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Amaryllis/Hippeastrum

amaryllis newbie

14 years ago

I received this bulb from my friend. (This is my first amaryllis). I'd like to know what steps I shouild take to make sure it blooms nicely and survive. Does it look ok? Any info would be greatly appreciated and welcomed.

Thanks ~ Bo

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Comments (13)

Carl
14 years ago
Well it looks fine so far. Just be sure not to overwater, better wait until the soil's comepletely dry before watering again. Put it in the spot with the most direct sunlight and fertilize a small amount with every watering. You may want to repot it after the bloom, for a good medium and other tips check our new FAQ:

Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ version 1.0
e36yellowm3
14 years ago
Bo, it looks great! You should have beautiful blooms in a week or two depending on how fast it takes off, followed by some more blooms on the second stalk coming up on the left. Check out the FAQs that folks posted here for info on how to keep it looking great.
Alana
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Welcome to the world of Hippeastrum bulbs, more commonly known as Amaryllis! You're not doing anything wrong... that's exactly how Hippeastrum bulbs grow. I suspect you have the variety Red Lion, which is a fairly common one. These bulbs grow one flower scape, or stalk, at a time... and can have 3 consecutive scapes, although 2 is more common. Once the flowers fade, leaves will begin to emerge and grow. At this point, the plant needs as much light as you can give it. A southern window is best, though an eastern or western exposure will do. Once the weather stays warm outside, and there's no danger of frost, you can place your bulb outdoors so it can grow and get a decent amount of natural light. You'll want to feed your bulb once it begins to grow leaves... any houseplant fertilizer will work... I mix a weak solution, about half the recommended strength, and I water with that about every other watering. A word of caution on watering... Hippeastrum bulbs can be prone to rot issues, so you'll want to allow the soil to dry in between waterings. You don't have to store the bulb as you'd think of storing Canna rhizomes or Glad corms... you can actually treat the bulb as a regular houseplant, and if cared for properly, it will bloom by its own schedule, which is normally in the spring or early summer. If you prefer the blooms to be at Christmas, you'll need to force your bulb into a dormancy. It will require good care all spring and summer to help it recharge for its next bloom cycle... around the middle of of August, I believe it is, you'll need to stop watering your bulb, and place it in a dark, cool place to rest... a basement works well... the bulb will lose its leaves and go dormant... about 8 weeks or so into its dormancy, it will begin to sprout a flower scape... once you see this, you'll want to bring the pot back into a warm, bright room and resume watering. Your bulb should bloom in about 6-8 weeks. I, myself, prefer to allow nature to take its course... I treat all of my Hippeastrum bulbs as houseplants, and they reward my care by flowering every spring! Good luck!
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It is interesting, that there was no amaryllis in the Wal Mart close to us... Now I have moved, and there is no Wal Mart in here. :o) I will have to drive far, back to the area where I moved from to get new bulbs for myself in the fall. That area has the best Garden Centers. They start selling the bulbs on October 10th. So I know what will happen on October 10th this year... I will go and buy up everything new I can find... Then go and drive around every Sunday for new places to find... Good that I am OCD, so I can regulate myself to do it one day a week, and only buy varieties I don't have yet. I would have liked to see how the Wal Mart bulbs looked like and maybe buy. If for nothing else, but for gift to give away to others.
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I think the ratio is closer to 4 leaves for one scape. Exposing the plant to mild stress will prompt it to flower, but only if it has had a minimum (6-8 months) of green growth. Stressing a plant right after flowering wont make it flower. It is correct that flower scapes are created one season ahead. Stressing the plant does not start the formation of flower scapes but it can program a plant to flower (flower scape already developed). I think the proper way to explain the "programming" process is not to keep saying "stressed" but to say "interupt the existing growing pattern". E.g. impatiens (annual plants in our area) will flower if grown in moderate light with moderate water and frequent light fertilizer applications. Unfortunately, sometimes the plants do not flower. It is not always cut in stone. There are so many different parameters/conditions which can affect flowering (sun, water, temperatures, stress, maturity of plants, etc) that our hard and fast rules sometimes need revision. Therefore, I have always found that doing something different works. If you have fertilized regularily, try skipping a few applications. If you have fertilized sporadically, try fertilizing regularily. If you have watered consistently, try to let the plants dry out a bit, or give them more water if they have been kept very dry. If grown in pot, move to a sunnier (or darker) place. Just introducing some kind of interuption in the growing pattern will often result in flowering. This being said, the timing and conditions must be right. E.g. impatiens will not bloom earlier than 3-4 months from seed and only when soil temperatures are 65F or higher. Too much sun or too much shade and they will not flower. Here, too much stress (too strong fertilizer, too weak fertilizer, too much sun, too little sun) can prevent flowering. So when we say "stressing" or "doing something different" it should still be within the acceptable ranges of the particular plant species. E.g. don't stress a tropical plant with cold temperatures, or an impatiens flower with full desert sun, for example.
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Josh, I've been looking at lots of pictures trying to figure out if this is "Donau." I also bought a Lowes "Susan" because I was smitten by the pictures posted by "Donau" owners here. I think several of the "Donau" pictures I've seen look just like my "not-Desire," but the descriptions of the color don't match what I have. I've seen "Donau" described as "cerise," "raspberry," "lavender hues," and "smokey pink magenta." Perhaps it's a difference in word usage. To me, these terms all suggest a cool toned, blue-pink flower, like the image cindeea captured. My hippi is now a richer, darker shade than when it first opened, but still a warm toned, radiant coral rose. No cool tones. Maybe it (she?) is not done changing color. I have grown a pulmonaria which has flower buds that open pink but mature to blue. Do some hippeastrums do that? Alana - I have had non-specific CHAD for years and I'm already making a mental wish list for more amaryllis. :-) I'm happy to be welcomed so warmly. Edie
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yaslan
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks e36yellowm3 and betonklotz. I will start putting her in more direct sunlight. Wow. I thought they were suppose to get a lot taller before they bloom. But I am glad to hear she'll set flowers in a few weeks or less. ( :

Bo
Carl
14 years ago
On both sides of leaves are flowering buds appearing, when they've reached a certain height, they'll open for the blooms to come out.
monet_g
14 years ago
Bo,
You could see an inch or more growth on the stalks per day!! Some get really tall - 20 or more inches, others much shorter. If you know what variety you have, someone may be able to tell how tall it should get.
Gail
e36yellowm3
14 years ago
Exactly what I was gonna say, Gail! Bo, yup, you're right - they are supposed to get a lot taller. You'll see all that growth in a short time, depending on room temp. (if you keep it in a colder room it'll be slower). It's amazing how fast the flower stalks (scapes) grow. Do you know the name/type of your bulb? Did it say on the packaging or did your friend tell you? If not, when it flowers post pictures here and there will be plenty of folks that can help id it.
Alana
yaslan
Original Author
14 years ago
{{gwi:377273}}

Wow. Everyone is right... She's grown a few inches since I posted. This is very exciting! I will post pics when she blooms. ( :
I don't know the name of my bulb. I will try asking my friend.
yaslan
Original Author
14 years ago
What should I do with the bulb after she's finished blooming? Thanks ~ Bo
Carl
14 years ago
I don't want to repeat myself, so I just post a link where this was well discussed. Also take a look in the link I posted before.

Here is a link that might be useful: Can I reuse an Amaryllis after it blooms?
wryorwhite
14 years ago
I would like to save mine. Here's what I've done so far. I let them bloom (2x - perhaps 2 bulbs?) Then I cut off the remaining stems. I have not watered them since I received them at Thanksgiving. I live in apartment and have no place to plant them other than the pot in which they were initially planted or another pot purchased for such purpose.

What should I do? Put the pot in a closet? Remove the bulbs and put them in my crisper (far from apples which I know neuter them)? Leave the pot out and water it periodically. Sorry to be dim but I've never tried to save them before.
sylviatexas1
14 years ago
anybody know how to advise this poster?
dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
14 years ago
This same question by the same poster has been posted on another thread, which I just tried to answer.................hope I helped..........Donna
yaslan
Original Author
14 years ago
She's getting ready to bloom. I am so excited! This is my first amaryllis.

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