would do on the bulb or leave it to fall off?

Thanks

Ashley

No problem, Ashley... we're happy to help!

I don't know that I would do anything until the flowers are finished. Spend a little time here looking at photos, reading about the care of these bulbs... getting your bearings around them, so to speak... and once the flowers begin to fade, you'll know exactly what to do to make your bulb grow optimally.

The outer dead layers, like the ones on an onion, can be very carefully peeled and discarded. They are simply dead layers the bulb sheds. In nature, they help protect the bulbs' flesh a bit... but in a container, they become hiding places for insects. Be careful, though... you don't want to accidentally un-pot the bulb by tugging too hard, or peel a layer that is still living.

If you keep reading here in the forum, by the time your flowers fade you'll be ready to decide whether or not you want to re-pot your bulbs, and exactly how you've decided to grow them.

Read! :-)

jodik, your Jan. 15 comment above is the best single and succinct tutorial I have ever read about growing hippes and it would be nice if it could be made into a Faq for this Forum so it can be referred to easily.
Pat

Thanks Jodik! You've been a big help! Here is my amaryllis bloom!! So beautiful!! :D :D

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Here you can see the other 3 waiting to bloom! :D
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Thank you for everyones help! I definitley want to continue to grow these and will read lots on this forum!

Ashley

Ooh! What a beauty! Apple Blossom is such a delicate flower... I just love it!

Thanks for sharing your photos, Ashley... and you've come to the right place! We're all addicted to Hippeastrum bulbs... we collect, grow, pollinate, trade seeds, bulblets, grow them from seed... if it has to do with these bulbs, this is where you'll find it! Happy Reading! You'll learn a lot here!